Multiple documents, one workspace
Keep several projects open in tabs, each with its own undo history, selections and zoom. Switch without losing your place, and copy layers between documents with text, shapes, masks and effects still editable.
Work in progress — actively developed
Vulkana
Image Editor
Version ? · beta
A desktop image editor powered by Vulkan for Linux and Windows that brings painting, layered composition, selections, editable text, effects and shapes, and photo retouching together on a GPU-accelerated canvas.
Screenshots
The workspace, as it runs today. Click any screenshot to view it full size.
Showcase
Short clips from the running application. They start playing as they scroll into view. Click one to watch it larger.
What you can do
Paint, retouch and compose with editable layers, masks and effects. Make the workspace your own, and bring your work in and out with PSD, PDF and image export.
Layers, masks and clipping
Combine images, text and shapes with blend modes, folders and groups. Paint masks to hide or reveal content, or create a mask from your selection. Clipping groups keep artwork inside the bottom layer's silhouette without erasing the original pixels.
Transform and recoverable crop
Move, scale, rotate, flip or distort layers, selection outlines or selected pixels. Use snapping, rulers and numeric controls for precise placement, and crop layers without discarding their hidden source content.
Painting and creative brushes
Paint and erase with pressure-sensitive brushes, textured tips and creative presets: ink, chisel, acrylic, bristles, chalk, charcoal, confetti and more. Tune flow, spacing, angle, smoothing and grain, then save your own presets.
Flexible selections
Use shapes, lassos, magic wand or brush-guided Quick Selection to choose regions. Frame an object with a rough rectangle using the bundled offline Object Selection model. Clean up selections and masks with Refine Selection, live inspection and manual corrections. No model download or Python installation needed.
Editable text
Write directly on the canvas with multiline text and mixed fonts, sizes, styles and colors in one layer. Keep wording and typography editable after transforms, add layer effects, and return to your text after saving and reopening.
Editable shape layers
Build with rectangles, rounded rectangles, ellipses, triangles, lines and polygons. Customize fill and stroke, then refine geometry, corner radius and outline width later. Shapes remain editable in your saved project.
Non-destructive adjustments
Refine exposure, levels, curves and color, or work in black and white. Correct one layer, or use masked adjustment layers to affect the composition below or just one group. Stack corrections, compare before and after, and revisit settings without rewriting your source pixels.
Non-destructive layer effects
Add Bevel & Emboss, strokes, shadows, glows, and color or gradient overlays to images, text and shapes. Fine-tune lighting and contours, combine effects, and revisit every setting later. Jump straight to an effect from the Layers panel's fx button.
Blur filters and local softening
Soften with Gaussian Blur, suggest movement with Motion Blur, or create lens-style bokeh. Layer filters stay editable and can use a captured selection. For a hands-on touch, paint softening directly into specific areas with the Local Blur tool.
Cloning and healing
Use Clone Stamp to copy from a chosen source, Heal to blend source texture with the destination's tone, or Spot Heal to repair a blemish using surrounding texture. Choose the approach that fits each retouch.
PSD import and export
Bring PSDs into Vulkana's native layers, or export layered PSDs with supported editable text, shapes, masks, styles and clipping. Review conversions before committing, with raster or flattened choices when a feature cannot stay editable.
PDF pages in and out
Import selected PDF pages as raster layers or separate documents. Export a single composition or layers and groups as pages, with control over resolution, page size, order and transparency. Keep supported text selectable in exported PDFs.
A workspace your way
Arrange panels as tabs, dock them beside one another or float them over the canvas. Pan and zoom with the Navigator, keep reusable custom swatches, and personalize themes and shortcuts. Choose from 16 interface languages without restarting. Your layout and preferences stay with you between sessions.
Projects and export
Save .vulkana projects with layers, masks, text, shapes and non-destructive edits intact. Use Pixel Preview to inspect the final pixels, then export PNG, JPEG or WebP at your chosen size. Keep the editable project for your next revision.
Work in progress
Vulkana is under active development. The feature set keeps growing, and rough edges are expected.
Download
Try Vulkana on Linux with AppImage, RPM or DEB, or on Windows with a portable ZIP.
Available
AppImage
A single portable file for compatible Linux distributions. Make it executable and run it, no installation required.
- No installation needed
- Keeps your existing libraries untouched
Available
RPM package
RPM build for Fedora 44 and compatible systems. Installs through DNF with desktop integration.
- x86_64 · glibc 2.43 or newer
- Signed Vulkana package
Available
Debian package
DEB build for Ubuntu 24.04 and compatible systems. Installs through APT with desktop integration.
- amd64 · glibc 2.38 or newer
Available
Windows portable
A portable build for Windows 11. Extract the folder and run Vulkana, no installer needed.
- x64 · Vulkan-capable graphics driver
- Unsigned beta build
Beta builds may still contain rough edges. Please keep work you care about backed up.