Questions tagged [gimp]
Questions about GIMP, the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. Ask scripting questions on Stack Overflow, software support questions on Super User, and anything related to design here on Graphic Design.
1,357
questions
321
votes
3answers
1.5m views
Making the background of an image transparent in Gimp
I have some jpg images and I need for each of them to have a transparent background.
I have GIMP as a graphic tool.
I need to put them in a web page and I need to see just the main element and have ...
77
votes
2answers
75k views
GIMP “color to alpha” is not selectable
Do I have to do something "special" to get the Color -> Color to alpha menu option to work in GIMP? I am trying to convert a background color on a GIF image to transparent by converting the background ...
73
votes
1answer
98k views
GIMP: Trying to move selected text layer but moves background layer
I have a background overlay on which I have three text layers on top.
Now I want to move these text layers around on the overlay, but I can't get it to work.
As soon as I click inside the text layer ...
67
votes
5answers
216k views
Add transparency to an existing PNG
I'd like to use this image on a web site.
What I need to do is change the background from black to transparent, so I can use the arrow on my site maintaining the page background.
I used Gimp to ...
58
votes
6answers
186k views
How to select more layers with GIMP?
In Adobe Photoshop I am able to select multiple layers at once with Shift+Click.
How can I do that in GIMP?
53
votes
8answers
18k views
Q: Gimp vs Photoshop
I have been using Photoshop since the beginning of time. Other than the infamous Paintshop Pro, it is the only image editor I have used.
I am about to embark on an adventure of trying out GIMP as a ...
52
votes
4answers
61k views
GIMP: 'move layer' stops working
I'm having intermittent problems with GIMP, where the 'move layer' command suddenly stops working. The mouse pointer changes to the one below:
When I make an explicit selection, e.g. CTRL+A on a ...
50
votes
1answer
163k views
Make image partially transparent in gimp
I want my image to have 60% transparency. How can I do this in gimp?
48
votes
3answers
121k views
Crop a big picture into several small size pictures
Is there a a way with GIMP editor to crop a big picture into several small equal sized pictures? So when all those small pictures connected in order would make a big picture.
39
votes
8answers
71k views
Professionals: Would you choose GIMP over Photoshop and/or Inkscape over Illustrator?
I know Adobe's solutions are more advanced, but, as professionals, do you think you would survive (against competition) using GIMP and/or Inkscape instead of Photoshop and/or Illustrator for your ...
39
votes
2answers
128k views
how to make a color transparent in GIMP
I realize there are a ton of questions like this, but they are all way overcomplicated for what I am trying to do.
What I want to do is very simple. I want the background of my image completely ...
38
votes
2answers
161k views
Gimp - Using an image as the transparency layer of another image
I have two images (For the sake of simplicity, Image1 and Image2). I want to use Image2 as a transparency for Image1.
How can I do that? Assume I've done little more with Gimp than play with some ...
32
votes
5answers
87k views
How do I insert arrows into a picture in GIMP?
I'd like to insert perfect arrows (the sort you can make using Inkscape: straight, symmetric tips, of customizable width and length, etc.) into images in GIMP. At the moment the closest thing to this ...
27
votes
2answers
67k views
GIMP: How to move a selection in a layer?
I'm having a weird behavior when trying to move a selected rectangle or polygon in a layer.
I do the next:
1. Select layer.
I want to move the shine that belongs to the brillos y manchas layer:
2. ...
25
votes
7answers
21k views
GIMP - change color of object preserving feathering
I have an .xcf image and I like to change the color of some objects within it. The objects are mostly one solid color with the edges feathered into transparency. I.e. all pixels in the object are ...
25
votes
6answers
52k views
How to convert old scanned documents into black and white
I have some old documents that have been scanned, and I want to convert them to black and white. Content should be always black, and background white:
I use Photoshop.
24
votes
5answers
3k views
What's the most efficient way to “blank” old comic word balloons while retaining paper texture?
I'm taking very old (1940s and '50s) comics and trying to remove the text from some of their word balloons. I don't want to just erase their contents to pure white space, though, as the paper colour ...
23
votes
2answers
25k views
Why does my transparent PNG not look good?
I want to convert a JPG to transparent and using GIMP I added alpha layers and transparency same way I make a GIF transparent I converted it to PNG but it doesn't display well when I load it on my ...
22
votes
3answers
2k views
Generate colorful streamline pattern (using FOSS)
I found a very interesting pattern, which I would like to recreate:
Source
I tried to start with the RGB-Noise filter of Gimp, but didn't get a comparable pattern so far. I understood, that there ...
22
votes
3answers
36k views
Get difference between two images as transparent image in GIMP
I have two images A and B which are similar in many regions.
I want to create an image C so that
B = C on top of A
where C should be as transparent as possible. on top of is the normal layer ...
22
votes
4answers
28k views
In GIMP, how to colorize using a reference color?
I have an image I wish to colorize using a picked color. What is the handiest/easiest way to do this in GIMP?
I've tried my best by checking the palette for my picked color's HSV, then using it as ...
21
votes
1answer
97k views
21
votes
1answer
939 views
How to get standard results in colour management in Linux
I have recently calibrated and profiled my screen, with a ColorHug device.
I'm using Gnome, and have the profile installed through gcm.
When opening an image in GIMP and DigiKam, the results are ...
19
votes
8answers
41k views
How do I directly set layer positions in Gimp?
I'd like to directly set (i.e. type in actual coordinates of) the position of my layer in the image, like you can with the selection box:
(Not the size, but that would also be cool)
Is this possible?...
18
votes
2answers
33k views
Gimp Pasted Layer Move Tool
What I want to do is paste a picture to a new gimp file. I have the background layer and when I paste it puts it into the floating selection like expected. I found that I'm supposed to turn it into a ...
17
votes
2answers
26k views
How to use- “color to alpha” in GIMP when it is grayed out? [duplicate]
While you try to change the background to transparent- the filter "color to alpha" is not selectable. How to get that changed.
17
votes
4answers
52k views
How to create a one pixel pencil brush in Gimp?
I have googled this and found a number of answers and videos which all say that this can be done by setting the brush size slider in the brushes panel or brush editor panel.
I'm either clicking on ...
16
votes
6answers
17k views
Why can't the GIMP align tool select some layers?
When I try to align various layers in GIMP 2.8, sometimes the align tool selects the entire image, not the layer I clicked on.
It doesn't matter how many times I try, and closing/reopening doesn't ...
16
votes
11answers
16k views
Should I (a web designer) stick with gimp, or buy Photoshop?
I am a web designer.
I do not use/own any adobe products... except for watching flash videos online of course.
I currently use gimp 2.6 for my graphic needs. It's free and I know how to use it.
The ...
15
votes
3answers
61k views
GIMP: How to crop a layer?
I have a screenshot where I want only a part of the pasted image, and I want to turn the white that's in it transparent.
First I need to crop the pasted image. I have selected the layer and a ...
15
votes
2answers
19k views
How to copy a layer group to another image in GIMP?
In GIMP I have 2 images with exact same size and properties but different layers. Now I have a relatively large layer group, which I would like to copy to the other image. As usual I copy and paste it....
15
votes
1answer
36k views
Why is the Gimp selection pane not going away?
I needed to move something so I copied it and pasted it to its new location and now where I have pasted it there is a selection pane that will not go away.
I've tried to move the pane and tried the "...
15
votes
4answers
65k views
Cleaning up line art with choppy edges
So, a while back I created this icon from a game, but looking back on it behind a white background instead of an alpha-channel its edges are super choppy in some places while it's smooth in others, ...
15
votes
2answers
24k views
Can I change the default Gimp transparent background to white?
I'm using Gimp 2. The default grid-style transparent background makes it incredibly difficult to get a sense of what the image will actually look like, when I finally display it over a background. Is ...
14
votes
2answers
16k views
Erase a single pixel in GIMP
I am trying to illustrate in GIMP 2.8 with pixel-perfect precision. The pencil tool allows me to fill in a single pixel without any fuzzy edges or anti-aliasing. However, the eraser tool operates more ...
14
votes
2answers
11k views
Can you draw a constrained straight line with GIMP's paths tool?
In GIMP, you can (in various modes) draw a constrained straight line which will "snap" the line you're drawing to the nearest 15 degree angle, making it easy to draw lines in a precise direction. For ...
13
votes
5answers
106k views
Replace black background with a transparent background
How can I add transparent background on this image instead of black background, but I also would like to keep the partial transparency effect on some of the particles and particles borders.
Could you ...
13
votes
3answers
50k views
How to make an animated gif with a transparent background without overlap?
When I try to make a gif with two frames both of which have a transparent background in GIMP, what happens is that the first frame looks OK, then the second frame appears on top of it, such that you ...
13
votes
1answer
45k views
How to resize canvas and background layer in GIMP?
I want to reduce the canvas size (and the background layer) from 500×500px to 16×16px. How to resize the canvas in GIMP?
13
votes
2answers
18k views
How can I map the colors in a greyscale image to a specific color gradient?
I’m attempting to add color to some greyscale icons (i.e. all three channels are identical). I want to map the colors such that the brightest grey becomes one specific color, the darkest grey becomes ...
13
votes
1answer
9k views
How do you set the default text size in Gimp 2.8 for Mac OSX Mountain Lion?
I am using Gimp 2.8 for Mac OS X, and I would like to change the default text size from 18 pt to 36 pt, so that I don't have to highlight the text and manually change every time I create a new text ...
12
votes
2answers
24k views
Make a selection of image transparent in GIMP [closed]
I have a picture and I want to have one specific rectangle of this picture appear 50% opaque. The rest remains as it was. How do I do this in GIMP?
12
votes
4answers
63k views
How do you cut out the centre of an image, bringing the edges closer together?
I need to cut a large number of columns out of a PNG image. The area I want to remove is in the centre of the image; I therefore want the left and right edges to be closer together after the cut.
I ...
12
votes
4answers
19k views
GIMP - How do I change UI DPI?
This is a problem I have been having recently. My screen size has a pretty high pixel density and, as a result, all of GIMP's icons are criminally small and very difficult to look at.
I've tried ...
12
votes
1answer
15k views
How to quickly set GIMP selection aspect ratio to that of the image?
If I don't know the aspect ratio of an image, what is the most efficient method to set the selection aspect ratio to that of the image? The fastest I've found (not fast at all) is to look at the ...
12
votes
2answers
21k views
How to apply anti-aliasing to a layer with a transparent background?
I have one layer with some black pixels in the middle and a transparent background.
If I add an opaque white background under it, merge both, and then click "Antialias" from the "Filters" menu, it ...
11
votes
5answers
35k views
Annoying GIMP issue (fill bucket with a circle-slash icon on the cursor)
I am trying to bucket fill a layer, but I get this crazy cursor I cant get rid of. I think its because I have something selected. I tired Select All, Select None, but the cursor does not change.
I ...
11
votes
2answers
15k views
Hard edges on bucket fill tool in Gimp
I am trying to fill a selected region using the bucket tool in Gimp. I want everything to have hard edges, no gradual shading unless I do it myself. However, when I fill the region I end up getting ...
11
votes
1answer
5k views
In GIMP, how do I use an image as a color reference to colorize a black-and-white photo?
Let's say I have created a layer on a black-and-white image with a layer mask to colorize some parts (for example skin). I am able to change this with Colorize and change to any color.
But how do I ...
11
votes
1answer
4k views
Can I predefine brushes with color and size in Gimp?
I sometimes find myself using Gimp the way I would use paper. For example, I want to use blue ink size 1.4, anthracite 2-px pencil and size 20 eraser, to recreate the look of a school notebook. I don'...
