Introduction
• GIMP is called multi-platform photo manipulation tool.
• It is covered by the General Public License [GPL] which provides the users with the freedom to access and alter the source code.
• It is available for other operating systems such as Microsoft Windows™ or Apple’s Mac OS X™ (Darwin).
• Features of GIMP are:
→ It can be used as a simple paint program.
→ It can be used as an expert quality photo retouching program.
→ It can be used as an online batch processing system.
→ It can be used as a mass production image producer to develop different models.
→ The advanced scripting interface allows everything from the simplest task to the most complex image manipulation procedures to be easily scripted.
→ It can convert and save files to many file formats such as gif, jpeg, tiff.etc
→ It can load and save animations in a convenient frame as layer format.
→ Virtually unlimited images can be opened at one time.
→ GIMP works with numerous operating systems including Linux, Mac OS and Microsoft Windows.
Tool Box
• Move tool [M]: The Move Tool is used to move layers, selections, paths or guides of both the objects and the text.
• Align tool [Q]: The Align tool is useful to align the image layers with various image objects.
• Scale tool [Shift + T]: The Scale Tool is used to scale layers, selections or paths (the Object).
• Shear tool [Shift + S]: Shear tool is used to shift one selected part of an image, a layer, a selection or a path to a direction and the other part to the opposite direction.
• Perspective tool: The Perspective Tool is used to view the images in different dimensions, of the active layer content.
• Flip an Image: It creates the mirror image of the photo.
• Rotate an Image: This tool is used to rotate an image in different directions i.e. from horizontal to vertical and vice versa.
• Blend tool [L]: This tool is used to fill the selected area with a gradient blend of the foreground and
background colours by default.
• Blur/Sharpen tool [Shift +U]: This tool is used to blur or sharpen the image using the current brush.
• Smudge tool [S]: The Smudge tool uses the current brush to smudge colours on the active layer or the selection.
• Dodge/Burn tool [Shift + D]: The Dodge tool uses the current brush to lighten the colors in your image. The Burn tool uses the current brush to darken the colors in your image.
• Eraser tool [Shift + E]: This works similar to a classic eraser which helps to erase things.
• Pencil tool [N]: This tool works similar to a real pencil which helps to draw things.
• Paint brush tool [P]:This tool draws brush like strokes and used to create special effects.
Steps to use the tools
• Move Tool (M): Access this tool by:
♠ From the image menu bar Tools → Transform Tools → Move
♠ By clicking on tool icon.
♠ By using the keyboard shortcut M.
→ To use this tool simply click on the canvas and drag the selection to a desired location.
• Move tool options: Access this option by:
♠ Tool options are displayed in a window attached under the Toolbox as soon as you activate a tool.
♠ Windows → Dockable Windows → Tool Options which opens the option window of the selected tool.
→ How to use:
♠ If Move is on “Layer” – Only the current Layer will be moved.
♠ If Move is on “Selection” – The selection’s outline will be moved.
♠ If Move is on “Path” - The mouse pointer turns to a small hand when it goes over a visible path. Move this path by click-and-dragging it
• Align tool: Access this tool by:
♠ From the image-menu, through: Tools → Transform Tools → Align
♠ By clicking on the tool icon in the toolbox,
♠ By using the Q keyboard shortcut.
→ How to use:
♠ By clicking on an element of a layer in the image, you choose the layer which will be moved (with Shift + click, you can choose several layers to be aligned).
• Align tool options: Access this option by:
♠ The options of Align Tool become active when a layer is selected.
→ How to use:
♠ When you click on one of these buttons, you align the selected layer with left edge, horizontal middle, right edge, top edge, vertical middle, or bottom of the target.
• Scale tool [Shift + T]: Access this tool by:
♠ In Menubar, Image → Scale Image
♠ ♠ By using the keyboard shortcut Shift + T.
→ How to use:
♠ Click on Image → Scale Image
♠ Set the width and height and click on scale.
• Shear tool [Shift + S]: Access this tool by:
♠ In the image-menu through: Tools → Transform Tools → Shear,
♠ By clicking the tool icon in Toolbox
♠ By using the Shift+S key combination.
→ Use:
♠ It is used to shift one part of an image, a layer, a selection or a path to a direction and the other part to the opposite direction.
• Perspective tool: Access this tool by:
♠ By clicking the tool icon in Toolbox,
♠ By using the Shift+P key combination.
→ Use:
♠ It is used to change the dimensions of the active layer content, of selection content or of a path.
• Flip an Image: Access this tool by:
♠ Right click on the image and follow the menus Tools → Transform Tools → Flip or use the button on the toolbox.
• Rotate an image: How to use:
♠ Right click on the image, and follow the menus Image → Transforms → Rotate → 90 degrees (or 270 depending on the orientation).
• Blend tool [L]: Access this tool by:
♠ From the image-menu: Tools → Paint Tools → Blend.
♠ By clicking the tool icon.
♠ By clicking on the L keyboard shortcut.
→ How to use:
♠ Select the foreground and background colour of choice.
♠ Fill the colour using bucket tool
♠ Click on blend tool and select the area till where we want to have blend effect.
• Blur/Sharpen tool [Shift +U]: Access this tool by:
♠ From the image-menu: Tools → Paint tools → Blur/Sharpen.
♠ Select it by clicking the tool icon in the Toolbox.
♠ By using the keyboard shortcut Shift+U.
→ How to use:
♠ Set convolve type to switch between blur\sharpen.
♠ Set the rate
♠ Click on the canvas area and keep on dragging the brush until the desired result is obtained.
• Smudge tool [S]: Access this tool by:
♠ Through Tools → Paint Tools → Smudge. in the image menu.
♠ By clicking on the tool icon in Toolbox,
♠ By pressing the S key on keyboard.
→ How to use:
♠ Using Ctrl with Shift, we can constrain the angle between two successive lines to vary by steps of 15°.
• Dodge/Burn tool [Shift + D]: Access this tool by:
♠ From the image-menu: Tools → Paint Tools → Dodge / Burn.
♠ By clicking the tool icon
♠ By using the Shift+D keyboard shortcut.
→ Use:
♠ The Dodge tool uses the current brush to lighten the colours in the image.
♠ The Burn tool uses the current brush to darken the colours in the image.
Layers
• In GIMP terminology, each individual transparency is called a layer.
• It provides a variety of effects that change the appearance of the image.
• A new image in Gimp has a single layer. We can add a number of additional layers to add different elements in an image.
• Adding a new layer:
→ Layer menu → select new layer.
→ Enter the information such as name, height, width and transparency for a new layer.
• Renaming a layer:
→ Highlight the layer, right click it
→ Select edit layer attributes, then type in a new name.
• Deleting a layer:
→ Select the layer and press the bin like looking button at the bottom of layers tab.
• Merging a layer:
→ Open both the images as layers.
→ Right-click the layer and select merge down or merge visible option available in the drop-down menu.
(The Merge down option merges the selected layer with the layer right below it, whereas the Merge visible option merges all the visible layers.)
→ Resultant image, after merging the two layers.
• Scaling a layer:
→ In the image menubar through Layer → Scale Layer.
→ It resizes the layer and its contents.
• Duplicating a layer:
→ Click image menu→ Layer → Duplicate Layer, or
→ From the local pop-up menu that you get by right-clicking on the Layer Dialog.
Masking
• The Mask is GIMP’s way of showing the full structure of the selection.
• It provides the ability to interact with the selection in new, and substantially ways.
• How to do masking:
→ Click the small outlined button at the lower left of the image window to toggle Quickmask on and off. or Select → Toggle Quickmask, or Shift + Q, to toggle between Quickmask and marching ants mode.
→ By default the mask is shown in red, but you can change this if another mask colour is more convenient.
• Editing a mask:
→ Go to the channels tab, select “quickmask” channel, right-click to open the drop-down menu.
→ Select Edit channel attributes…and change the colour.
6 videos|20 docs|6 tests
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1. What is GIMP and how can it be used for advanced image editing? |
2. What are some advanced features in GIMP that can be used for photo retouching? |
3. Can GIMP be used for creating digital artwork and illustrations? |
4. How can GIMP be used to enhance images with filters and effects? |
5. Is GIMP compatible with popular file formats used in the graphic design industry? |
6 videos|20 docs|6 tests
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