Editing 2D computer graphics (section)

==Software==
Many [[graphical user interface]]s (GUIs), including [[macOS]], [[Microsoft Windows]], or the [[X Window System]], are primarily based on 2D graphical concepts. Such software provides a visual environment for interacting with the computer, and commonly includes some form of [[window manager]] to aid the user in conceptually distinguishing between different applications. 
The user interface within individual software applications is typically 2D in nature as well, due in part to the fact that most common [[input device]]s, such as the [[computer mouse|mouse]], are constrained to two dimensions of movement.

2D graphics are very important in the control peripherals such as printers, plotters, sheet cutting machines, etc. They were also used in most early [[video game]]s; and are still used for card and board games such as [[Solitaire (game)|solitaire]], [[chess]], [[mahjongg]], etc.

2D graphics editors or ''drawing programs'' are application-level software for the creation of images, diagrams and illustrations by direct manipulation (through the mouse, [[graphics tablet]], or similar device) of 2D computer graphics primitives. These editors generally provide [[2D geometric primitive|geometric primitives]] as well as [[digital image]]s; and some even support procedural models.  The illustration is usually represented internally as a layered model, often with a hierarchical structure to make editing more convenient. These editors generally output [[graphics file format|graphics files]] where the layers and primitives are separately preserved in their original form. [[MacDraw]], introduced in 1984 with the [[Apple Macintosh|Macintosh]] line of computers, was an early example of this class;  recent examples are the commercial products [[Adobe Illustrator]] and [[CorelDRAW]], and the free editors such as [[xfig]] or [[Inkscape]]. There are also many 2D graphics editors specialized for certain types of drawings such as electrical, electronic and VLSI diagrams, topographic maps, computer fonts, etc.

[[Digital image processing|Image editors]] are specialized for the manipulation of [[digital image]]s, mainly by means of free-hand drawing/painting and [[signal processing]] operations.  They typically use a direct-painting paradigm, where the user controls virtual pens, brushes, and other free-hand artistic instruments to apply paint to a virtual canvas.  Some image editors support a multiple-layer model; however, in order to support signal-processing operations like blurring each layer is normally represented as a digital image. Therefore, any geometric primitives that are provided by the editor are immediately converted to pixels and painted onto the canvas. The name ''raster graphics editor'' is sometimes used to contrast this approach to that of general editors  which also handle ''vector graphics''.  One of the first popular image editors was [[Apple Computer|Apple]]'s [[MacPaint]], companion to [[MacDraw]].  Modern examples are the free [[GIMP]] editor, and the commercial products [[Photoshop]] and [[Paint Shop Pro]].  This class too includes many specialized editors&mdash;for medicine, remote sensing, [[digital photography]], etc.