Photoshop has been a standby publishing tool for years, but its subscription price is cost prohibitive for many creatives on a budget. If you’re an artist preparing a high-resolution image for printing or a photographer who just wants clean edits without the monthly bill, the good news is, there are Photoshop alternatives for giclee printing, and you have other options.
A number of software tools now handle the kind of work giclée printing requires, offering sharp resolution, accurate color, and reliable file exports. Let’s go through a few possible options for tools that can get your files ready for print without the extra bulk or cost.
What Makes a Tool Suitable for Giclée Printing?
Not every design program is built with printing in mind. If you’re preparing files for giclée printing, you need more than basic editing features. The software should support high resolution, accurate color, and the right file formats. These items matter once your work moves from screen to paper.
Color accuracy is particularly important. Look for tools that support ICC profiles so that you can match your screen as closely as possible to the final print. High-resolution support is also critical. Giclée printing brings out fine detail, but only if the file is sharp to begin with. The
TIFF format is ideal and universally supported. You can apply lossless LZW compression to a TIFF file to get a slightly smaller file without compromising quality.
The best tools give you control over the print process from start to finish. Greater control is a must when your work is intended to be displayed or sold.
Affinity Photo: Best Photoshop Alternative for Single Users
If you’re looking for a Photoshop alternative without a subscription, Affinity Photo is hard to beat. It offers a one-time purchase model without the monthly fee. It’s also a stand-alone product, so you won’t need to contend with a bundled Creative Cloud. Use Affinity Photo if you’re looking for a solid photo editing tool that you pay for once and own.
Affinity offers many of the same features you’ll find in Photoshop. It supports layers, ICC profiles, and several different file formats. If you’re working in print or doing professional-level photo editing, these details matter. You’ll also find advanced tools for masks, blend modes, liquify effects, and non-destructive editing.
When it comes to photo editing and retouching, Affinity Photo excels at striking a balance between depth and speed. The healing brush, frequency separation, and inpainting tools work quickly, even on large files. The workflow feels responsive and refined, regardless of whether you’re smoothing skin or correcting lighting.
Longtime Photoshop users will find the learning curve to be minimal. The tool’s interface is familiar enough that you won’t spend hours trying to locate common features. While not a clone, it’s clearly designed with former or frustrated Photoshop users in mind.
If you’re an artist or photographer looking for professional-level editing tools without Adobe’s ongoing costs, Affinity Photo is a budget-friendly alternative that delivers.
GIMP: A Free Tool with Real Potential
GIMP has been around for years as a reliable open-source option. It’s completely free to use and runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. For artists and photographers on a budget, it offers a surprising range of features.
With GIMP, you can work with high-resolution files and make detailed edits without much setup. It supports layers, masks, and the core tools you’d expect in a photo editor. You can easily customize it to handle most basic tasks needed for giclée printing.
While color management is possible, you’ll need to enable it manually. GIMP allows you to load ICC profiles and adjust your color settings, though it takes a few extra steps compared to commercial tools.
GIMP isn’t the easiest tool to set up for print, but it’s capable. If you don’t mind conducting research on occasion, it’s a solid way to prep your work for print at no cost.
Krita: For Illustrators and Digital Artists
Krita was built with illustrators and painters in mind. It’s particularly well-suited for digital artists who work with a tablet and want a smooth drawing experience. The brush engine, for example, offers several natural-feeling textures and strokes, making it one of the tool’s strongest features.
If you’re coming from Photoshop, you’ll be glad to know that Krita supports PSD files. You can open and edit layered files without losing work. Krita makes it easy to switch tools without having to start from scratch. The user interface is highly intuitive and easy for users to pick up.
When it’s time to print, Krita can export to formats like TIFF and PNG. Both formats are well-suited for giclée printing and maintain sharp image quality. While Krita focuses on painting rather than photo editing, it still offers support for color profiles. It also allows you to manage resolution settings with ease.
Krita is free to use and works across platforms. It’s a strong choice if your work leans more toward illustration than photography. You gain the creative freedom of a high-end drawing tool, along with the ability to produce files ready for professional print.
Capture One: For Photographers Who Want Total Color Control
Capture One can’t be everything for everyone. Instead, it’s built specifically for photographers who require precision, especially when working with RAW files. If you’re focused on color accuracy and print preparation, this tool efficiently handles both creative work and print preparation.
What sets Capture One apart is its exceptional color grading and RAW processing capabilities. The software provides greater control over hue, saturation, and luminance in specific color ranges. Its high precision makes a big difference when working with skin tones or fine art photography.
Photographers prepping to print appreciate being able to export files with embedded ICC profiles. Capture One produces fewer surprises when the work goes from screen to paper. The final output remains consistent with your screen, regardless of where you print.
It also handles tethered shooting well, which is a bonus for studio photographers seeking a smooth live capture workflow. The user interface takes some getting used to, but you’ll find it easy to navigate your workflow once you settle in. The tool’s layout and toolsets feel like they were designed with working photographers in mind.
If your workflow revolves around RAW files, color fidelity, and producing professional-quality prints, Capture One delivers where it counts.
Canva and Other Lightweight Tools
Tools like Canva, Fotor, and Pixlr are fine for quick adjustments. If you need to resize an image, add a border, or mock up a layout, they can get the job done without much effort. They’re also useful for testing out different framing ideas before committing to a final version.
These tools aren’t built for professional print preparation, however. They don’t support ICC profiles or high-bit-depth formats like TIFF.
If you’re creating something just for the web or social media, they’re a convenient choice. But for giclée printing, it’s best to stick with software that offers full control over color, resolution, and file export.
When To Ask Your Print Provider for Help
Some editing tools fall short in terms of color profiles. If you’re unsure whether your file is truly print-ready, it’s worth checking before you upload.
At Grand River Giclée we can take a quick look and let you know if anything needs to be adjusted. We can advise on file formats, resolution, and the best color settings for your specific project. We offer both basic and advanced image processing services at a reasonable cost, so you don’t need to figure it all out on your own.
A short email or call to us can save hours of trial and error. It’s an easy way to make sure your final print looks the way you imagined and the way your artwork deserves.