Pinta 3.0, a free, open-source, cross-platform bitmap image drawing and editing program, has just been released, bringing an eye-catching user interface, enhanced performance, and a wealth of new features.
You will immediately notice Pinta 3.0’s sleek new look, which creates a more intuitive feel for newcomers. Developers have integrated client-side window decorations and a polished header bar, bundling window controls, menus, and toolbar functions into one accessible space.
While some users might need a moment to adjust, those accustomed to GNOME applications will feel right at home. Plus, the interface takes advantage of GTK 4 to ensure consistent performance across Linux, macOS, and Windows.
In addition to revamping its overall design, Pinta 3.0 introduces a modern symbolic icon set. This visual overhaul, powered by Libadwaita, brings accent colors and improved light/dark mode switching so the application can easily adapt to system-wide themes or personalized user preferences.
Regarding performance, the application now responds more quickly to various screen sizes and orientations, making it perfect for laptops, tablets, and multi-monitor setups. Enhanced gesture controls, such as pinch-to-zoom on trackpads, provide smoother navigation.
Moreover, the screenshot tool has been fine-tuned to integrate seamlessly with Linux’s XDG-Desktop Screenshot Portal, ensuring compatibility with Wayland-based desktop environments. Although this particular feature is not yet available for Windows, it is expected to roll out in future updates.
On the usability side, users can now hide the right-hand toolbox to maximize canvas space, while the left-hand toolbox automatically adjusts to different window sizes so that no tools are accidentally concealed.
In addition, a redesigned color picker helps reduce on-screen clutter by allowing collapsible views for easy access to key settings. The tool offers precise control over RGB, HSV, and alpha values, with recently used colors saved for instant recall.
Keyboard shortcuts have also been expanded to accommodate brush size adjustments via the ‘[’ and ‘]’ keys, providing quick and continuous control. The new “Offset Selection” feature further enhances editing efficiency by allowing selections to be fine-tuned using a slider.
Layer management now prompts users before flattening layers when saving in formats like PNG or WEBP. The Text Tool has also gained improved Input Method Editor (IME) support for languages such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, and updates to the Curves Tool and Clone Stamp Tool guarantee more precise control over line rendering and cloned content.
On top of the improved tools, Pinta 3.0 introduces a selection of new effects, some of which draw inspiration from the popular Paint.NET platform. Dithering lends images a nostalgic or stylized feel, while the Voronoi Diagram feature produces geometric patterns that come in handy for abstract or procedural designs.
Users can also find tools such as Feather Object, Outline Object, and Align Object, which refine edges, add borders around text, and offer GIMP- and Inkscape-like positioning controls, respectively.
Other existing effects, such as Tile Reflection, Fractal, Clouds, and Noise, have received notable enhancements, including expanded gradient options and the ability to “lock in” random noise patterns or regenerate them at will.
Finally, Pinta 3.0 reintroduces add-in support, allowing developers and power users to customize the application with extra effects and format compatibilities. Although only a couple of add-ins are available at the time of release, this feature opens the door to a robust community of extensions in the future. Users can easily manage and install add-ins through the dedicated “Add-in Manager” in the “Add-ins” menu.
For more information, see the announcement or check out the changelog. The app is available for download for all platforms, as Linux users can also install it as flatpak from Flathub.
