Pinta 3.0 Beta Features New GTK4/Libadwaita UI

The Digital Artisan -

Pinta 3.0 Beta: A Major Upgrade for Open-Source Graphics Editing

The latest beta release of the open-source raster graphics editor, Pinta 3.0, introduces significant changes that aim to enhance user experience and functionality. Known as the cross-platform alternative to Paint.NET, this version focuses on a revamped UI and new features that cater to both beginner and advanced users.

A Modern UI with GTK4 and Libadwaita

The most notable update to Pinta 3.0 is its shift to GTK4 and Libadwaita, marking a departure from the traditional window frame and text-based menu bar. The newly designed button-based header bar offers a cleaner, more modern aesthetic. Although long-time users may need an adjustment period, the layout remains intuitive, ensuring no options are lost during the transition. Additionally, users can now manually toggle between dark and light modes, irrespective of system settings.

Another platform-specific update affects how the File > New Screenshot option functions. On Linux, it uses the XDG screenshot portal (e.g., GNOME Shell’s screenshot overlay), while macOS users benefit from their native screenshot overlay.

Enhanced Features and Functionality

Pinta 3.0 includes several new and improved features to streamline workflows:

  • Panels for Layers and History can now be collapsed into buttons, optimizing workspace canvases.
  • Brush size and line width settings are adjustable via keyboard shortcuts, enabling quick and precise customization.
  • The revamped color picker addresses long-standing user feedback with sliders, input values, and a compact mode toggle.

New Effects to Experiment With

Graphics editing enthusiasts will appreciate the array of new effects added in Pinta 3.0:

  • Dithering and Voronoi Diagram effects.
  • Feather Object, Align Object, and Outline Object effects.
  • Vignette and Dents effects, previously ported from Paint.NET.
  • Tile Reflection with adjustable edge configurations.
  • Customizable gradients for fractal and cloud effects.
  • A button to randomize noise patterns for effects like Add Noise.
  • Zoom blur is now confined within image bounds, while the Twist effect applies only to active selections.

All effects continue to offer configurable, real-time previews, making adjustments seamless and precise.

Miscellaneous Improvements

Other updates include:

  • A new canvas grid with customizable sizes, replacing the pixel grid.
  • Support for exporting portable pixmap (.ppm) files.
  • Nearest-neighbor resampling for image resizing.
  • Pinta now filters out incompatible add-ins, ensuring only usable extensions appear in the Add-in Manager.
  • Windows users now benefit from signed installers and support for .webp images.
  • Mac users gain native ARM64 builds for Apple Silicon.

System Requirements and Installation

To run Pinta 3.0 beta, a minimum of .NET 8.0 is required. Linux users can download a binary from the GitHub repository, while pre-built packages are available for Windows and macOS. Users preferring stable releases can still access version 2.x through the Snap Store, Flathub, or the source code on GitHub, as Ubuntu archives no longer include Pinta post-22.04 LTS.

Conclusion

Pinta 3.0 represents a substantial leap forward for this lightweight yet powerful graphics editor. By simplifying workflows, modernizing the UI, and adding user-requested features, it cements its position as a serious contender in the graphics editing space. Try the beta today and explore its potential!