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How to Install GIMP Plug-Ins: DDS, SCM, VTF, and Grid

Learn how to improve your GIMP app with plug-ins

3 min. read

Updated onNovember 7, 2024

updated onNovember 7, 2024

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Key notes

When it comes to image editing,GIMPis one of the best free applications for that. AlthoughGIMPis great, it does lack certain features.

This is wherepluginscome in handy, and they can really enhance yourGIMPexperience.

Sincepluginscan be so useful, in today’s article we’re going to show you how to install aGIMPpluginon your computer.

How can I install a GIMP plugin on a PC?

1. Universal method of installing plug-ins

C:\ProgramFiles\GIMP2\lib\gimp\2.0\plug-ins

Note:Somepluginswon’t work with the 64-bit version of Windows, especially the older ones.

For Mac computers, the path is:

/Applications/GIMP.app/Contents/Resources/lib/gimp/2.0/plug-ins/

Use this path for allpluginslisted in this article if you’re on Mac.

After copying theplugins, you should be able to find them in the Filters section most likely.

2. Install the GIMP DDS plugin

Download the GIMP DDS plugin from the official website(be sure to select the version that matches your operating system).
Locate the downloaded archive and open it.
Search for the thedds.exefile and extract it to:C:\ProgramFiles\GIMP2\lib\gimp\2.0\plug-ins
Start GIMP.
The DDS plugin is now installed.

The DDS plugin adds to GIMP the ability to load and open DDS files on it.Version 2.10 and newer of GIMP have built-in DDS support. If you are using an older version, you need to manually install the GIMP DDS plugin.

Version 2.10 and newer of GIMP have built-in DDS support, so you won’t have to manually install the DDS plugin.

3. Install the SCM plugin

C:\ProgramFiles\GIMP2\share\gimp\2.0\scripts

After moving the plugins to the proper folders, you just need to manually startGIMP.

If you’re on Mac, the folder path is:

/Applications/GIMP.app/Contents/Resources/share/gimp/2.0/scripts/

4. Install the VTF plugin

C:\ProgramFiles\GIMP2\lib\gimp\2.0\plug-ins\

5. Install the Grid plugin

C:\ProgramFiles\GIMP2\lib\gimp\2.0\plug-ins\

InstallingGIMPpluginsis simple, and you can install DDS, VTF, and gridpluginssimply by extracting theirfilesto theGIMPplug-insdirectory.

As for SCMplugins, the process is almost identical, except that you need to extract them to the scripts directory instead.

IfGIMPpluginscan’t give you the functionality that you’re looking for, you can alwaysdownload and install Adobe Photoshopusing our guide.

If thelibgimp-2.0-0.dll is not found, certain plug-ins might not work properly, so be sure to have this file on your PC. Before you go, don’t miss our guide on how toblur the background in GIMPfor more useful information.

We hope that this article helped you install the desired GIMP plug-ins. Let us know in the comments section below if you have any questions.

How to Install GIMP Plug-Ins: DDS, SCM, VTF, and Grid#

How can I install a GIMP plugin on a PC?#

1. Universal method of installing plug-ins#

2. Install the GIMP DDS plugin#

3. Install the SCM plugin#

4. Install the VTF plugin#

5. Install the Grid plugin#