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GIMP 3.2.4 Fixes Layer Fills, Text Tool Bugs, and File Import Issues

GIMP 3.2.4 focuses on stability rather than new features, fixing non-raster layer fills, an XCF text-layer regression, import and OpenRaster issues, and several platform bugs.

By ThatPainter Team 7 min read
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GIMP 3.2.4 is the current stable release listed by GIMP as of August 16, 2026. It is a maintenance update for the GIMP 3.2 series, not a major feature release. The most important changes address fills on non-raster layers, editable text layers that could break after reopening XCF files, vertical text outlines, canvas-rotation editor positioning, and several import and export problems.

GIMP’s downloads page gives the release/package date as April 17, 2026, while the project’s announcement was published on April 19. These are different milestones, not contradictory release dates. The update follows GIMP 3.2.2 and is intended to make existing workflows more reliable as the 3.2 branch moves into stable maintenance. See the official release announcement and GIMP downloads page.

What GIMP 3.2.4 fixes

GIMP 3.2.4 concentrates on stability, compatibility, usability, performance, import-plugin hardening, and developer maintenance. The practical value depends on the files and layer types you use: users working with editable text, vector or linked layers, OpenRaster files, or imported XCF documents have more reason to update than someone whose workflow consists only of straightforward raster editing.

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Layer fills without unwanted rasterization

The Edit > Fill with… commands for colors and patterns now behave more consistently when applied to supported non-raster layers. The intended behavior matches dragging a color or pattern swatch onto those layers, without unexpectedly rasterizing the layer in the documented cases.

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This matters when a project contains text, vector, linked, or other newer non-raster layer types. Preserving the layer type helps retain editable project structure instead of converting it prematurely into pixels.

There is an important limit: this does not make every GIMP operation non-destructive on every layer. Raster-only paint tools, filters, and other operations may still require a raster layer or conversion. Make a copy of an important XCF before testing fills, particularly when using newer GIMP 3.2 layer types. GIMP’s GIMP 3.2 release notes provide additional context for vector-layer fill and stroke behavior.

Text layers, outlines, and the on-canvas editor

The most consequential text fix addresses a regression associated with GIMP 3.2.2. Some text layers could become uneditable after an XCF file was saved and reopened. GIMP 3.2.4 includes compatibility handling for affected files created with 3.2.2 as well as for new files, restoring the expected ability to edit retained text layers.

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This is especially significant because XCF is designed to preserve editable project structure. The fix concerns a specific XCF text-layer regression; it should not be read as a promise that every historical text-tool problem has disappeared.

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The release also fixes two visible text-tool issues:

  • Vertical text outlines: the Text Outline feature should no longer be clipped when text is vertically oriented.
  • Canvas rotation: rotating the canvas view, rather than the image itself, no longer causes the on-canvas text editor to appear in the wrong position when moved.

Some community users have separately reported delays or freezes involving font handling and the GTK toolkit. Those reports are not equivalent to an official 3.2.4 release-note confirmation, so users experiencing those symptoms should not assume this update will resolve them.

Import plugins, XCF layer names, and OpenRaster opacity

GIMP contributors reviewed a range of image-import plugins and applied mitigation suggestions to code handling APNG, PAA, PNG, DDS, PSP, PNM, PSD, JIF, PVR, TIM, XWD, and SFW files. This is best understood as security-related hardening and issue mitigation, not as proof that every possible vulnerability in every format has been eliminated.

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A separate fix affects File > Open as Layers. Importing a multi-layer XCF file could change layer names. Version 3.2.4 corrects that behavior, which is useful when layer names carry production, compositing, or organizational meaning.

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OpenRaster opacity handling has also been corrected. OpenRaster stores layer pixels in PNG files while storing opacity separately in its settings data. Earlier behavior could write opacity into both places, causing a layer to appear excessively transparent after reopening the file. GIMP 3.2.4 exports the embedded layer PNGs at 100% opacity so the separate OpenRaster opacity value is applied correctly when the document is loaded again.

Finally, exporting metadata through the Metadata Viewer no longer produces empty files in the affected case.

Other improvements worth knowing

  • Windows scanning: the release includes dedicated Windows scanning support. The exact workflow and backend details are documented in GIMP’s release announcement.
  • Wayland: fixes an issue where the tool cursor icon could disappear while moving it.
  • macOS: adds ScreenCaptureKit support to the color picker on macOS 12 and newer.
  • Selection performance: some operations now limit pixel calculations to the existing selection instead of calculating across the entire image.
  • Floating layers and selections: the marching-ants outline is temporarily hidden while moving them, reducing visible lag.
  • Image-tab previews: previews update correctly after switching between grayscale and RGB modes.
  • Large displays: the maximum UI image size was increased to 8192 pixels, allowing docks such as the Gradient Editor to expand further where display space permits.

GIMP reports that, since 3.2.2, the project closed 45 bug reports as fixed, merged 21 merge requests, pushed 258 commits, updated 18 translations, and received contributions from 30 people. These are project-reported development statistics, not an independent measurement of overall quality or performance.

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Changes for plugin and Script-Fu developers

GIMP 3.2.4 also includes maintenance changes for extensions and scripts:

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  • Unit-accepting API functions can correctly accept pixels, addressing an oversight in the GimpUnit API update for GIMP 3.0.
  • gimp_quit() is deprecated for GIMP 3.x and is planned for removal in GIMP 4.x. Plugins should instead return with GIMP_PDB_EXECUTION_ERROR and provide an explanatory GError.
  • The new gimp_resources_loaded() function lets plugins determine whether resources such as brushes, patterns, or fonts have finished loading.
  • Several deprecated Script-Fu functions in official scripts were migrated to GEGL-filter-based APIs.

Plugin authors should review these changes before treating 3.2.4 as a routine binary replacement, particularly if their extension depends on deprecated APIs or assumes resources are immediately available during startup.

Should you upgrade to GIMP 3.2.4?

Upgrade promptly if you:

  • Reopen XCF files containing editable text layers.
  • Use Edit > Fill with… on vector, text, linked, or other non-raster layers.
  • Import multi-layer XCF files where layer names must remain unchanged.
  • Exchange OpenRaster files with other applications or users.
  • Regularly open files through one of the import plugins covered by the hardening work.
  • Use GIMP on Wayland and have experienced missing tool cursors.
  • Use macOS 12 or newer and want the ScreenCaptureKit color-picker support.

For most other GIMP 3.2 users, this is a sensible routine upgrade even if no single fix applies directly. Users with a stable workflow and no affected formats may not notice a dramatic visual change, because 3.2.4 is primarily about reliability rather than new creative features. Its import-plugin hardening is another reason not to remain on an old version indefinitely.

A safer upgrade procedure

  1. Save and close active projects.
  2. Back up important XCF files and test copies rather than originals.
  3. Install GIMP 3.2.4 from the official downloads page or a trusted distribution channel.
  4. Reopen a representative project copy.
  5. Test editable text layers, non-raster fills, imported layers, and the file formats central to your work.
  6. Keep the previous installer or package available until the workflow is confirmed.

Rollback is platform- and installation-method-dependent; GIMP does not provide one universal rollback procedure. If a reproducible problem remains, report it through GIMP’s official bug-reporting channels with the operating system, installation type, file format, and steps needed to reproduce it.

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How to download GIMP 3.2.4 safely

Use the official GIMP downloads page. The release announcement lists official builds for Linux AppImage, Flatpak, and Snap on x86 and ARM; Windows universal installers for x86 and ARM; the Microsoft Store; and macOS DMG packages for Intel and Apple silicon.

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Platform qualifications listed by GIMP include:

  • macOS: macOS 11 Big Sur or newer.
  • Windows MSIX: Windows 10.0.20348.0 or newer.
  • Linux AppImage: the downloads page lists Debian 13 or a newer distribution as the supported operating-system baseline.

Linux package availability can lag behind the upstream release. If you use Flatpak or Snap, GIMP lists these commands:

# Flatpak
flatpak install --user https://flathub.org/repo/appstream/org.gimp.GIMP.flatpakref
flatpak run org.gimp.GIMP//stable
flatpak update

# Snap
sudo snap install gimp
snap run gimp
snap refresh

GIMP lists a Microsoft Store option, but it does not provide an Apple App Store package. Apple App Store listings should therefore be treated as third-party packages rather than official GIMP releases. Development builds are also work in progress and may be unstable; ordinary users should choose the stable 3.2.4 download.

Optional checksum verification

If you download an installer or image manually, compare its SHA-256 checksum with the corresponding value on GIMP’s official downloads page:

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File SHA-256
Linux x86_64 AppImage f1ce6dc671ef1c4aad87a0db9d7462e8ca9c0b5f899456337803c6ba32d0babe
Linux ARM64 AppImage 7cb6f5c2b5a693302beb3e41c987c47562ff146eed4125b19ecf414ba6dca0ab
Windows installer ec31d757dd82831d201ffcf47ffeac4175df739e0c02d5122e89aeeadfb988cc
macOS Apple-silicon DMG 294c016dca7795999129a38b462f80fac3c13cb963e6de9d04eeb5d6e519392b
macOS Intel DMG 85214a388687718d30169d88b22794d6b0a89849bcc7aa456f4afb83c1326be8
Source: gimp-3.2.4.tar.xz 7312bc53e9c6d2d0056ca7b93f1c6b98707946dd934f714c21b8746ecb601588

What GIMP 3.2.4 does not fix

GIMP 3.2.4 fixes specific defects; it does not guarantee compatibility with every malformed, unusual, or partially supported file. Import-plugin hardening is not the same as adding new format support, and the OpenRaster change is an export-compatibility correction rather than a new image format.

Likewise, the text-layer repair targets the XCF regression associated with 3.2.2. Broader text-tool delays or freezes reported by some users may involve font handling or GTK behavior and may persist independently. If the update does not resolve a symptom, test with a clean copy of the project and document the exact file, font, platform, and action that triggers it.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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