[SaF] graphics program

[Chris Wilkinson]

Greetings,

I need help looking for a graphics program to make some titles
for my webpages.  Basically, I just want to take some text, add
some 'blurred shadowing' and save as .gif or .jpeg (any
suggestions as to which is better?).  I know that I could do it
easily in Photoshop but have neither the financial nor system
resources to use it.  I've tried all kinds of Freeware/Shareware
but everything I've found has been crap (excuse me).
Suggestions?

Frustrated,
Chris Wilkinson