Apple Apps (Non Record Related)

[Westex]

Folks,

We just made the jump from PC to iMac and I'm need of a replacement for the old Windows program (Microsoft Paint?) I was using for graphics and scans...

I am not interested in anything professional ala Photoshop. Just something basic that allows for cropping... most important is the ability to erase the space in the center of a 45 or lp/78. Rectangular cropping seems pretty standard... but circular cropping/erasing a little less so. I don't simply want the ability to fill in the center hole with a filled in circle. I like my scans and don't want to lose that ability... I would prefer an app over a full on program.

We will be installing Office for Apple in the next month or so... does that include the Paint program?

Thanks muchly!

 

[Michael W]

I have heard good things about the free app 'GIMP'. It was made by ex Photoshop people and is apparently a professional app but I suppose you can use it in a limited way if that's all you want.

 

[The Swyne]

I agree with the above comment

GIMP is definitely a cool program. I use it

 

[Westex]

I just checked GIMP out... let me add one more requirement in my quest... I'm dumb on computers. Like dumb enough that I managed to add 24 copies of the Reigning Sounds "Time Bomb High School" to my iPhone during an update last night. And 20 copies of RS's "Too Much Guitar". GIMP lost me at the word "layering"

Thanks for the suggestion though...

 

[Andreas]

I'm dumb with computers as well so I just googled "Paint for Mac" and downloaded this: http://paintbrush-mac.en.softonic.com/mac I've used it for some years, works fine. There's also Picasa, that's a bit more like photo shop (I think)

 

[The Swyne]

I just checked GIMP out... let me add one more requirement in my quest... I'm dumb on computers. Like dumb enough that I managed to add 24 copies of the Reigning Sounds "Time Bomb High School" to my iPhone during an update last night. And 20 copies of RS's "Too Much Guitar". GIMP lost me at the word "layering"

Thanks for the suggestion though...

It took me a couple of days to figure it out. I'll admit it wasn't pleasant trying to understand the program, but I got the hang of it eventually. I basically stumbled upon it when I was trying to figure out how to crop label scans and place them onto other surfaces. That's all (I) really use it for.

Best of luck finding something that suits you!

 

[Westex]

So I downloaded Paintbrush... despite comparisons to MS Paint I see many of the MS Paint functions I see as necessary missing... especially cropping and text box type options. I was able to complete th project below using only MS Paint, and while the result is nothing fancy, I don't see Paintbrush having the capability of doing anything like this. I also tried Seashore, an app touted as being better and simpler than GIMP, and I can't see that it has the abilities of MS Paint either. The Seashore text editor is absolutely horrific. Paintbrush didn't work much better in the text department.



Better examples of what I'm wanting to be able to do with cropping/copying etc. While these are far from Bosshoss level scans, I'm rather happy with them.


I realize some folks just plug a white circle into the center of the label or just stick with a blocked crop of the scan. I rather like the clean look the cropped edge and missing center, though.



Thanks for playing along and helping, gents. I was hoping to be able to do graphics work off of this newfangled iMac, but I guess I'll probably just get a wireless adapter-ma-jig for the ol' PC, find a spot for it in the record room, and made it a dedicated record nerdness workstation.

Keep the suggestions coming...

 

[MopTopMike]

I still use an old version of Photoshop. As I do not like that "drop shadow" effect everyone else deems as mandatory when editing label scans (it seems very '90s dated to me), I have all the effects I need, learned by trial and error. I wouldn't know where to begin using some other type of budget-minded program. It seems most of the ones used by the non professionals lack some of the basic functions.