KolourPaint is a free and open‑source raster graphics editor developed by the KDE community. It is designed as a simple, easy‑to‑use painting program intended for casual image creation and manipulation, offering functionality comparable to Microsoft Paint prior to the Windows 7 version while adding features such as transparency support, colour balance adjustments, and image rotation.
Purpose and Use
KolourPaint targets users who need straightforward tools for tasks such as:
- Drawing diagrams, sketches, or “finger‑painting” style artwork.
- Performing basic image editing, including cropping, resizing, and applying simple effects to screenshots or photographs.
- Creating or editing icons and clip‑art with support for transparent backgrounds.
Key Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Drawing tools | Brush, pencil, shape tools (rectangles, ellipses, polygons), free‑hand drawing, and text insertion. |
| Selection tools | Rectangle, ellipse, free‑hand, and fuzzy selection for isolating image regions. |
| Image manipulation | Rotation, scaling, flipping, colour balance, brightness/contrast adjustment, and colour replacement. |
| Transparency | Alpha channel handling for creating images with transparent areas. |
| File format support | Import and export of common raster formats such as PNG, JPEG, BMP, GIF, and XPM. |
| Multi‑platform availability | Primarily packaged for Unix‑like systems (Linux distributions), with ports for Microsoft Windows via the KDE on Windows initiative and limited support for macOS. |
| User interface | Simple toolbar and menu layout modeled after classic paint programs, aiming for low learning curve. |
Development History
- KolourPaint originated as a replacement for KPaint, the earlier simple painting application bundled with the K Desktop Environment (KDE). It became the default simple paint program starting with KDE 3.3.
- The application is written in C++ and utilizes the Qt framework and KDE libraries for its graphical interface and functionality.
- Development is hosted on the KDE Invent (formerly GitLab) platform, with source code publicly available under a dual‑licensing scheme: the BSD license, the GNU Lesser General Public License version 2.0 or later (LGPL‑2.0+), and the GNU Free Documentation License version 1.2 (GFDL‑1.2).
- As of the latest stable release (version 25.08.0, dated 7 August 2025), KolourPaint continues to receive updates for bug fixes, feature enhancements, and compatibility with newer KDE Frameworks and Qt releases.
Platform Availability
- Linux – Distributed through most major Linux distribution repositories and available as a Snap, Flatpak, and native package.
- Windows – Provided as part of the KDE on Windows project, enabling installation on Microsoft Windows systems.
- macOS – Ports exist but are less straightforward, often requiring manual compilation or command‑line interaction.
Licensing
KolourPaint is released under a combination of permissive and copyleft licenses: the BSD license, LGPL‑2.0+, and GFDL‑1.2. This allows free redistribution, modification, and use in both open‑source and proprietary contexts, subject to the terms of the respective licenses.
Related Software
- KPaint – The predecessor simple painting application in KDE.
- Krita – A more advanced raster graphics editor also developed by KDE, aimed at professional digital painting.
- Microsoft Paint – A comparable basic raster editor historically bundled with Windows.
References
- KDE Applications – KolourPaint official page.
- KolourPaint repository on invent.kde.org.
- Wikipedia entry “KolourPaint” (accessed April 2026).