tutorials in GIMP

1. A Tutorial on the Basics
of Gimp
By: Winfreya M. Fajardo
“A Tutorial on the Basics of
Gimp”
By: Winfreya M. Fajardo

2. The Basics of Gimp; Imaging and Design
What is a Gimp?
A Gimp application is an app used in editing, designing and blending images
GHIMP; GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free and open-source raster
graphics editor used for image retouching and editing, free-form drawing, converting
between different image formats, and more specialized tasks.

3. Steps in Imaging and Designing
Step 1: Adding a text
 Use a text tool to add some text.
 You will get a new text layer which you can also see if you look at the layers dialogue.
You can use the move tool to move the text where you like to have it.
Then merge it with the white layer below by choosing Merge Down from the Layer menu.
You should now have one layer with black text on white background
Using colors, invert you will achieve something like the picture above

4. Step 2: Adding Colors
First of all blur the image a bit using Filters, Blur, and Gaussian blur (a value
of 5 may be a good start)
Now add a new layer to the image with the help of the New Layer button in
the layer’s dialogue
Choose it to be white
It will be created just made the text layer effectively hiding

5. It will be active which can be seen from the fact that it has a blue background
in the layers dialogue
Click some times on the eye symbol to see how you can make a layer dialogue.
Click some times on the eye symbol to see how you can a layer invisible and
make the other layer active by clicking on its small preview in the layers
dialogue
At the end, leave the new white layer visible and active
Use the plasma plugin to make this layer a little colorful; Filters, Render,
Clouds, Plasma(Yes, you are invited to experiment with the parameters)

6. Use the plasma plugin to make this layer a little colorful; Filters, Render, Clouds,
Plasma(Yes, you are invited to experiment with the parameters)
The layers dialogue should look something like this now

7. Bumpmapping
It’s getting funny now; Use the bumpmap plugin with the blurred text layer as a
bumpmap on the plasma layer,
You can play with the other parameters, but they have sensible defaults
You’ll get an image like the one above
Now (still on the plasma layer) choose add layer from the layers dialogue menu
Choose the mask to be white
Nothing will change on the image for now, but the layer dialogue will look like this

8. Using the layer mask
Now activate the text layer again. (you don’t have to make the layers on
top invisible to work on this layer
Now activate the text layer again. (you don’t have to make the layers on top
invisible to work on this layer
Make sure you have the mask of the top layer selected and the layer is activated
Choose Edit → Paste. You will again get a floating selection, shown in the layer
dialog like this:

9. Use the layer dialog menu to Anchor Layer, which will anchor the
floating selection into the previous activated layer (which is the
mask of the plasma layer in our case). This will leave you with the
following scenario:

10. Adjusting the levels
Now add a new layer and fill it with some color (e.g. with the help of the
bucket fill tool) and use Raise Layer or Lower Layer from the layer dialog
menu to achieve something like this:
Now you’ll see that the image of the logo isn’t very sharp. We’ll change this now.
We’ll change this now. Make sure you have selected the plasma layer’s mask and
open Layers → Colors → Levels

11. This tool is one of the most important tools you have! Play with the
little triangles you’ll see in the two grey gradients and watch their
effect on the image. For now, try to achieve something like
the following:

12.  What we do here is making the border of the mask sharper, and by that
means, sharpening the whole picture (the area which is neither 100%
opaque nor transparent will become smaller)
-But we can easily avoid the picture getting pixel-steps by leaving still a
smooth transition between opaque and transparent parts of the layer.
.
- (If you didn’t realize it by now - I bet you did - the layer mask works in
such a way that all black parts of the mask will become transparent parts
of the layer and all white parts will stay opaque (with smooth transitions
realized by values of grey).

13. Creating a drop-shadow
-Using the layer menu you will have noticed the entry Duplicate Layer. Use this
now. Then use Apply Layer Mask and Lower Layer which should leave you with
something like this:
-Make sure you check the Keep Transparency option (the little box next to the
layer mode) and then fill that duplicated layer with black
- You can paint over the text with a paint tool or simply drag a black color from
the color selector and drop it over the image.
-You do not have to be careful: the Keep Transparency button will let you paint
only on opaque parts of the image. This will give you:

14. -Now make sure you uncheck the button again and move the layer some
pixels to the right and downwards.
-You can move it with the Move tool while pressing Shift so that it moves the
current layer instead of picking a new one.
-(Alternatively, can use Layer → Transform → Offset and enter a small
offset for both X and Y: this will offset the contents of the layer without moving
the layer itself.)
-Then blur your layer and adjust the transparency with the slider so the
background will shine through: You’ve just generated a so-called drop
shadow, which greatly enhances the 3D effect and is used in very
many places.
That’s it! Now have a lot of fun making flying logos!