1. Browse applications menu for GimPhoto, Applications > Graphics > GimPhoto 1.4.3 when cursor mouse highlight the GimPhoto 1.4.3 text menu then do RIGHT-Click. After that will appear a pop-up menu with options to Add This Launcher to Desktop.

2. After select "Add This Launcher to Desktop" then a desktop shortcut for GimPhoto will appear on the desktop.

So GimPhoto program menu should be created manually and for this example, i will use Ubuntu 8.04 but this steps should be same for all GNOME based Linux distro.

1. Click menu > System > Preferences > Main Menu

2. Click sub-menu where GimPhoto program menu will be located [ Graphics ] and then Click [ + New Item ] to create new menu.

3. Create Launcher dialog will appear, fill Name: GimPhoto 1.4.3 and then Click [ Browse... ] button.

4. Select GimPhoto location: File System > usr > local > gimphoto > gimphoto.sh

5. Then will appear new GimPhoto program menu, Click [ Close ].

6. Access it from menu Applications > Graphics > GimPhoto.1.4.3

Actually PSPI only works under Windows because it’s depend on Adobe Photoshop Plugins SDK that only available for Windows. But PSPI also can be run under Linux using Wine. Not all Photoshop plugins format can be used with PSPI, only plugins with extension .8bf that can be use with PSPI and not all .8bf plugins can be used, so we must tested it first before can using it. I will try to review each free Photoshop plugins that useful with PSPI under GimPhoto and their limitations.

PSPI is distributed with GimPad installer, so if you already download and install GimPad then PSPI is ready to use on your GimPhoto.

Beside PSPI, GimPad installer also install one of great free Photoshop plugins that called VirtualPhotographer that is a plugin with many useful filters for photo editing and manipulations. For using PSPI with GimPhoto follow this step below:

1. Install Photoshop Plugins Interface (PSPI)
Download GimPad installer and it will install GimPad, PSPI and free VirtualPhotographer plugins.

2. PSPI will appear on Image Menu
Click Image Menu > Photo > Photoshop Filters Path...

Menu Location for PSPI

3. Set Photoshop Filters Path
After click the Menu then will appear dialog to set the Photoshop Filters Path.
Click on New Icon (1) and then Folder Icon (2) to Browse the directory at your harddrive.
Select Folder where you store your Photoshop plugins, if you install GimPhoto without changing its default folder then select:
C:/Program Files/GimPhoto 1.4.3/lib/gimp/2.0/plug-8bf

PSPI Dialog Box (1)New Path (2)Browse Folder

PSPI Dialog showing selected Photoshop Plugins Path

4. Close and Restart GimPhoto
You can also select many different folders for your installed Photoshop plugins that available at your computer harddrive. After selecting the folders location then click OK and Close the GimPhoto and restart it so GimPhoto can re-scan all the folder, query all Photoshop that available to be use and create new menu for that plugins at bottom of Photo Menu.

Installed Photoshop Plugins menu location

5. Testing the installed Photoshop plugins
After plugins available under Image Menu > Photo > VirtualPhotographer then we can try by clicking it to make sure that plugins is can be run and and working ok under PSPI for GimPhoto.

VirtualPhotographer Photoshop Plugins running using PSPI under GimPhoto

TIPS: Try to install plugins one by one then testing it extensively before install another plugins. Beware before using non-tested plugins for professional work because sometimes not compatible plugins can cause computer hang or close application directly, so work safe by save it frequently.

Exiftool GUI

- Exifer
Exifer is a freeware (but no longer updated anymore) with which you can manage the metadata (EXIF/IPTC) of pictures taken by digital cameras. Because many image processing software destroys this metadata when saving such files, the idea was to create a backup of the metadata before editing it in any software, and then, after that to restore it back into the processed file. With Exifer you can do this very easily.

Exifer

- Exif Viewer
EXIF viewer is a simple image viewer application for photos taken with digital cameras. It’s capable of reading EXIF information embedded in photos as well as little thumbnail. Because small thumbnail is already present in most photos displaying it is really fast. EXIF viewer can also provide detailed information about photos (shutter speed, aperture, etc.) and conveniently list them for comparison purposes.
EXIF viewer also displays image histogram. It also features copying/moving and deleting of selected photos.
Single photograph can be displayed in separate window or in a full screen mode.

Exif Viewer

- Photome
PhotoME is a powerful tool to show and edit the meta data of image files. Thanks to the well organised layout and intuitive handling, it’s possible to analyse and modify Exif and IPTC-NAA data as well as analyse ICC profiles - and it’s completely FREE!
This is the most complete metadata editing suite and still active developed, then if you really serious about metadata, then try this one!

Photome

I install the Exifer to check if GimPhoto can preserve EXIF data, it’s great freeware EXIF viewer that have many features including to backup or restore EXIF data. Exifer also can be run under Linux using WINE.

• Date and time information. Digital cameras will record the current date and time and save this in the metadata.


• Camera settings. This includes static information such as the camera model and make, and information that varies with each image such as orientation, aperture, shutter speed, focal length, metering mode, and ISO speed information.


• A thumbnail for previewing the picture on the camera’s LCD screen, in file managers, or in photo manipulation software.


• Descriptions and copyright information.

Actually i didn’t use exif data a lot, sometime i just check the photo’s exif data only to knew about what setting is used to take that photo. Thus i only need photo exif data from original file from camera not from edited photo because that will ruin the original shot results, even if its only scale or crop operation to that photo. Every digital manipulation to the photo will change the quality of photo, for example scale the photo will effect on photo sharpness and crop the photo will make we can’t judge the lens quality anymore from the cropped photo, but that just me :)

GIMP or GimPhoto is always preserve exif data if we use JPG or XCF format.

For other format like TIFF, Targa, GIF, etc there is NO exif data will saved using that format, so be careful if we plan to convert your JPG or XCF format to other file format, maybe better if we backup exif data first before it loss.

This is the workflow if you want to preserve your EXIF data using GIMP or GimPhoto.

1. Directly from camera or flash, copy JPG that have exif data to your computer folder.


2. Be careful if you using photo viewer for rotating image, sometimes it delete the exif data.


3. Edit that photo JPG using GimPhoto (do color correct, sharpening, scaling, add layer, etc)


4. Save the photo as XCF, this step automatically preserve photo exif data and all layers settings.


5. Save as the final result as JPG (this step will merge all layers) and still preserve its exif data.


6. When saving JPG, click Advanced Options > check Save EXIF options then click OK.


7. Or Export to other file format that will delete exif data but we still have XCF with exif data.

For better management tool with function for backup and restore your photo exif data, you can try to use exiftool, get it from: http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/

For viewing exif data using GIMP or GimPhoto, we need EXIF Viewer plugins that we can get it from: GIMP Plugins Repository
EXIF Viewer plugin will be included in the next version of GimPhoto.

For further discussion about it, read Flicker user group talk about GIMP exif data.