How to open .EPS files in GIMP
GIMP is a popular free image manipulation application. It’s possible in GIMP to manipulate all sorts of image formats including EPS (which is commonly used with Adobe and CorelDRAW). GIMP however needs Ghostscript installed and associated in order to open EPS files.
Steps to open EPS files in GIMP
If you try to open an EPS image with GIMP you may see a warning similar to that as below.
If you get this message then there are a few steps you need to perform (the steps below are for Windows7 64bit however just change the Ghostscript path for 32bit Windows):
- Download and install Ghostscript.
- In Windows explorer find and make a note of the location of gswin64.exe (for 32bit versions look for gswin32.exe). This will likely be C:\Program Files\gs\gs9.04\bin\ gswin64.exe.
- Go to Control Panel -> System -> Advanced system settings. On the Advanced tab click Environment Variables
- Click the New… button under System Variablesand enter the following in the two fields:
- Variable name: GS_PROG
- Variable value: C:\Program Files\gs\gs9.04\bin\gswin64.exe (or whatever the location of gswin64.exe per step 2 above).
- Click Ok until out of the various windows.
- Start (or restart) GIMP.
The Edit System Variable window will now look something like:
You’ll now be able to open EPS files in GIMP.
Apr 07, 2012 @ 00:52:50
Hi Gary:
Thanks for your “how to” for Ghostscript (to open .eps files in Gimp). Very clear instructions. I wish that more people would write “How To” as clear as yours !
I nevertheless had a small problem; but it worked after I found a way…
I think you may be interested to know about it:
I have Windows7 64bits, installed in French (I don’t know if it matters).
I have 2 different program subdirectories in the main C directory:
1) and
2) , -Program- in English !!!(and of course ).
When downloading and installing Ghostscript, Windows decided to place in (and not in ) –cf. point 2 of your How To–
Following your instruction –cf. point 4 of your How To, in the “Edit System Variable Window”, I wrote as : C:\Programmes\gs\gs9.05…. etc. etc. OK OK OK
After that I was NOT able to open EPS files in GIMP.
I tried to improvise and I did the following thing: in , I replaced “Programmes” by “Program Files” in spite of the fact that the sub-subdirectory was not in this “Program Files” directory. It worked…
With my best regards
André
Apr 07, 2012 @ 06:34:09
Thanks Andre
Apr 19, 2012 @ 23:18:57
Hi Gary many many thanks i have win 7 64 bits and its works, simple and step by step explanation. Thanks again
Apr 20, 2012 @ 05:50:49
Glad it helped Joel