GIMP 3.2.4 Released: Fixes the 1999 XCF Bug and Restores Windows Scanning
GIMP 3.2.4 hits the streets with enough polish to make your workflow smoother and finally kills a bug that has been haunting project files since the dial-up era. This update brings back Windows scanning support via WIA, fixes vector layer headaches, and speeds up selections on massive canvases. If you have been wrestling with uneditable text layers or crashing plugins, this is the patch to grab before heading out for the Libre Graphics Meeting.
Windows Scanning Returns via WIA
If you are on Windows and used to scanning directly into GIMP, you probably noticed the feature vanished after the 3.2.2 drop. The team killed 32-bit support, which took our TWAIN scanner plugin down with it. Now they have rebuilt that bridge using Windows Image Acquisition. You can access the tool in the same spot under File > Create > Scanner/Camera.
The new WIA interface looks different than what you are used to seeing in the menu. You might also need to grab fresh drivers from your scanner manufacturer because old TWAIN drivers will not play nice here. I have seen this happen after a bad driver update, so check your hardware compatibility before assuming GIMP is broken. The scanning UI will likely feel unfamiliar at first, but it restores functionality that many users relied on for quick imports.
The 1999 XCF Bug Finally Gets the Boot
Jehan went digging through the archives and found an XCF parsing bug that has been lurking since 1999. Yes, you read that right. The fix corrects how project files are handled while keeping backwards compatibility intact so older saves still open correctly. There was a side effect in GIMP 3.2.2 where reloading some XCF files made text layers uneditable. Jehan caught that regression quickly and patched it, so you can edit both the newly fixed files and the ones created during the brief buggy window without losing your mind.
I remember staring at an uneditable text layer after a file reload, convinced I had corrupted my project. This fix means you can get back to editing without having to reconstruct your layer styles from scratch. The team also fixed an issue where rotating the canvas instead of the image caused the on-canvas text editor to jump to the wrong spot when moved.
Vector Layers Stop Acting Up
Vector layers have been a source of frustration for anyone trying to keep files editable. The team has tightened up the behavior so the Edit > Fill with... menu options now work consistently on non-raster layers, matching the drag-and-drop color behavior. The Crop Tool no longer tries to resize vector layers when you adjust the frame, which prevents accidental rasterization.
Vertical text outlines that got chopped off are now rendered correctly thanks to a fix from new contributor anenasa. If you have been fighting with tools that decided to rasterize your work just because you clicked the wrong menu item, this release should stop those surprises. The behavior is much more predictable now, and vector layers stay vector where they belong.
Performance Tweaks for Large Files
Working with huge images just got a bit less painful. A new contributor optimized the selection logic in Intersection Mode so GIMP only calculates pixels within the existing selection instead of scanning the entire canvas. This can lead to a significant speed-up when working on complex compositions. Moving floating layers or selections now temporarily hides the marching ants outline, which cuts down on lag and gives you a noticeable performance boost during edits.
The Welcome Dialog also respects long file names again by truncating them visually while letting you hover to see the full path. The UI image sizes in docks can stretch up to 8192 pixels for those with massive monitors, so gradients and previews will not get cut off on wide displays. Wayland users will appreciate the fix for disappearing tool cursors that made navigation annoying during long sessions.
Security Reviews and Plugin Stability
A group of security researchers pored over the image import plugins and flagged several potential issues across formats like APNG, PNG, DDS, PSD, and more. The developers implemented mitigations for all these formats, which is a win for anyone importing files from external sources. Plugin crashes are down too. A fix addresses a crash when selecting non-existent filter tags in tools like GFig, so you can experiment with filters without the app throwing up its hands.
OpenRaster exports no longer double up opacity settings that caused layers to look washed out on reload. The Metadata Viewer stops spitting out empty files when exporting data, and multi-layer XCF imports no longer rename your layers randomly. macOS 12+ users get access to ScreenCaptureKit for a better color picker experience that uses the newer API instead of legacy methods.
Scripting Changes You Should Know About
If you write scripts or plugins, there are a few changes that will save you headaches later. The GimpUnit API now allows setting units of measure back to pixels, fixing an oversight from the 3.0 update. The gimp_quit function is officially deprecated and will vanish in GIMP 4.x; switch to returning a statement with GIMP_PDB_EXECUTION_ERROR instead. A new gimp_resources_loaded function helps check if brushes or fonts are ready before use.
Official scripts have moved from Script-fu to GEGL filters via the merge-new-filter API for better performance and consistency. You can browse the repository to see how these conversions work in practice. The deprecated functions like gimp-drawable-brightness-contrast are gone, so update your code to match the modern standards before the next major release breaks your workflow.
Downloads
You can grab GIMP 3.2.4 from gimp.org using one of these official builds:
- Linux AppImages for x86 and ARM (64-bit)
- Linux Flatpaks for x86 and ARM (64-bit)
- Linux Snaps for x86 and ARM (64-bit)
- Universal Windows installer for x86 and ARM (64-bit)
- Microsoft Store for x86 and ARM (64-bit)
- macOS DMG packages for Intel/x86 and Apple/ARM hardware (64-bit)
Third-party packages from Linux distributions and other platforms should follow shortly. Happy editing, and may your layers stay vector.
