GNU Image Manipulation Program

GNU Image Manipulation Program

User Manual

Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 The GIMP Documentation Team

Legal Notice

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section enphrased GNU Free Documentation License.

Table of Contents

1. GIMP User Manual Authors and Contributors

I. Getting Started

1. Introduction

1. Welcome to GIMP

1.1. Authors
1.2. The GIMP Help system
1.3. Features and Capabilities

2. What's New in GIMP 2.6?

2. Fire up the GIMP

1. Running GIMP

1.1. Known Platforms
1.2. Language
1.3. Command Line Arguments

2. Starting GIMP the first time

2.1. Finally . . .

3. First Steps with Wilber

1. Basic Concepts

2. Main Windows

2.1. The Toolbox
2.2. Image Window
2.3. Dialogs and Docking

3.1. Things That Cannot be Undone

4. GIMPLite Quickies

4.1. Intention
4.2. Change the Size of an Image (Scale)
4.3. Make JPEGs Smaller
4.4. Crop An Image
4.5. Find Info About Your Image
4.6. Change the Mode
4.7. Flip An Image
4.8. Rotate An Image

5. How to Draw Straight Lines

5.1. Intention
5.2. Examples

4. Getting Unstuck

1. Getting Unstuck

1.1. Stuck!
1.2. Common Causes of GIMP Non-Responsiveness

II. How do I Become a GIMP Wizard?

5. Getting Images into GIMP

1. Image Types

2. Creating new Files

3. Opening Files

3.1. Open File
3.2. Open Location
3.3. Open Recent
3.4. Using External Programs
3.5. File Manager
3.6. Drag and Drop
3.7. Copy and Paste
3.8. Image Browser

6. Getting Images out of GIMP

1.1. Saving Images
1.2. Saving Files

2. Preparing your Images for the Web

2.1. Images with an Optimal Size/Quality Ratio
2.2. Reducing the File Size Even More
2.3. Saving Images with Transparency

7. Painting with GIMP

1. The Selection

1.1. Feathering
1.2. Making a Selection Partially Transparent

2. Creating and Using Selections

2.1. Moving a Selection
2.2. Adding or subtracting selections

3. The QuickMask

3.1. Overview
3.2. Properties

4. Using QuickMask Mode

5.1. Path Creation
5.2. Path Properties
5.3. Paths and Selections
5.4. Transforming Paths
5.5. Stroking a Path
5.6. Paths and Text
5.7. Paths and SVG files

7. Adding New Brushes

8. The GIH Dialog Box

9. Varying brush size

9.1. How to vary the height of a brush
9.2. Creating a brush quickly

10. Gradients

11. Patterns

12. Palettes

12.1. Colormap

13. Drawing Simple Objects

13.1. Drawing a Straight Line
13.2. Creating a Basic Shape

8. Combining Images

1. Introduction to Layers

1.1. Layer Properties

2. Layer Modes

3. Creating New Layers

4. Text and Fonts

5.1. Embellishing Text
5.2. Adding Fonts
5.3. Font Problems

9. Enhancing Photographs

1. Working with Digital Camera Photos

1.1. Introduction
1.2. Improving Composition
1.3. Improving Colors
1.4. Adjusting Sharpness
1.5. Removing Unwanted Objects from an Image
1.6. Saving Your Results

10. Color Management with GIMP

1. Color Management in GIMP

1.1. Problems of a non Color Managed Workflow
1.2. Introduction to a Color Managed Workflow

11. Pimp my GIMP

1. Preferences Dialog

1.1. Introduction
1.2. Environment
1.3. Interface
1.4. Theme
1.5. Help System
1.6. Tool Options
1.7. Toolbox
1.8. Default Image Preferences
1.9. Default Image Grid
1.10. Image Windows
1.11. Image Window Appearance
1.12. Image Window Title and Statusbar
1.13. Display
1.14. Color Management
1.15. Input Devices
1.16. Input Controllers
1.17. Window Management
1.18. Folders
1.19. Data Folders

2. Grids and Guides

2.1. The Image Grid
2.2. Guides

3. Rendering a Grid

4. How to Set Your Tile Cache

5. Creating Shortcuts to Menu Functions

6. Customize Splash-Screen

12. Scripting

1.1. Introduction
1.2. Using Plugins
1.3. Installing New Plugins
1.4. Writing Plugins

2. Using Script-Fu Scripts

2.1. Script-Fu?
2.2. Installing Script-Fus
2.3. Do's and Don'ts
2.4. Different Kinds Of Script-Fus
2.5. Standalone Scripts
2.6. Image-Dependent Scripts

3. A Script-Fu Tutorial

3.1. Getting Acquainted With Scheme
3.2. Variables And Functions
3.3. Lists, Lists And More Lists
3.4. Your First Script-Fu Script
3.5. Giving Our Script Some Guts
3.6. Extending The Text Box Script
3.7. Your script and its working

III. Function Reference

1. The Toolbox

1.1. Introduction
1.2. Tool Icons
1.3. Color and Indicator Area
1.4. Tool Options

2. Selection Tools

2.1. Common Features
2.2. Rectangle Selection
2.3. Ellipse Selection
2.4. Free Selection (Lasso)
2.5. Fuzzy selection (Magic wand)
2.6. Select By Color
2.7. Intelligent Scissors
2.8. Foreground Select

3. Paint Tools

3.1. Common Features
3.2. Brush Tools (Pencil, Paintbrush, Airbrush)
3.3. Bucket Fill
3.4. Blend
3.5. Pencil
3.6. Paintbrush
3.7. Eraser
3.8. Airbrush
3.9. Ink
3.10. Clone
3.11. Heal
3.12. Perspective Clone
3.13. Blur/Sharpen
3.14. Smudge
3.15. Dodge/Burn

4. Transform Tools

4.1. Common Features
4.2. Align
4.3. Move
4.4. Crop
4.5. Rotate
4.6. Scale
4.7. Shear
4.8. Perspective
4.9. Flip

5. Color Tools

5.1. Overview
5.2. Color Balance
5.3. Hue-Saturation
5.4. Colorize
5.5. Brightness-Contrast
5.6. Threshold
5.7. Levels
5.8. Curves
5.9. Posterize
5.10. Desaturate

6.1. Overview
6.2. Paths
6.3. Color Picker
6.4. Zoom
6.5. Measure
6.6. Text
6.7. GEGL Operation

14. Dialogs

1. Dialog Introduction

2. Image Structure Related Dialogs

2.1. Layers Dialog
2.2. Channels Dialog
2.3. Paths Dialog
2.4. Colormap Dialog
2.5. Histogram dialog
2.6. Navigation Dialog
2.7. Undo History Dialog

3. Image-content Related Dialogs

3.1. FG/BG Color Dialog
3.2. Brushes Dialog
3.3. Patterns Dialog
3.4. Gradients Dialog
3.5. Palettes Dialog
3.6. Fonts Dialog

4. Image Management Related Dialogs

4.1. Buffers Dialog
4.2. Images Dialog
4.3. Document History Dialog
4.4. Templates Dialog

5. Misc. Dialogs

5.1. Tools Dialog
5.2. Device Status Dialog
5.3. Error Console
5.4. Export File
5.5. Sample Points Dialog
5.6. Pointer Dialog

1. Introduction to Menus

1.1. Context Menus
1.2. Tear-off menus
1.3. Tab menus

2. The “File” Menu

2.1. Overview
2.2. New
2.3. Create
2.4. Open
2.5. Open as Layers
2.6. Open Location
2.7. Open Recent
2.8. Save
2.9. Save as
2.10. Save a Copy
2.11. Save as Template
2.12. Revert
2.13. Print
2.14. Close
2.15. Close all
2.16. Quit

3. The “Edit” Menu

3.1. “Edit” Menu Entries
3.2. Undo
3.3. Redo
3.4. Fade
3.5. Undo History
3.6. Cut
3.7. Copy
3.8. Copy Visible
3.9. Paste
3.10. Paste Into
3.11. Paste as
3.12. Buffer
3.13. Clear
3.14. Fill with FG Color
3.15. Fill with BG Color
3.16. Fill with Pattern
3.17. Stroke Selection
3.18. Stroke Path
3.19. The “Preferences” Command
3.20. Keyboard Shortcuts
3.21. Modules
3.22. Units

4. The “Select” Menu

4.1. Introduction to the “Select” Menu
4.2. Select All
4.3. None
4.4. Invert
4.5. Float
4.6. By Color
4.7. From Path
4.8. Selection Editor
4.9. Feather
4.10. Sharpen
4.11. Shrink
4.12. Grow
4.13. Border
4.14. Distort
4.15. Rounded Rectangle
4.16. Toggle QuickMask
4.17. Save to Channel
4.18. To Path

5. The “View” Menu

5.1. Introduction to the “View” Menu
5.2. New View
5.3. Dot for Dot
5.4. Zoom
5.5. Shrink Wrap
5.6. Full Screen
5.7. Navigation Window
5.8. Display Filters
5.9. Show Selection
5.10. Show Layer Boundary
5.11. Show Guides
5.12. Show Grid
5.13. Show Sample Points
5.14. Snap to Guides
5.15. Snap to Grid
5.16. Snap to Canvas
5.17. Snap to Active Path
5.18. Padding Color
5.19. Show Menubar
5.20. Show Rulers
5.21. Show Scrollbars
5.22. Show Statusbar

6. The “Image” Menu

6.1. Overview
6.2. Duplicate
6.3. Mode
6.4. RGB mode
6.5. Grayscale mode
6.6. Indexed mode
6.7. Transform
6.8. Flip Horizontally; Flip Vertically
6.9. Rotation
6.10. Guillotine
6.11. Canvas Size
6.12. Fit Canvas to Layers
6.13. Fit Canvas to Selection
6.14. Print Size
6.15. Scale Image
6.16. Crop to Selection
6.17. Autocrop Image
6.18. Zealous Crop
6.19. Merge Visible Layers
6.20. Flatten Image
6.21. Align Visible Layers
6.22. Guides
6.23. New Guide
6.24. New Guide (by Percent)
6.25. New Guides from Selection
6.26. Remove all guides
6.27. Configure Grid
6.28. Image Properties

7. The “Layer” Menu

7.1. Introduction to the “Layer” Menu
7.2. New Layer
7.3. New From Visible
7.4. Duplicate layer
7.5. Anchor layer
7.6. Merge Down
7.7. Delete Layer
7.8. The Text Commands of the Layer Menu
7.9. Discard Text Information
7.10. “Stack” Submenu
7.11. Select Previous Layer
7.12. Select Next Layer
7.13. Select Top Layer
7.14. Select Bottom Layer
7.15. Raise Layer
7.16. Lower Layer
7.17. Layer to Top
7.18. Layer to Bottom
7.19. The “Reverse Layer Order” command
7.20. The “Mask” Submenu
7.21. Add Layer Mask
7.22. Apply Layer Mask
7.23. Delete Layer Mask
7.24. Show Layer Mask
7.25. Edit Layer Mask
7.26. Disable Layer Mask
7.27. Mask to Selection
7.28. Add Layer Mask to Selection
7.29. Subtract Layer Mask from Selection
7.30. Intersect Layer Mask with Selection
7.31. The “Transparency” Submenu of the “Layer” menu
7.32. Add Alpha Channel
7.33. Remove Alpha Channel
7.34. Color to Alpha
7.35. Semi-flatten
7.36. Threshold Alpha
7.37. Alpha to Selection
7.38. Add Alpha channel to Selection
7.39. Subtract from Selection
7.40. Intersect Alpha channel with Selection
7.41. The “Transform” Submenu
7.42. Flip Horizontally
7.43. Flip Vertically
7.44. Rotate 90° clockwise
7.45. Rotate 90° counter-clockwise
7.46. Rotate 180°
7.47. Arbitrary Rotation
7.48. Offset
7.49. Layer Boundary Size
7.50. Layer to Image Size
7.51. Scale Layer
7.52. Crop to Selection
7.53. Autocrop Layer

8. The “Colors” Menu

9. The “Tools” Menu

9.1. Introduction to the “Tools” Menu

10. The “Filters” Menu

10.1. Introduction to the “Filters” Menu
10.2. Repeat Last
10.3. Re-show Last
10.4. Reset All Filters
10.5. The “Python-Fu” Submenu
10.6. The “Script-Fu” Submenu

11. The “Windows” Menu

11.1. “Windows” Menu Entries
11.2. The “Recently Closed Docks” submenu
11.3. The “Dockable Dialogs” submenu

12. The “Help” Menu

12.1. Introduction to the “Help” Menu
12.2. Help
12.3. Context Help
12.4. Tip of the Day
12.5. About
12.6. Plug-In Browser
12.7. The Procedure Browser
12.8. GIMP online

16. Filters

1. Introduction

1.1. Preview

2. Blur Filters

2.1. Introduction
2.2. Blur
2.3. Gaussian Blur
2.4. Selective Gaussian Blur
2.5. Motion Blur
2.6. Pixelise
2.7. Tileable Blur

3. Enhance Filters

3.1. Introduction
3.2. Antialias
3.3. Deinterlace
3.4. Despeckle
3.5. Destripe
3.6. NL Filter
3.7. Red Eye Removal
3.8. Sharpen
3.9. Unsharp Mask

4. Distort Filters

4.1. Introduction
4.2. Blinds
4.3. Curve Bend
4.4. Emboss
4.5. Engrave
4.6. Erase Every Other Row
4.7. IWarp
4.8. Lens Distortion
4.9. Mosaic
4.10. Newsprint
4.11. Page Curl
4.12. Polar Coords
4.13. Ripple
4.14. Shift
4.15. Value Propagate
4.16. Video
4.17. Waves
4.18. Whirl and Pinch
4.19. Wind

5. Light and Shadow Filters

5.1. Introduction
5.2. Gradient Flare
5.3. Lens Flare
5.4. Lighting Effects
5.5. Sparkle
5.6. Supernova
5.7. Drop Shadow
5.8. Perspective
5.9. Xach-Effect
5.10. Apply Lens
5.11. Glass Tile

6. Noise Filters

6.1. Introduction
6.2. HSV Noise
6.3. Hurl
6.4. Pick
6.5. RGB Noise
6.6. Slur
6.7. Spread

7. Edge-Detect Filters

7.1. Introduction
7.2. Difference of Gaussians
7.3. Edge
7.4. Laplace
7.5. Neon
7.6. Sobel

8. Generic Filters

8.1. Introduction
8.2. Convolution Matrix
8.3. Dilate
8.4. Erode

9. Combine Filters

9.1. Introduction
9.2. Depth Merge
9.3. Film

10. Artistic Filters

10.1. Introduction
10.2. Apply Canvas
10.3. Cartoon
10.4. Clothify
10.5. Cubism
10.6. GIMPressionist
10.7. Oilify
10.8. Photocopy
10.9. Predator
10.10. Softglow
10.11. Van Gogh (LIC)
10.12. Weave

11. Decor Filters

11.1. Introduction
11.2. Add Bevel
11.3. Add Border
11.4. Coffee Stain
11.5. Fuzzy Border
11.6. Old Photo
11.7. Round Corners
11.8. Slide
11.9. Stencil Carve

12. Map Filters

12.1. Introduction
12.2. Bump Map
12.3. Displace
12.4. Fractal Trace
12.5. Illusion
12.6. Make Seamless
12.7. Map Object
12.8. Paper Tile
12.9. Small Tiles
12.10. Tile
12.11. Warp

13. Rendering Filters

13.1. Introduction
13.2. Difference Clouds
13.3. Plasma
13.4. Solid Noise
13.5. Flame
13.6. IFS Fractal
13.7. Checkerboard
13.8. CML Explorer
13.9. Diffraction Patterns
13.10. Grid
13.11. Jigsaw
13.12. Maze
13.13. Qbist
13.14. Sinus
13.15. Circuit
13.16. Fractal Explorer
13.17. Gfig
13.18. Sphere Designer

14. Web Filters

14.1. Introduction
14.2. ImageMap
14.3. Semi-Flatten
14.4. Slice

15. Animation Filters

15.1. Optimize
15.2. Playback

16. Alpha to Logo Filters

16.1. Introduction
16.2. 3D Outline
16.3. Alien Glow
16.4. Alien Neon
16.5. Basic I
16.6. Basic II
16.7. Blended
16.8. Bovination
16.9. Chalk
16.10. Chip Away
16.11. Chrome
16.12. Comic Book
16.13. Cool Metal
16.14. Frosty
16.15. Glossy
16.16. Glowing Hot
16.17. Gradient Bevel
16.18. Neon
16.19. Particle Trace
16.20. Textured

I. Keys and Mouse Reference

Help — Key reference for Help menu
Tools — Key reference for the Tools menu
File — Key reference for the File menu
Dialogs — Key reference for Dockable Dialogs submenu
View — Key reference for View menu
Edit — Key reference for Edit menu
Layer — Key reference for Layer menu
Select — Key reference for Select menu
Filters — Key reference for Filters menu
Zoom tool — Key reference for the Zoom tool submenu

Bibliography

A. GIMP History

1. The Very Beginning
2. The Early Days of GIMP
3. The One to Change the World
4. Version 2.0
5. What's New in GIMP 2.2?
6. What's New in GIMP 2.4?

B. Reporting Bugs and Requesting Enhancements

1. Making sure it's a Bug
2. Reporting the Bug
3. What Happens to a Bug Report after you Submit it

C. GNU Free Documentation License

1. PREAMBLE
2. APPLICABILITY AND DEFINITIONS
3. VERBATIM COPYING
4. COPYING IN QUANTITY
5. MODIFICATIONS
6. COMBINING DOCUMENTS
7. COLLECTIONS OF DOCUMENTS
8. AGGREGATION WITH INDEPENDENT WORKS
9. TRANSLATION
10. TERMINATION
11. FUTURE REVISIONS OF THIS LICENSE
12. ADDENDUM: How to use this License for your documents

D. Eeek! There is Missing Help


		Preface