Photoshop is a great photo editing software, that’s undeniable, but its subscription can quickly become a hindrance, especially when you only use it occasionally. So which free alternative should you turn to? Well, there’s actually no software as comprehensive as Adobe’s, but some come close.
This is especially the case of PhotoSuite and PhotoCraft, two software programs that we recently presented to you on JustGeek and that join already known solutions such as Photopea or GIMP. But today we are going to look at Patchy, another free and open source photo editing software that also has serious arguments.
Patchy: an image editor that uses Photoshop codes
Developed by Seth A. Robinson, Irregular is free and open source photo editing software, available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. There is even a web version accessible from any web browser.
When you open Patchy for the first time, you’ll immediately notice its resemblance to Photoshop. And that is not bad in itself. At least if you’ve worked with Adobe software before, you should get your bearings easily.
The tools are located on the left, the different panels on the right and the menus are organized in a very similar way. The developer has even taken a lot of keyboard shortcuts from Photoshop to make it a little easier to get started.
The interface is available in French and you can customize it according to your preferences. For example, you can move panels, group them, or separate them to display them in separate windows. Various themes are also offered, with different colors and atmospheres.
Personally, I found the software quite pleasant to use. It starts up very quickly, the interface is fluid and I haven’t noticed any particular slowdown, even with a PSD file made up of many layers.
Quite complete editing and creation tools.
Now let’s move on to Patchy’s features, because the software has a lot to offer.
We find the classic photo editing tools such as the brush, the eraser, the duplication stamp, the corrector or even the Patch tool to eliminate certain imperfections in a photograph. And for selections, Patchy has an automatic selection tool that works a bit like Photoshop’s. Simply draw a rectangle around the desired object for the software to try to recognize and select it.
To retouch your photographs, you can of course adjust the brightness, contrast or even the colors, but also use more advanced tools such as Fluidity, which allows, among other things, to distort certain parts of an image. Patchy also offers numerous filters and effects, in particular thanks to the integration of G’MIC, which gives access to nearly 400 different filters.
Patchy, of course, manages layers, groups, masks and blending modes. It is possible to add drop shadows, outlines, glows, gradients and many other effects. The software even supports smart objects and non-destructive filters, allowing you to revert certain settings without having to start over.
You can also add text to your designs, choose its font, size, color and even distort it. The software allows you to draw vector shapes and create several work plans in the same document, for example to create different images for social networks.
Can Patchy open and edit Photoshop PSD files?
Well yes, and not just for display! You can work directly on your PSD files in Patchy and then save them in that same format so someone else can pick up the work in Photoshop.
To see how Patchy was doing, I tried opening several PSD files, some of which contained many layers, effects, and text elements. The documents opened without any problem and I was able to modify the different elements directly in the software.
I then saved my changes in PSD format and then reopened the files in Photoshop to check that everything was preserved. And again, no problem. I found my documents with the modifications made in Patchy.
Of course, even if my tests were successful, that doesn’t mean all PSD files will work perfectly. Some documents that use specific Photoshop features may differ when opened or saved.
And if you use other photo editing software, Patchy can also open files from GIMP (XCF), Krita (KRA), or Affinity (AFPHOTO, AFDESIGN, and AFPUB).
Download Patchy for free
If you want to try Patchy, you can download it for free from its official GitHub repository.
On Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit), you can choose between an installed version and a portable version in ZIP format. For macOS, the software requires at least macOS 12 and a Mac equipped with an Apple Silicon chip. As for Linux, Patchy is offered in Flatpak and AppImage formats.
And if you prefer to try the software without installing anything, you can directly use its web version. Your images are rendered locally in your browser.
In any case, Patchy is completely free, with no subscription or account to create.
