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GIMPCHAT Web Design

The Layers/Channels Window

The Toolbox

The Main Window

When you open a picture, or create a new image, this is what you see: photo name image size

Menus

file name

file sizeZoom amount

The ToolboxThe top half is for selecting tools.

The bottom half gives options for that tool.

The Layers Window

The top half is for working with layers

The bottom half gives options fills.

Foreground & Background Colors

In between the top half of the Toolbox and the bottom half, there are two squares stacked on top of each other. One is black, and the other is white. These are the Foreground, and Background colors. The square on top is the Foreground color, and the square underneath is the Background Color.

Foreground & Background Colors

When you create a new blank image, it will automatically be filled in with the Background color. And, when you use a drawing tool, you’ll be drawing with the Foreground color.

You can change the Foreground and Background colors to any color you like

Opening a File

To open a file, choose File > Open in the Main Menu. The Open Image Window will pop up.

Navigate to the image file on your computer.

The preview will appear here.

Creating a New Image

Choose the size for your image in pixels.

You can change your resolution if you want.

• Most images on web pages need to be 76 to 96 ppi.• If you want your images to look great on screen with

higher resolution (like smart phones and iPads), choose 250 to 300 ppi.

• Images you want to print should be between 250 and 300 ppi.

A Note About Resolution

A higher resolution will give you a higher quality image but a larger file size. Follow these rules of thumb:

File Types

For most of your images, you’ll save as either an XCF file, a JPEG, or a PNG.

GIMP’s native format is XCF. Use XCF for any image you’re not done editing. It’s not recognized by most printers and web browsers, though. So, think of XCF as your ‘work in progress’ file types.

JPEGs and PNGs are great for when you’re all done editing. JPEGs are perfect for photos, and PNGs are better for graphic images and text.

Saving Files

For XCF Files:Go to File>Save As and the Save Image Window will pop up.

Navigate to where you want to save your file.

Choose a name for your image, using the xcfextension.

Saving Files

For JPEG Files:Go to File>Export and the Export Image Window will pop up.


Choose a name for your image, using the jpeg extension.

After clicking on Export in the Export Image Window, then make sure the slider is between 90 and 100 to keep the image quality high.

Saving Files

For PNG Files:Go to File>Export and the Export Image Window will pop up.


Choose a name for your image, using the pngextension.

Choose a smaller compression number to save more image quality, but keep a larger file size. Choose a larger number to compress more, and make the file smaller.

You can use the Zoom Tool in the Toolbox or you can use the Zoom Level at the bottom of the Main Window to zoom in or out.

Scaling Up and Down

Zooming in and out doesn’t add or subtract any pixels from your image file. Scaling Up or Down actually adds or deletes pixels to change the size of the image or layer.

When you add pixels to your image you are scaling up. GIMP guesses how to add pixels so that the image gets larger.

When you scale down, GIMP throws away some pixels in order to make your image smaller.

If you want to undo your scaling, choose Edit>Undo. Don’t scale again.

Scaling Up and Down

Go to Image>Scale Image and the Scale Image Window will pop up.

Make sure this one is chosen.

Choose new width and the height will change automatically.

Choose Cubic.

Choose your resolution.

Cropping

Move the Highlighted Area When Cropping

Using the Crop Tool Options

You can use the Crop Tool in a more precise way by setting some of its options in the Tool Options Dialog.

Straightening A Picture by Rotating

1. Grab a Guiding Line

• Look for rulers framing the Main Window on the top and left side. If you don’t see the rulers, go to View > Show Rulers in the Main Window, and check the box. You should see the rulers now.

• Click anywhere on the top ruler. Your mouse will change into the Move symbol (a four-way arrow) with a little pointing hand under it.

• Click the ruler again, and drag your mouse down, onto the image. A horizontal line will drag down onto your image. That’s the guiding line. You can drop it anywhere on your image to give you a perfectly straight reference point or move it with the Move Tool.

• Then, in the Move Tool Options at the bottom of the Toolbox, choose Pick a Layer or Guide.


2. Straighten with the Rotate Tool


3. Crop the Crooked Edges

Troubleshooting the Move Tool

When you’re using the Move Tool from the Toolbox, making sure you choose the right tool options can be pretty important. There are only two options to choose from though, so it shouldn’t feel like your attempting rocket science when you decide which option to use.

If you want to move a guide, like when rotating an image, make sure the Move Tool Option is set to “Pick a Layer orGuide”.

Otherwise, the option should be set to “Move the Active Layer”. If you’re having problems using the Move Tool, that’s usually the first thing to check.

Understanding Contrast

Adjusting the Contrast

Levels Adjustment

• Go to Colors>Levels in the Main Menu. The Levels Window will pop up. You only need to use the top section of this window.

• Make sure the Channel option is set to Value.

• Look for the three little triangles under the chart.

Levels Adjustment

• To brighten the mid-tones in the photo grab the middle arrow and drag it to the left.

• To brighten the mid-tones in the photo grab the middle arrow and drag it to the left.

• To darken the midtones grab the middle arrow, and drag it to the right.

• To increase contrast by brightening the highlights of the picture, drag the arrow on the far right inward (to the left).

• To increase contrast by darkening the shadows, drag the arrow on the far left inward (to the right).

• When you’re happy with your image, click OK.

Curves Adjustment for Contrast

• Go to Colors>Curves in the Main Window. The Curves Window will pop up.

• Drag anywhere on the line to make parts of your photo brighter or darker.

• Click OK to apply the effect.

For more control over contrast, adjust with curves.

Using Levels to Brighten Whites

• Duplicate the Background layer by holding Shift Ctrl D (Shift Cmd D for Mac).

• Go to Colors>Levels in the Main Menu. The Levels Window will appear.

• Make sure the Channel option is set to Value.• Grab the little arrow on the far right, underneath the

histogram. • Drag the arrow to the left to make the background

whiter.• Click OK to apply the change.

Color Correction – The Color Balance Tool

Color Correction – The Color Balance Tool

• Under Select Range to Adjust check Mid-Tones. We’ll start with the mid-tones and move on to the highlights and shadows after that.

• Move the three sliders in the middle of the window to adjust the mix of colors in the mid-tones of the photo.

• When you’re happy with the colors in the mid-tone range of the photo, check the Highlight option. Move the sliders to adjust the balance of colors in the highlights of the photo.

• When you’re happy with the highlights, check the Shadows option, and move the sliders to adjust the balance of color in the shadows of the photo.

• Go back and forth between the Mid-Tones, Highlights, and Shadows options, tweaking the mix until the colors are just right.

• When you’re happy, click OK to apply the effect.

• Go to Colors>Color Balance in the Main Menu and the Color Balance Window will pop up.

Color Enhancement

There’s a lot more you can do with colors in GIMP than correcting things that went wrong. You can also enhance colors in your photo, and even completely change them.

By enhance, I usually mean increase or decrease saturation. Increasing saturation will give you the look of rich, bold colors. Decreasing saturation will give you more subdued, subtle colors.

You can even remove all of the color from a photo to make it black and white.

Sometimes you might want to completely change the colors in a photo.

You can enhance, and completely change the colors in your photo using the Hue-Saturation Tool under Colors in the Main Menu.

The Hue-Saturation Adjustment

You have the option of adjusting just one colors at a time or all of the colors at once. Go to Colors>Hue Saturation and the Hue Saturation Window will pop up.

To adjust one color at a time, select one color and then adjust Hue, Lightness, and Saturation to your liking.

To adjust all of the colors at once, leave all of the colors unchecked and then adjust Hue, Lightness, and Saturation to your liking.

Making Photos Black and White

1. One way to make a photo black and white is to remove all of the saturation by moving the slider all of the way to the left in the Hue Saturation Window.

2. Another way is to desaturate the photo.

• Got to Colors>Desaturate in the Main Menu. The Desaturate Window will pop up.

• Click through the 3 options to see a preview of the effect on your picture.

• When you find the option that’s best for your picture, click OK to apply the effect.

Using Brushes

Here are some of the tools that are used with a brush:

Paintbrush Pencil Eraser Clone Healing Dodge/Burn

Even though the tools do different things, there are a lot of options that are common to all of them so let’s look at the paintbrush as an example.

The Tool Options in the Toolbox Window

To choose which paintbrush to use, click on the little + in the lower right corner of the brush image. The Brush Menu will pop up and you can choose a new brush shape.

Use the zoom to enlarge the brushes so you can see the detail.


To change the size of the brush, drag the slider.(The keyboard shortcuts for changing brush size are the left and right brackets “[ “and “]” .)

To change the opacity. To make the paint more transparent, move the slider to the left.

The Aspect Ratio changes the shape of your brush by either squashing or stretching it.

The Angle option rotates your brush.

Note: To reset any tool option setting, click on this figure wherever you see it.


The paintbrush paints the color of the foreground. Click on it to bring up the Foreground Color Window. Choose your desired color or use the eyedropper to pick a color directly from the picture you have open.

Click on the dropper and your cursor turns into a dropper. Click on your picture until you are happy with the color. Then click OK to set it as the foreground color.

Painting versus Stamping

• Click once on the image with the brush tool. This will stamp the brushes shape.

• Click and drag on the image with a brush tool to stroke free form lines and shapes.

• To draw a straight line, click where you want your line to start, then hold down the Shift key and click where you want the line to end.

Stamping

Stroking

Making your own Brush

If you select and copy a section from an image, it automatically is available as a paintbrush or “Clipboard” by default.

It will only be available until you close Gimp or copy something else to the clipboard.

Making your own Brush or Pattern

If you select and copy a section from an image, it automatically is available as a paintbrush or pattern and is called “Clipboard” by default.

It will only be available until you close Gimp or copy something else to the clipboard.

Creating and Saving your own Brush or Pattern

Select and copy a section from an image, and choose Edit > Paste as > New Brush.

Then give the brush a name and click OK.

Basic Cloning• Grab the Clone Stamp Tool from the Toolbox. It looks like a rubber stamp.• In the Tool Options Dialog at the bottom of the Toolbox, choose a circle brush that’s a

050 or 075 hardness. Use the Scale slider to make the brush just a little bigger than the blemish you want to cover.

• Choose an unblemished part of the photo that’s the color and texture the blemished area should be.

• Press Ctrl, and Click on the unblemished area to set the source (Cmd Click for Macs). The source is the area that you’re copying from. A circle with a cross hair will appear where you clicked, to let you know where the source is. After you set the source, you can release the Ctrl button.

• Move your mouse over the blemish, and stamp. That will paste the source area over the blemish.

• If the area you stamped doesn’t blend in well, you might need to choose a different source. Just hold Ctrl, and Click on a new area (Cmd Click for Mac to reset the source to a better match, and try stamping again.

Clone Tool Options

Alignment

You can stamp or stroke with the clone tool. If you stroke, you must decide whether you want to move the source as you stroke or lock it down so that you’re pasting the same spot over and over as you stroke.

If you tell GIMP to move the source as your stroke over the blemish, you have to decide what the source does when you’re finished with each stroke. Should it snap back to the original source point or align itself relative to your brush to complete the picture?

Clone Tool Alignment Options

When you choose None, the source will move as you move the paintbrush to stroke. When you set go of the mouse, the source will snap back to the original source point.

When you choose Aligned, the source will move as you move the paintbrush to stroke. But when you set go of the mouse, the source stays aligned relative to the current position of your brush, to let you complete the picture.

When you choose Fixed, the source will be the exact point you set. As you stroke, its as if you’re stamping the same spot over and over.

Selection Tools

Here are some of the tools that are used to make selections:

Rectangle Ellipse Free Fuzzy Paths

Use these tools to create boundaries, draw and fill shapes, and cut/copy/paste parts of your picture.

Draw Perfect Shapes

• Select the rectangle or ellipse tool and then click and drag to create a selection. (To make a circle or square, hold down the Shift key as you drag.)

• Go to Edit>Stroke Selection and the Stroke Selection Window will pop up.

Choose Stroke Line and the options and styles you want and then click on Stroke to apply.

Choose Stroke With Paint Tool and choose a tool. The line will be drawn with the options already set for that tool.

Fill Perfect Shapes

You can do this 2 ways:

2. Use the Edit Menu.

1. You can use the bucket or gradient tool to fill in the shape without painting anything outside of the selection.

• Go to Edit>Fill With FG Color to fill the selection completely with the foreground color.

• Go to Edit>Fill With BG Color to fill the selection completely with the background color.

• Go to Edit>Fill With Pattern to fill the selection completely with the current selected Pattern.

Cut or Copy, and Paste into the Same Photo

Cut or Copy, and Paste into a Different Photo

Scaling an image that you are pasting

To scale down the image that you are pasting, you must do it either before moving it to its pasting location, or after moving it but before anchoring it.

1. Copy your image and then move it to where you want it and then use Edit>Paste to paste it there.

2. While it still is an active selection (has marching ants), select the scaling tool and then click on your selected image.

3. A grid should appear over the image along with the dialog box letting you resize it by numbers or by using the grid’s handles.

4. When finished, click Scale. 5. If you need to move it again, choose the Move tool. 6. After moving it, click outside the image to anchor it.

Note: Until the image is anchored, it is viewed as a layer, so when using the moving tool or the scaling tool, make sure Layer is selected.

The Fuzz Select/Magic Wand

This tool selects an area based on color. Grab the tool from the Toolbox, then click on the color you want to select in your picture. The Fuzzy Select Tool will automatically select similar colors in the image that are near each other.

If you want to select more or less, you have a few options:

1. You can go to the Tool Options Dialog, and increase or decrease the Fuzzy Select Tool’s threshold. The tool will select areas that are very similar if you decrease the threshold, and it will select colors that are less similar if you increase the threshold. Then, click again to re-select with the new threshold level.

2. Another option is to drag to the left or right as you click a color in the Main Window. Click and drag to the right to select more of the photo, and drag to the left to select less.

3. The last option is to add or remove colors from the area that was selected in the first place. Hold Shift, and click on a new unselected area to add that color to the selection. Hold Ctrl and click (or Cmd Click for Mac) a color that’s inside the selection to remove it.

Free Select Tool, AKA Lasso

There are 2 ways to use this tool:

1. One way is to click points around the area you want to select. Clicking creates anchor points, and straight lines automatically appear between those anchor points to create the selection.

2. The other way is to click and drag your mouse just like you would stroke a line with a brush tool. Do this to create free form shapes around the area you want to select.

• You can use both methods in the same selection, clicking to create anchor points and stroking to make free form lines in between.

• You can move anchor points around as you create the selection. Just click the anchor that you want to move. It will change from a solid white dot to a hollow square. Then, either use the keyboard arrows or drag the anchor with your mouse. Once you finish the selection, though, you can’t move anchor points any more.

• To complete the selection, click the first anchor.

Paths Tool, AKA Pen

Making Paths:

1. Zoom in to your picture. This will help you see exactly where you’re placing anchor points.

2. Use the Paths Tool like you would the Free Select Tool. Click to add anchor points, and create a connect-the-dots style shape around the round object in your photo.

3. You can move anchor points around. Just click the anchor that you want to move. It will change from a solid white dot, to a hollow square. Use the arrow keys on the keyboard, or drag the square with your mouse to move that anchor point.

4. Change the curvature of the segment between 2 anchor points by dragging the center of the segment one way or another. When you do this you will see square handles appear. Drag those around to change the curvature of the line.

5. Use as many anchor points as it takes to get a good selection around the object.6. When the Path is perfect, turn it into a selection by going to Select>From Path.

Paths Tool, AKA Pen

Loading Saved Path as Selection: 1. Click on the Paths tab of the Paths-Patterns Window or got to Window>DockableDialogs>Paths in the Main Window.

2. You’ll see thumbnails of the paths you’ve created. Highlight the one you want to turn into a new selection.

3. Go to Select>From Path in the Main Window to load your chosen path as a selection.

4. To move the section around, choose the move tool, and then click on paths.

Using the Quick Mask Tool for Selections

Use this tool when you want to use a paintbrush to make a selection by “painting” it.

1. Go to Select>Toggle Quick Mask in the Main Menu to turn on Quick Mask. Your image will turn red.

2. Select a painting tool, like the Paintbrush or Pencil. Paint on the image with white to select areas. Change your foreground color to black and then paint to de-select areas.

3. Everything that is not selected will remain red. Everything that is normal colored is selected.

4. When you are done, uncheck Select>Toggle Quick Mask in the Main Menu. The normal colored areas become selections, even if not connected.

Selection Modes

You can add or subtract to existing selections using the following modes, found in the tool options of the toolbox:

Replace Mode

Add to Selection

Subtract from

Selection

Intersect with

Selection

Note: Any time you want to clear a selection, go to Select>None in the Main Menu.

Selection Modes

Replace with Selection

Replace Selection is the default mode. When you make a selection, any new selection you make will replace the old selection.

Add to Selection

After you make a selection, click on the Add to Selection button. Then make another selection to add to it. The selections do not need to be touching.

Selection Modes

Subtract from Selection

After you make a selection, click on the Subtract from Selection button. Then make another selection. Where the selection overlaps the original selection will be subtracted from your original selection.

Intersect Selections

After you make a selection, click on the Intersect with Selection button. Make another selection that overlaps the original. Where they overlap becomes your selection.

Use the feathering option when you don’t want a hard line around a selection.

Feathering Selections

• To make the edge of a selection softer beforeyou make the selection, make sure the Feather edges option is checked before you make your selection. Adjust the amount of feathering with the Radius slider.

• To make the edge of a selection softer after you create it, go to Select>Feather in the Main Menu.

Sometimes you want to select everything except a small part of your picture. To do that, select your small area and then go to Select>Invert to invert the selection.

Invert a Selection

Jagged Edges

If your selection has jagged edges, make sure the Anti-alias option is checked in your Tool Options.

Black and White Photos with Selective Colors

1. Select the part of your photo that you want to be in color.2. Go to Select>Invert to de-select the parts you want in color

and select everything you want to be black and white.3. Go to Colors>Desaturate in the Main Menu.4. Choose the desaturate option you like the best.5. To get rid of the marching ants, go to Select>None in the

Main Menu.

Using Filters

1. Open your picture. To apply a filter to a selection, make the selection. Otherwise it will be applied to the entire picture.

2. Choose your filter from the Filters menu.3. If the filter has any options, set them in the options window.4. Click OK to apply the filter.5. If you don’t like the results, go to Edit>Undo.

All filters can be accessed through the Filters menu of the Main Menu.

Using Filters

1. Open your picture. To apply a filter to a selection, make the selection. Otherwise it will be applied to the entire picture.

2. Choose your filter from the Filters menu.3. If the filter has any options, set them in the options window.4. Click OK to apply the filter.5. If you don’t like the results, go to Edit>Undo.

All filters can be accessed through the Filters menu of the Main Menu. In general, this is how they work:

Common Filters

• Gaussian Blur – makes the image evenly blurred (Filters>Blur>Gaussian Blur)

• Selective Gaussian Blur – prevents areas of higher contrast from getting blurred (Filters>Blur>Selective Gaussian Blur)

• Red Eye Removal – removes red eyes (Filters>Enhance>Red Eye Removal)

• Unsharp Mask – sharpens details by increasing local contrast (Filters>Enhance>Unsharp Mask)

• Iwarp – lets you shift, move, or warp parts of your picture with a brush (Filters>Distort>Iwarp)

Using the Text Tool

Choose your local text

options here.

Choose your global settings for font, text color, spacing, and alignment here.

Type your text here.

Resize your text box using the handles.

Insterting Symbols

To insert a symbol, type Ctrl+Shift+u. A “u” will appear.

Then type in the Unicode of the symbol and press Enter.

The symbol will appear.

Unicodesfor

Symbols

Click on the symbol you want and it will give you the Unicode and HTML-code for the symbol.

LayersThe Layers Tab

The Text layer

The mustache layer

The images layer

Layers can be reordered by dragging them around. You can also turn them off and on by clicking on the eye.

If you want to work on a specific layer, click on the name of it.

Changing the opacity

The Layers MenuMake a new layer, with the option of making the background transparent.

Making a layer by combining all of the current layers that are marked as visible (with the eye)

Duplicate a layer

If you have pasted an object and are ready to anchor it to the layer, choose this.

If you want to make a color transparent, choose this

Delete a layer

To add a layer mask.

Making a Color Transparent

Use the dropper of type in the Hexidecimal code.

To chose the color, click on the color box after “From:”

The transparent color becomes a checker board.

Cut, Copy & Paste into Layers

Note: The floating selection means the thing you’re pasting isn’t glued down yet. You can move it around and make adjustments to it. When you are ready to glue it down, right click on the floating Selection Icon in the Layers Dialog and choose Anchor Layer.

Note: The floating layer will be pasted to the active layer, regardless of which layer appears beneath it in the stack.

Moving Layers

You can move a layer just like you can move other objects. Here’s how it’s done.

Ways to Use Layers

CloningInstead of using the clone tool directly on top of a picture, clone it on a new transparent layer. It keeps the picture untouched. And you can make adjustments to the cloned stamps without affecting the entire image.

To do this, create a transparent layer above the image. Choose your sample on the image layer and then activate the transparent layer when you start stamping/cloning.

Put a Person on a New Background.

• Create a background layer that you want as your new background.• Create a new transparent layer just above that layer.• Select the image you want to copy. Copy it and paste it onto the transparent layer. This way you can

touch up the edges with the eraser tool without erasing any of your new background because it is on a separate layer.

• When it looks the way you want it, anchor it down.

Layer Masks

Layer masks work kind of like the eraser tool, except you are not actually erasing anything, just hiding it.

A layer mask makes part of the image layer transparent.

The layer mask is separate from the layer itself so you can change the mask without damaging the layer the mask is on.

Add a Layer Mask

Black, White, and Gray Masks

• Any white part of a mask, whether it’s the background or painted on with white, will be fully opaque.

• Any black part of a mask, whether it’s the background or painted on with black, will be fully transparent.

• Any shade of gray will be partially transparent. The darker the shade, the more transparent.

Show the Layer Mask

If you want to see the mask itself in the Main Window, right-click on the layer mask thumbnail in the Layers Dialog and check the Show Layer Mask option. To make it go away, right-click again and uncheck that option.

Make a Black and White Layer with Masks

• Duplicate the Background layer of the color image by right clicking it in the Layers Dialog and choosing Duplicate Layer.

• Name this new layer Black and White.• Highlight the Black and White layer in the Layers Dialog, and go to Colors > Desaturate to

make it black and white.• Add a white layer mask to the Black and White layer. • The image will look black and white in the Main Window, but there will still be a color• version of it just below.• Select the layer mask in the Layers Dialog. • Grab the Paintbrush Tool from the Toolbox and choose a brush.• Set the Foreground Color in the Toolbox to black.• Paint over the subject to make the original color version of your picture show through.• If you accidentally make too much transparent, set the foreground color to white and paint

over those areas to make them opaque again.

Using The Fuzzy Select Tool with a Layer Mask


Using the Paths Tool to

Make a Selection


Portrait Retouching

• Duplicate the background layer. Rename this layer Blur.• Go to Filters > Blur > Selective Gaussian Blur, and set the Blur Radius to at least 5 pixels. If you have a large

photo, you may need to set this number higher. Look in the preview window and keep increasing the Radius until the skin in the photo looks really smoothed out. Don’t worry if it looks over done at this point.

• Play with the Delta option in the Selective Gaussian Blur Window until the skin looks soft, but edges like eyelashes, eyebrows and the edge of the lips are still crisp. Click OK to add the blur to the Blur layer.

• Add a black layer mask to the Blur layer. This will hide the Blur layer.• Grab a big Fuzzy Circle paintbrush from the Toolbox and set the Foreground Color to white. Set the Brush

Opacity to 15% or 20% in the Tool Options Dialog to start.• Paint white on the layer mask everywhere skin could use some softening. The blur effect will be subtle at

first. You can increase the opacity of the brush, and keep painting to make the effect stronger.

Making a Background Transparent - Easy

When you have an image that has a single color background, making the background can be simple:

Open the image and then choose Layer>Transparency>Add Alpha channel.

Using the Fuzzy tool, select the white background and then hit Delete.

If necessary, use the Erase tool to clean up any white pixels remaining around the edges.

Making a Color Transparent

Open the image. Using the fuzzy tool, click on the white part and drag the mouse to the right to increase the threshold until the figure is surrounded by marching ants.

Holding the Shift key down, select any additional white areas.

Choose Select>Grow> 1 px>OK

Making a Color Transparent (continued)

Use the dropper or type in the Hexidecimal code (fffffffor white).

To chose the color, click on the color box after “From:”

The transparent color becomes a checker board.


Move the pink layer below the image layer and make both visible.

Choose Select>None

You may have to zoom in and paint a few places.

If you have some transparent areas to clean up, add a white layer mask and a solid layer background for contrast.

Select the layer mask and make the paintbrush color black.


Turn off the pink layer and your image is ready to go.

Using black, paint the areas of the mask that you want to be transparent. (Pink will show through these areas.)

Note: As an alternative to making a layer mask, you could use the eraser tool instead.

A Note About Transparency

• Sometimes it is easier to select an object, copy it, and paste it onto a transparent layer.• Sometimes when selecting the object, you may want to use the path tool to get an accurate

selection. Choose Select>From Path to turn your path into a selection.• Sometimes it is easier to select the background using the fuzzy tool to select the background.

• To select different shades in the background, hold the Shift key down and click on other colors to add to the selection.

• To add shades that are close to the color selected, drag the mouse to the right to increase the threshold.

• Once the background is selected, you can select the figure by choosing Select>Invert.• When choosing Layer>Transparency>Color to Alpha, the results are not great because the

transparency is fudged by GIMP to include shades close to the color chosen. If this is the case, you need to first select the background (as mentioned above) and then make that color transparent. If the object is not part of the selection, its colors will all remain opaque.

• Sometimes when selecting the background to make transparent, I choose Select>Grow and increase my selection by 1 pixel. That allows me take care of any stray pixels of the old background color.

Making a Background Transparent with Hair

Choose Layer>Transparency>Add Alpha Channel and then make a duplicate of the original image layer.

On the duplicate layer, using Color>Curves increase the contrast as much as possible.

Desaturate the image.


We also want the face to show through so using white, paint the face and shoulders.

We will be turning this into a layer mask, so we need the hair to be transparent, so invert the colors so the hair is white using Color>Invert.

Create a white Layer Mask on the original layer.


Select the Layer Mask and choose Edit>Paste and then anchor it down.

Make sure the black and white layer is active, the choose Edit>Cut.

If you put it on a black background you may see a little of the original background. To get rid of this, use the clone tool.

Finished! Delete the black layer and save the image.

Making a Logo

Start with your text.

1. Choose Layer>Text to Path.

2. In the Layers dialog, turn the text layer off and highlight the background.

3. Click on the paths tab.

4. Double click on the Path to put it on your background.

To change this path into a selection, choose Select>From Path. The border will turn to marching ants, showing the letters are selected. Turn the text layer back on.

Making a Logo (continued)

To fill with a pattern, grab the bucket tool (as soon as you do, the anchor points disappear and all you have is marching ants)

Using the rectangle, select the text and try out different effects or filters.

Choose Pattern fill.Choose your pattern.

Fill the letters and choose Select>None.


Perspective Tool Gaussian blurSheer Tool Rotate Tool

Different Filters and Effects:

Glass Tile IWarp Oilify Spread


Add a new layer and make it have a transparent background so we can work on adding some artwork without changing our text.

Using the Paths tool, draw on the transparent layer.

Choose Select>From Path. Fill with a gradient or pattern or color.

The possibilities are limited only by your imagination!

If you know you need a transparent background, you could have put your text and artwork on separate transparent layers and had a separate white layer to help you see what you were editing. Then turn off or delete the white layer. Otherwise, select the white and make that color transparent.

gimp - mcg.net … · file types for most of your images, youll save as either an xcf file, a jpeg,...

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