Why doesn't GIMP support CMYK?

Why does GIMP not support CMYK? This is a feature that I really need as a user and I don't know why it is not supported in GIMP by default. Is there possibly a way of which I could add support for it via an extension or plugin? Should this turn up nothing, would there be another software program with CMYK support which would run on Ubuntu?

Solution 1:

CYMK Support

GIMP is an open source program and so is built and maintained by the community. The GIMP FAQ states:

It is clear from the product vision that GIMP eventually needs to support CMYK, but it is impossible to say when someone finds the free time and motivation to add it. In the meantime it is possible to work with CMYK to some extent using plug-ins, such as the Separate+ plug-in.

Alternative Software

Alternative software to GIMP can be found by using the popular Alternative.To website.

Solution 2:

There's always Krita. It seems to be geared more towards painting, but supports CMYK natively.