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GIMP 2.10.38 was released on May 5, 2024, as a small transitional update. Its standout improvement was better Windows graphics-tablet support through backported Windows Ink support. The release also fixed several crashes, export errors, dialog problems, keyboard issues, and other long-standing defects.
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More importantly, it marked the end of the 2.10 development line. The GIMP team said feature backports were stopping and development was moving to GIMP 3.0. In retrospect, 2.10.38 became the final 2.10 release before GIMP 3.0—but it should be treated as a legacy-compatibility release, not the current version of GIMP.
GIMP 2.10.38 was released on May 5, 2024. It was a small maintenance release, not a major feature upgrade, but it had one important practical improvement for digital artists: better Windows graphics-tablet support through backported Windows Ink support. It also delivered a group of GTK3-derived interface fixes, crash corrections, export fixes, and other targeted quality improvements.
Historically, 2.10.38 is more significant than its feature list suggests. The GIMP team described it as possibly the final stable release in the 2.10 series, stopped feature backports to that branch, and shifted development toward GIMP 3.0. No feature-rich 2.10 successor appears in the official release history reviewed for this article, so 2.10.38 became the final 2.10 release before the GIMP 3 line.
What changed in GIMP 2.10.38?
Windows Ink support for graphics tablets
The most important change is the addition of Windows Ink support to the Windows version of GIMP 2.10.38. Earlier 2.10 releases relied on WinTab for graphics-tablet input. Version 2.10.38 backported Windows Ink support from the GTK3 development line into the GTK2-based 2.10 branch.
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To look for the setting in GIMP 2.10.38 on Windows:
- Open Edit > Preferences.
- Go to the Input Devices section.
- Look for the tablet input or API option offered by your installation.
- Choose WinTab or Windows Ink, if both are available.
- Apply the change and restart GIMP if the input behavior does not change immediately.
The release was intended to address reports of unresponsive tablet buttons, incorrect or missing pressure sensitivity, brush lag, and the cursor changing position during a stroke. It is not a guarantee that every tablet will work perfectly. The Windows Ink option is conditional on support from the computer, tablet, driver, and operating-system configuration.
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If switching APIs does not help, check the tablet manufacturer’s official Windows driver and its own control-panel settings before changing unrelated GIMP preferences. Confirm that pressure is being detected outside GIMP, then test both input modes in GIMP. A problem that continues in the tablet manufacturer’s software is probably not caused by GIMP alone.
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GTK3 interface improvements backported to the 2.10 branch
Although GIMP 2.10.38 remained a GTK2-based application, it received selected improvements that had already appeared in the GTK3-based development line. These are quality-of-life changes rather than a conversion of GIMP 2.10 to GTK3.
Among the visible fixes are:
- A larger Print dialog, reducing cases where its buttons were cut off.
- Fixes for pop-up dialogs that could appear behind other dialogs.
- Several keyboard-input corrections.
These changes were particularly relevant to Windows users, but they also illustrate the character of the release: GIMP 2.10.38 polished an established interface rather than introducing a new painting, compositing, or color-management workflow.
Crash fixes and correctness fixes
The release corrected a crash on exit exposed by a change in GLib 2.80. It also fixed another crash that some users could encounter when making very small selections.
Other corrections included:
- Correct colors for indexed PNG images with transparency during export.
- Corrected input ranges for several filters, including Waves and Distort.
- UTF-8 support for the titlebar customization field.
- Prevention of existing image comments from being copied into newly created images.
The announcement highlighted the most visible changes rather than claiming to list every engineering fix. Anyone who needs the complete low-level change list should consult GIMP’s release NEWS material or commit history for the corresponding version.
Why GIMP 2.10.38 was called possibly the last 2.10 release
When GIMP 2.10.38 was announced, the development team used cautious language: it might be the last stable release in the 2.10 series. The team also said it was stopping feature backports to the 2.10 branch and concentrating on GIMP 3.0, which was then approaching a release candidate while its API was still changing.
That wording should be understood as release planning, not as a claim that the developers could prove the future on May 5, 2024. The team mentioned a possible 2.10.40 bug-fix release, but no such release appears in the official release-history material reviewed here. In retrospect, 2.10.38 became the final 2.10 release before GIMP 3.0.
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“Last stable update before 3.0” also does not mean that GIMP 2.10.38 was the last stable version of GIMP. GIMP 3.0 and subsequent 3.x versions are separate major-version releases with substantial changes to the interface, internal architecture, workflows, and plug-in API.
GIMP 2.10.38 versus GIMP 3.0
It is important not to attribute GIMP 3.0’s headline features to 2.10.38. The 2.10 release backported selected GTK3 improvements, but it did not become a GTK3 application.
| Area | GIMP 2.10.38 | GIMP 3.0 and later |
|---|---|---|
| User interface | GTK2-based 2.10 interface with selected GTK3-derived fixes | Broader GTK3 user-interface port |
| Tablet input | Windows Ink support backported alongside existing WinTab support | Further tablet and input improvements in the new major-version line |
| Display support | No GIMP 3.0-era HiDPI overhaul | Improved HiDPI scaling |
| Linux display server | Does not introduce native Wayland support | Native Wayland support |
| Filters | Targeted filter-range corrections | Non-destructive filters |
| Color and file handling | Specific fixes, including indexed transparent PNG export | Expanded color-space handling and improved file-format support |
| Plug-ins and scripts | Uses the 2.10 API and established scripting environment | New API and Python 3-based Python-Fu, with compatibility changes |
GIMP 3.0 was the result of seven years of active development. Its changes were not a single backport that could have been included in 2.10.38. They represented a broader transition in the application’s toolkit, display support, image-processing capabilities, file handling, and extension architecture.
Legacy plug-ins and scripts need special attention
GIMP 3.0 changed the public API, moved Python-Fu to standard Python 3, and added support for additional scripting languages where supported by the build. The project explicitly warns that GIMP 2.10 plug-ins and scripts do not automatically remain compatible with GIMP 3.0.
This is one of the strongest reasons an artist or studio might temporarily keep GIMP 2.10.38 installed. A long-established workflow may depend on a plug-in, script, file-processing routine, or operating-system package that has not yet been adapted to GIMP 3. If you rely on extensions, check their GIMP 3 compatibility before removing 2.10.38. Keeping separate installations may be more practical than trying to force an old plug-in into the new API.
Should you install GIMP 2.10.38?
For most new installations, no. The official GIMP release-notes index now identifies the GIMP 3.2 line as the stable version most users should run, while listing 2.10 as an older release with historical value.
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GIMP 2.10.38 remains reasonable in narrower situations:
- You need a legacy plug-in or script. Confirm its compatibility before moving to GIMP 3.
- You are maintaining a documented 2.10 production workflow. Version-specific menus, scripts, and automation can make a controlled older installation preferable.
- Your organization’s images or instructions were built around 2.10. Keeping the same version can reduce avoidable workflow differences during a transition.
- You are troubleshooting a particular compatibility issue. Use 2.10.38 as a known legacy environment rather than assuming it is newer or more capable than GIMP 3.
For a new digital-painting setup, start by evaluating the current 3.x line. It offers the longer-term platform, newer interface architecture, current development attention, and the major improvements associated with GIMP 3.0 and later releases. Install 2.10.38 when compatibility—not general currency—is the reason.
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The 2.10.38 announcement listed official packages for Linux Flatpak on x86 and ARM 64-bit, universal Windows installers for x86, x64, and ARM64, and macOS DMG packages for Intel and Apple Silicon hardware.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallUse the official GIMP website or official distribution channels rather than an unfamiliar download mirror. The project specifically warns that third-party sites may distribute modified installers. Select the package that matches your operating system and processor architecture, and preserve your existing 2.10 installation if you need to test GIMP 3 without disrupting a legacy workflow.
A practical Windows-tablet checklist
- Install GIMP 2.10.38 from an official source.
- Install or update the tablet manufacturer’s official Windows driver.
- Confirm that the tablet responds in the manufacturer’s control panel or another application.
- Open GIMP’s preferences and inspect Input Devices.
- Test Windows Ink and WinTab separately when both are offered.
- Check pressure sensitivity, pen buttons, cursor position, and brush response after each change.
- Restart GIMP if the selected input API does not take effect immediately.
A driver utility is not a requirement for installing or using GIMP. If Windows reports a broader device-driver problem, troubleshoot with the tablet maker’s official driver and Windows’ own device-management tools first. Third-party driver-updater software should be treated as an optional, independently evaluated troubleshooting product—not as a GIMP recommendation or a fix guaranteed by version 2.10.38.
Bottom line
GIMP 2.10.38 was a small but meaningful closing release for the 2.10 branch. Its Windows Ink backport could make a real difference for artists whose tablets behaved poorly with WinTab, while the GTK3-derived dialog and keyboard fixes improved everyday reliability. The crash, PNG-export, filter-range, UTF-8, and metadata corrections made the release a sensible endpoint for the 2.10 series.
It was not GIMP 3.0 in miniature. It did not introduce the GTK3 interface, non-destructive filters, native Wayland support, or the new plug-in API. Those belong to the later major-version line. Today, GIMP 2.10.38 is best understood as a legacy-compatible release: useful when an older workflow requires it, but not the current recommended version for a new installation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was GIMP 2.10.38 released?
GIMP 2.10.38 was released on May 5, 2024. It became the final release in the 2.10 branch before GIMP 3.0, although the project initially described it only as possibly the last 2.10 release.
What is the biggest change in GIMP 2.10.38?
Its most important user-facing change was backported Windows Ink support for graphics tablets. Users with compatible hardware can choose between Windows Ink and WinTab under Edit > Preferences > Input Devices.
Does GIMP 2.10.38 include the GIMP 3.0 features?
No. GIMP 2.10.38 remains GTK2-based and does not include GIMP 3.0’s complete GTK3 port, native Wayland support, non-destructive filters, or new plug-in API.
Should I install GIMP 2.10.38 today?
The current GIMP 3.x line is the better choice for most new installations. GIMP 2.10.38 is still useful when a legacy plug-in, script, operating-system package, or established workflow requires the 2.10 environment.
Will GIMP 2.10 plug-ins work in GIMP 3.0?
Not automatically. GIMP 3.0 changed the public API and moved Python-Fu to standard Python 3, so GIMP 2.10 plug-ins and scripts may require updates or replacements.
The Bottom Line
GIMP 2.10.38 was the final 2.10 release before GIMP 3.0, not a major feature release. Its standout improvement was optional Windows Ink support for graphics tablets, supported by a set of interface, crash, export, and correctness fixes. Use it for legacy compatibility; for new installations, evaluate the current GIMP 3.x line.
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