A raster graphics editor is a computer program that allows users to paint and edit pictures interactively on the computer screen and save them in one of many popular “bitmap” or “raster” formats such as JPEG, PNG, GIF and TIFF.

Usually an image viewer is preferred over a raster graphics editor for viewing images.

Some editors specialize in the editing of photo-realistic images such as the popular Adobe Photoshop, while others are more geared to artist-created illustrations.

Common Features

Select a region for editing.

Draw lines with brushes of different color, size, shape and pressure

Fill in a region with a single color, gradient of colors, or a texture.

Select a color using different color models (e.g. RGB, HSV), or by using a color dropper.

Add typed letters in different font styles.

Remove scratches, dirt, wrinkles, and imperfections from photo images.

Composite editing using layers.

Edit and convert between various color models.

Apply various filters for effects like sharpening and blurring.

Convert between various image formats.