How to install the PhotoGIMP patch on Windows and Mac

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If you use GIMP but are coming from Photoshop, you've probably noticed that The interface and the way of working are quite differentShortcuts that don't work the same, tools in different places, menus you can't find… and in the end, you waste time and patience. Luckily, there's a very polished solution to make GIMP look and feel much like Photoshop without paying a single penny extra.

That solution is PhotoGIMP, a customization patch for GIMP 3.0 and higher It adapts the tool layout, keyboard shortcuts, start screen, and various visual details to resemble the classic Adobe environment. Below, you'll see, step by step, exactly what PhotoGIMP is, what changes within GIMP, what you need to install it, and how to apply the patch on both Windows and macOS (and also on Linux, if you're interested in having it on multiple systems).

What is PhotoGIMP and what does it offer over "pure" GIMP?

PhotoGIMP is, basically, an open source patch created by the Brazilian blog Diolinux This transforms the GIMP interface to closely resemble Adobe Photoshop. It doesn't add a new program or change the editing engine; instead, it reorganizes, reconfigures, and replaces certain GIMP 3.0+ configuration files to give it a look and feel very similar to Adobe's editor.

On a practical level, PhotoGIMP is designed for people who already have a good grasp of Photoshop and want to migrate to a free alternative without losing productivityBy maintaining almost the same tool positions and keyboard shortcuts as in Photoshop, the learning curve is greatly reduced: you don't have to "rewire your brain" with every basic function, because everything feels very familiar from the first boot after applying the patch.

According to the project itself, the patch focuses on appearance, layout and quick accessIt's not about replicating Photoshop's internal functions. GIMP is still GIMP: all its features, native filters, plugin compatibility, scripts, and extensions remain intact. The magic of PhotoGIMP lies in making that power of GIMP much more user-friendly for those coming from the Adobe ecosystem.

One of the key features of the patch is the reorganization of the toolbox and side panels. With PhotoGIMP, The toolbars, layers panels, properties, and settings are repositioned to mimic the layout of Photoshop.If you're used to finding layers on the right, the toolbar on the left, and certain panels in very specific places, you'll feel "at home" almost instantly.

Another key visual improvement is the customizable home screen. PhotoGIMP includes A new splash screen that replaces GIMP's original loading screenwith a design unique to the project. This detail is purely aesthetic, but it reinforces the feeling of using a kind of "GIMP tweaked in Photoshop style" from the moment you open the application.

Main functions of the PhotoGIMP patch

The heart of PhotoGIMP lies in a series of adjustments that make it a working environment much closer to Photoshop. Beyond the change in appearance, The patch introduces a combination of settings, fonts, icons, and shortcuts. that significantly alter the daily user experience.

Regarding the workspace, PhotoGIMP adds a default configuration designed to maximize canvas areaThis means fewer distractions, better-adjusted panels, and smarter screen usage—very useful if you work with portable monitors or lower resolutions. In practical terms, you have more screen space and less visual noise.

One of the most noticeable differences when coming from Photoshop is the keyboard shortcuts. This patch adjusts GIMP's shortcuts on Windows to follow, Where possible, consult the official Adobe documentationThis includes common combinations such as Ctrl + T to transform o Ctrl + D to deselect or duplicate depending on the contextalong with other recognizable Photoshop patterns. The idea is that the fingers do the same thing as always, but on GIMP.

In the early versions of the project, geared towards GIMP 2.10, PhotoGIMP also included the installation of a comprehensive font package and the activation of filters like "Heal Selection" to further bring the available tools closer to the set many users associate with Photoshop. Although the current focus of the patch is on GIMP 3.0 and later, the philosophy remains the same: to make the environment as complete and familiar as possible.

Additionally, PhotoGIMP modifies the application's name and icon through a custom .desktop file in environments that support itThis adjustment is more relevant in Linux (due to the use of .desktop launchers), but it contributes to the program being presented graphically as a “PhotoGIMP” variant in application menus, with its renewed icon and its own visual identity.

It is important to note that the project is published as Open source code on GitHub, in the official Diolinux repositoryFrom there you can download the updated package, review specific instructions for each operating system, check changes between versions and, if you want, even collaborate or review the configuration files to understand exactly what is modified within GIMP.

Prerequisites and recommendations before installing PhotoGIMP

Before you start copying files and pasting folders, it's a good idea to understand the basic requirements. To begin, You need to have GIMP version 3.0 or higher installed. From its official website (on Windows and macOS) or from Flathub or other repositories, in the case of Linux. PhotoGIMP is specifically designed for this branch of GIMP, so working with older versions may cause conflicts or simply not work as expected.

One step that many users overlook, but which the project itself emphasizes, is Open GIMP once after installing it and close it immediately.This simple gesture allows GIMP to create its configuration folders on your system for the first time (both in AppData in Windows as in Library/Application Support on macOS, or on ~ / .config (on Linux). Without those generated directories, you won't have anywhere to put the patch files.

Another key recommendation is to do a backup of your current GIMP configurationIn Windows, simply copy the "3.0" folder you find in %APPDATA%\GIMP to another secure location (for example, the Desktop or a backup folder). On macOS, you can back up the entire directory ~/Library/Application Support/GIMP Or, if you want to be more selective, the specific “3.0” folder that PhotoGIMP will replace or merge.

If you're coming from a previous installation of GIMP 2.10, especially on macOS, it's worth checking if you still have old configuration folders, such as 2.10The project itself recommends deleting the 2.10 folder on Mac to avoid overlaps and strange issues with legacy preferences. By clearing this configuration, you ensure that GIMP 3.0 and PhotoGIMP work on a more consistent and modern foundation.

Lastly, remember that The entire process must be done with GIMP completely closed.Simply minimizing the window isn't enough: make sure the application isn't running in the background. On some systems, especially macOS, it's best to quit from the application menu (GIMP > Quit or Quit GIMP) to ensure no active processes remain that could block configuration files during the copy.

How to install PhotoGIMP on Windows step by step

On Windows, the current procedure for applying PhotoGIMP to GIMP 3.0 is quite straightforward, and no longer requires navigating through endless chains of subfolders as was the case with versions designed for GIMP 2.10. Even so, it is important Follow the sequence in order and respect the configuration paths so that the patch takes effect from the first start.

The first thing is to make sure that You have GIMP installed from the official website and that you have opened and closed it at least once, as we mentioned in the requirements section. Once you have verified this, go to the PhotoGIMP repository on GitHub (the Diolinux project) and download the compressed file, usually named something similar to PhotoGIMP.zipSave that ZIP file in a folder where you can easily find it.

The next step is Unzip the PhotoGIMP.zip file to a temporary locationFor example, on your Desktop or in your Downloads folder. After extraction, you'll see a directory structure containing a key folder called "3.0". This folder contains the configuration that will replace (or supplement) the one you already have in your GIMP user profile.

Once you've located the "3.0" folder, copy it completely. Now press the Windows key and, without releasing it, press Press R to open the Run dialog boxIn the window that opens, type %APPDATA%\GIMP and press Enter. The GIMP configuration path corresponding to your Windows user will open in the file explorer.

Inside that GIMP folder, you should see a "3.0" folder already created by the program itself. This is where PhotoGIMP comes in: Paste the “3.0” folder that you copied from the ZIP file.Windows will ask if you want to replace or merge existing files. You must select the option that allows you to do so. replace the files at the destination (or equivalent), so that PhotoGIMP's settings overwrite the standard configuration.

Once the copy is complete, all that remains is Open GIMP again and check the changes.Upon launching, you should see PhotoGIMP's new custom splash screen. As the interface loads, you'll notice that the side panels, toolbars, and menus have changed position and even appearance, mimicking the typical Photoshop layout. Shortcuts like Ctrl+T, Ctrl+D, and other quick access keys will conform to Adobe's behavior whenever possible.

If you want to take it a step further, the project suggests the possibility of Also change the GIMP shortcut icon to a specific PhotoGIMP icon.To do this, you can download the file photogimp.ico (when available in the repository) and edit the shortcut located in %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\GIMP 3.0.0by selecting the new icon in the shortcut's properties. This step is optional and purely aesthetic.

Installing PhotoGIMP on macOS: folder path and correct copy

On macOS, the PhotoGIMP installation process is very similar to that on Windows, with the main difference being the path to the configuration folders and how to access them from FinderIf you follow the steps carefully, in just a few minutes you'll have your GIMP looking like Photoshop on your Mac.

First of all, make sure that You have downloaded and installed GIMP from its official website and that you have opened the application at least once and then closed it. This step is key for the system to create the support folder in LibraryNext, visit the PhotoGIMP repository on GitHub and download the ZIP file corresponding to the patch, just as in the case of Windows.

Once you have the ZIP file, Unzip it into a folder of your choice (for example, in Downloads or Documents). Within the resulting structure, you'll see, as in Windows, a "3.0" folder containing the custom PhotoGIMP settings adapted for GIMP 3.0 for macOS. Copy this entire folder, as we'll need it in the next step.

To access the GIMP configuration path on macOS, open Finder and press the combination Cmd + Shift + G to bring up the "Go to Folder" window. In the text field, type ~/Library/Application Support/GIMP and press Enter. This will take you directly to the folder where GIMP stores its user settings.

Within that GIMP directory you may find, in addition to the “3.0” folder, a “2.10” folder if you worked with an earlier version of GIMPTo avoid conflicts and unwanted legacy files, the PhotoGIMP project itself recommends completely deleting the 2.10 folder before proceeding. Once that's done, you're ready to paste the "3.0" patch folder.

Paste the “3.0” folder that you copied from the ZIP file into ~/Library/Application Support/GIMPThe system will ask you if you want to replace or merge the filesChoose the option that allows replacement or, failing that, a combination of "Replace / Merge" that ensures that PhotoGIMP files take priority over the previous settings.

After the copy is complete, open GIMP from your Applications folder. You should see PhotoGIMP's custom home screen Once the interface loads, the panels and toolbars will be reorganized in a Photoshop-style layout. Keyboard shortcuts and other visual settings will be adjusted to make the transition from Adobe as smooth as possible within the macOS environment.

Using PhotoGIMP on Linux and cross-system compatibility

Although this article focuses on Windows and macOS, the Diolinux project itself makes it clear that PhotoGIMP was born closely linked to the Linux ecosystem, especially through Flatpak.If you also work with GNU/Linux distributions, it's interesting to know how the patch is applied in this environment and how consistency is maintained between different operating systems.

On Linux, one of the most common methods is to install GIMP from Flathub using FlatpakOnce GIMP is installed, the same procedure is recommended as for other systems: open the program once, close it, and then download the PhotoGIMP ZIP file from GitHub. Inside the compressed file, you will find two particularly relevant folders: .config y .localwhich are the ones that contain the settings and resources that the patch needs to adapt GIMP.

The procedure described in the project consists of Extract the contents of the ZIP file directly into your user folder (your home), so that those folders .config y .local They will be merged with those already existing in the system. During the process, you will need to accept that the files will be overwritten when the file manager asks you to, thus ensuring that PhotoGIMP replaces GIMP's default settings with its own.

In some of the project's early guides, geared towards GIMP 2.10, the workflow was somewhat more complex: you had to follow a chain of subfolders associated with the GIMP Flatpak packageas the PhotoGIMP by Diolinux v2020 for Flatpak\.var\app\org.gimp.GIMP\config\GIMP\2.10\, and then copy the resulting content to C:\Usuarios\(tunombredeusuario)\AppData\Roaming\GIMP\2.10\ In the case of Windows. Today, with the adaptation to the 3.0 branch and the new official instructions for each system, the method has been greatly simplified.

One of PhotoGIMP's strengths is that, although it was designed with the Flatpak version in mind, It can be applied to virtually any GIMP package format provided you know which configuration folder to place the files in. This includes distributions that use their own repositories, Snap packages, or direct binaries. The trick is always to locate the GIMP preferences path (usually within ~/.config/GIMP/3.0 or similar) and copy the appropriate patch content there.

Thanks to this relatively flexible philosophy, it is possible to have a very similar PhotoGIMP experience on multiple operating systems at onceIf you work, for example, with Windows on your desktop and Linux or macOS on your laptop, you can maintain a fairly high level of consistency in the interface, shortcuts, and tool layout, which makes it much easier to switch from one environment to another without having to retrain your habits.

And if at any point you decide you no longer want to use PhotoGIMP, reverting the changes is very simple: Delete or replace the configuration folder you pasted. (On Windows, the "3.0" file within %APPDATA%\GIMP; on macOS, the "3.0" file in Library/Application Support/GIMP; on Linux, the affected folders in ~/.config and ~/.local) from the backup you created before installing the patch. Restarting GIMP will return you to the standard interface with no trace of PhotoGIMP.

PhotoGIMP has become one of the most recommended customizations for those who want to take advantage of The power and open-source nature of GIMP with the convenience of a Photoshop-like environmentWith a little care in copying the correct folders and a prior backup of your configuration, you can completely transform your workflow without touching a single paid license.