GIMP
Be very careful with making any facsimile too close in proportion, size or detail to actual currency.
I received a lesson in the legality of this in my very first job out of college. I made a discount coupon look entirely too much like actual currency, and it cost my employer a fair amount of money and embarassment.
GIMP is as good as it gets for free.
It is the best deal going.
I just did want to post an update for any interested folks. I will be making a larger announcement when I have it posted online for folks to download.
I have finished the Obama Zero Dollar. The front is in the spirit of the George (Jorge) Bush bill, only a little more less like money. You will see right away it isn’t a real piece of currency. But it is in the general layout and style of currency.
There is also a back to this Obama Zero Dollar. It contains a number of points in the current healthcare bill, and some points to bring up at your town hall meetings. The back is primarily text.
I will be posting the images out in a place people will be able to navigate to and download for print up and passing out. I believe that they will be interesting enough that people will want to just have one, and then whe they read the back, they will hopefully start getting in gear if they aren’t already.