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I have an older version of Photoshop which does what I am asking for. I however dislike the waiting period for it to load up and I also don't think that I need such a powerful program most of the time for what I am doing. I also would like to have current / updated software. I usually find one feature (the layers usually) but not the other (editable text and as layers). So, to put it more clearly what I am looking for:

A free photo editor (though something cheap such as less than $50 can be mentioned in comments) that:

  1. Allows one to create layers like Photoshop does
  2. Allows every text entry to be created as a layer and editable after creation and after saving and closing the program

    So, these layers can of course be moved around like in Photoshop and if possible

  3. The ability to change canvas size. This way if I change my mind frequently on what I am working on, it's not a problem.

OS: Windows 8.1

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    The comments are not the right place for giving recommendations. You should either restrict this question to free solutions, or also welcome answers that recommend software that costs < 50 USD.
    – unor
    Dec 29, 2014 at 13:49

2 Answers 2

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Paint.net should meet your needs. It free and open source and ticks every one of your boxes. It's much lighter and easier to use than GIMP or Photoshop, without the reams of features. It's great for any simple layer-based photo editing or annotating.

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    I'm surprised this answer got any upvotes when Paint.net has never by default supported editable text. Read How to Edit Text which goes all the way back to March 13, 08, & you, like me, might find yourself shocked that a program can disregard the need for editable text. And as for the plugin suggested, it's a half baked solution. One problem is text is editable only if the new layer is untouched. Simply move the layer (to move the text), & all your text is gone. You can type new text though & it will appear in the same spot
    – Rolo
    Jan 3, 2015 at 13:43
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The easy answer is GIMP.

Your specific requirements:

  • Layers: Yes
  • Text in layers: Yes
  • Editable text: Yes
  • Still in layers and editable after save & close: Yes provided you use native gimp format.
  • Resize canvas: Yes
  • Move Layers: Yes
  • Cheep: Yes! Free!

Other features:

  • Lots
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    Thanks. I should have said other than GIMP though. It takes a while to load up just like Photoshop and also, I can't seem to get used it. It feels strange. What's the weird box layout for text--feels so odd.
    – Rolo
    Dec 29, 2014 at 14:11

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