Compare Photoshop, GIMP, Krita and Paint.NET for flight simulator liveries, with advice on paint kits, DDS export and texture errors.
Use a layered raster editor: Adobe Photoshop is the safest choice for complex PSD paint kits, while GIMP or Krita are the strongest free options. Paint.NET suits straightforward Windows-based repaints. Add a DDS-capable exporter or converter when the target simulator requires DDS, and always start with the exact aircraft’s paint kit.
No single program covers every simulator and aircraft. We choose the editor according to the supplied paint kit, required texture format and complexity of the design; our comparison of image editors and texture tools explains the wider add-on toolchain.
Which livery editor should I choose?
| Software | Best used for | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Photoshop | Large PSD paint kits containing masks, adjustment layers, smart objects and detailed typography | Paid software, and DDS export may require a separate exporter or conversion stage |
| GIMP | A capable free workflow with layers, masks, channels and broad image-format support | Complex Photoshop layer effects, smart objects and text may not import exactly as designed |
| Krita | Freehand artwork, weathering, curves and painted graphics using a pen tablet | Some PSD features need flattening or adjustment, and DDS support depends on the export workflow |
| Paint.NET | Simple Windows-based repaints, colour changes, registrations and quick DDS edits | Less convenient for very large, heavily layered paint kits and intricate channel work |
| Affinity Photo | A paid Photoshop alternative for layered artwork and PSD import | Imported PSD effects can differ, while simulator-ready DDS files may require conversion |
Photoshop is the least troublesome choice when an official paint kit was authored in Photoshop. GIMP is our usual free recommendation for general repaint work, while Krita is particularly good when the design involves hand-painted art rather than mostly logos and straight lines.
What other livery tools do I need?
An image editor creates the artwork, but a complete livery workflow may also need the following:
- A model-specific paint kit: this supplies the UV layout, shading, ambient-occlusion layers and correctly sized canvases. A kit for one engine, fuselage or aircraft revision may not align with another.
- A DDS exporter or converter: required by Microsoft Flight Simulator, DCS and many FSX or Prepar3D aircraft. DDS support varies between editor releases, so a separate conversion step is often safer than forcing an unsuitable plug-in.
- A plain-text editor: used for aircraft configuration, package manifests, texture references or files such as DCS’s
description.lua. A word processor can insert formatting or smart quotation marks that break these files. - An optional 3D preview tool: useful for checking seams and UV placement without repeatedly starting the simulator. Blender can serve this role only when a compatible model or paint-kit mesh is available and its licence permits use.
You do not need Blender for an ordinary repaint. It becomes useful for complex graphics crossing several UV islands, but it does not replace the layered master artwork or the simulator’s packaging files.
Which texture format does each simulator use?
The target aircraft decides the required format; do not choose one solely from the simulator name.
| Simulator family | Common livery requirement |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 | Usually DDS textures inside a structured add-on package, accompanied by the aircraft’s required metadata |
| FSX and Prepar3D | DDS or extended bitmap textures, with alpha-channel behaviour defined by the aircraft material |
| FS2004 | Extended bitmap textures are common; alpha channels may control reflection or transparency |
| X-Plane | Usually PNG artwork in the aircraft’s livery structure, although aircraft-specific requirements still apply |
| DCS | Usually DDS textures registered through a correctly written livery description file |
For older Microsoft simulators, our FSX-specific software advice covers their texture and alpha-channel requirements. A modern airliner can be more involved; the worked A32NX and A380X livery process shows why the exact model-specific kit and DDS export settings matter.
How should I create and export a livery?
- Identify the exact aircraft variant. Match the paint kit to the developer, model revision, fuselage, wing and engine combination. Similar-looking variants often use different UV maps.
- Keep a layered master file. Put colours, logos, registrations and weathering on separate layers. Preserve the kit’s wireframe and shading layers rather than painting directly over them.
- Check UV seams and mirrored areas. Extend colour slightly beyond island edges to prevent fine unpainted lines. If both sides share mirrored texture space, an asymmetric logo may be impossible without a different model mapping.
- Export a copy, not the master. Flatten only the export version and preserve the source PSD, XCF or KRA file for later changes.
- Use the aircraft’s required format and channels. Preserve dimensions, filenames, alpha channels, compression and mipmaps exactly as its documentation or working default textures require.
- Update the livery package. Edit its configuration or manifest and regenerate any package index that records exported files. The Aerosoft repaint workflow illustrates why texture names, alpha channels and mipmaps must be retained.
- Test under several lighting conditions. Inspect both sides, the underside, curved sections and distant mip levels. Simulator lighting can make a colour appear very different from the editor preview.
Why does a new livery look wrong or fail to appear?
- The livery is missing from the aircraft list: check the package folder level, aircraft identifier, configuration entry and any generated layout or index. One extra nested folder is a frequent cause.
- The aircraft appears pink, black or chequered: a texture is missing, misnamed, referenced from the wrong path or exported in an unsupported format.
- The paint is excessively glossy or dull: the alpha, specular, roughness or composite channels have been altered incorrectly. Their meaning differs between simulator material systems.
- A logo is reversed on one side: the model probably uses mirrored UV mapping. No image editor can create two independent sides when both sides sample the same texture area.
- Fine lines appear along panels or seams: the artwork stops at the UV boundary. Add edge bleed and check that mipmap generation is not pulling in a contrasting background colour.
- The livery is blurry: confirm that the original paint-kit resolution was retained and that the simulator is not loading a lower-resolution texture or aggressive mip level.
Can free software produce a professional livery?
Yes. GIMP or Krita can produce the same final PNG or DDS pixels as paid software when the layers, channels and export settings are handled correctly. The practical difference is paint-kit compatibility: a complicated Photoshop file may lose editable effects when opened elsewhere, so compare it against the supplied reference before painting.
The editor matters less than preserving the aircraft’s UV layout, filenames, texture channels and package structure. Most failed liveries are not bad artwork; they are correct artwork exported into the wrong technical format.