If you’re going to be serious about using GIMP as your main image editor, it’s important that you get comfortable dealing with the GIMP plugins system. I’ve written lots of these intro blurbs, but they all boil down to this: I’ve spent half my life working with digital images in one way or another, so I can save you time and effort by sharing my experiences with you.
My name is Thomas, and I’m the writer and image editor on the TGT(The GIMP Tutorials) team. Having used almost all of the different image editing programs available on the market today, I often found myself reaching for a tool or filter in GIMP only to realize that there isn’t a comparable option available in a fresh GIMP install. Plugins are small pieces of software that work from within GIMP to add new tools, editing options, and even more capabilities like RAW image processing for high-end digital SLR cameras. One of the most useful features of GIMP is its support for a wide range of plugins.