Adobe Photoshop or simply Photoshop is a graphics editing program developed and published by Adobe Systems. It is the current and primary market leader for commercial bitmap and image manipulation, and is the flagship product of Adobe Systems. All of you must be familiar with this application. Yes, Photoshop must be one of the best image editing tools.

But its not a free application, you have to pay a lot of money to have it. Is there any free image editing tools beside Photoshop?

PCWorld has a review about free and cool image editing tools for Windows user that you can use as an alternative of Photoshop.

1. GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)

When you think Open Source software, you may think of half-baked programs too hard to use by normal folks, and lacking power. Well, think again. This Open Source image editor packs a surprising amount of power, and is well-designed, if a bit eccentric in layout. Even though it's free, it compares favorably to the power of Photoshop, and includes many of the kinds of photo-editing tools that come with that program, including filters, effects, masks, layers, and more.

Of course there are the basics tools you'd expect in a photo editor, such as red eye removal, but there is plenty more here. If you're looking for professional-level photo editing, but don't want to spend a bundle --- or even a penny --- this is the program for you.

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Note: Norman antivirus wrongly identifies the windows installer as being infected with w32/agent.gkfa, so becareful.

2. Windows Live Photo Gallery

Everyone needs some way to sort, arrange, organize, and find their photos, and Windows Live Photo Gallery proves that you can get world-class software without paying a dime. Available from Microsoft, Windows Live Photo Gallery is an enhanced version of the Photo Gallery that ships in Windows Vista, but it works on both Vista and XP. It has superb organizer features, including adjustable thumbnail sizes, keyword tagging, and the ability to upload photos directly to Windows Live Spaces and Flickr. My favorite feature is the integrated panoramic stitching tool.

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3. FastStone Image Viewer

If you want your images to look the best they can--but you don't have a professional photographer's budget--check out FastStone Image Viewer. This freebie lets you browse and view your images in a Windows-Explorer-like interface. FastStone image viewer supports all major image formats, including BMP, GIF, ICO, JPEG, JPEG2000, PCX, PNG, PSD, TAF, TIF, and WMF. It includes EXIF metadata support as well. You can crop, resize, flip, rotate, and adjust colors on your images and compare them side by side.

You can also convert your images from one format to another; in fact, you can even convert or resize your photos in batches. If you need to take a closer look without resizing, use the Full Screen image viewer to zoom in and size things up with the clear magnifier. Once you're done, you can apply over 150 transitional effects in a slideshow.

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4. Gimpshop

Gimpshop is an exceedingly powerful Photoshop lookalike that has far more features than you, or most people you know, will ever use. If you're looking to do something as simple as touch up photos, or something far more sophisticated, like work in multiple layers, it has the tools you need.

There are also numerous effects and filters, the ability to easily create color gradients, and plenty more. In fact, if all you want to do is basic photo-retouching, it's probably overkill. But if you want to indulge your inner artist, there's plenty. The program is based on a long-time Open Source favorite, GIMP, but has more fit and polish, and a Photoshop-like identity.

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5. AndreaMosaic

AndreaMosaic lets you make beautiful images from photos stored on your hard drive. With this freeware program you can create your own photo mosaics made with your own pictures. A photographic mosaic is a mosaic where every tile is a photograph and not just a simple colored piece.

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Reference: PCWorld.com