Gimp

lastmod 2025-08-09created 2014-02-1559 edits

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is free software used for editing images. Spencer Kimball and Peter Mattis began making it in 1995, and it is now developed by a number of volunteers. It is licensed under the GNU GPL.

Categories

• Gimp:Colors: Description of the GIMP Colors (Color) menu.
• Gimp:Filters: List of GIMP filters (Filter).
• Gimp:AirBrush: Description of the GIMP airbrush (Air brush).
• Gimp:Plugin

Example

• Create a Metal Effect
• Sharpen Selection - Removes the Anti-aliasing effect on the selection
• Bump Map
• Engrave

Shortcuts

• Shift+Ctrl+V Paste the clipboard contents into a new tab.
• Shift+Ctrl+E Export As ...

How to stretch an image

For work similar to 9patch, which is mainly used on Android. To stretch an image to the left or right (when stretched, the image's color information must not have anything like a Dithering effect), use the Scale tool (Shift + T) and then apply the options below.

• Direction: Normal (Forward)
• Interpolation: None
• Clipping: Adjust

Adding an alpha channel attribute to a layer

• In GIMP, how do I make part of image transparent manually?

In GIMP layers can either have an alpha channel or have no alpha channel. When you try erasing parts of an image when there's no alpha channel you get backround color. To add an alpha channel you can bring up the Layers dialog by pressing Ctrl+L, right-click on the layer you want to edit and select Add Alpha Channel there.

Removing the antialiasing (Antialiasing) effect when painting with the brush tool

The default mode is set to "Screen". Change it to "Normal".

Drawing a rectangle outline

• GIMP Draw Rectangle

Select the Rectangle Select Tool, specify an area, and then choose Edit > Stroke Selection ....

Grid

• Grids and Guides
• 5.17. Show Grid
• 6.33. Configure Grid…

Grids and guides. Needed for pixel art.

• Show - View → Show Grid
• Snap - Snap → Snap Grid
• Adjust spacing - Image → Configure Grid…

Removing the Anti-aliasing effect from the eraser (Erase) tool

When you erase an image with the eraser tool as in the following image, the edges end up only half erased.

Turning on the Hard edge option in the eraser options erases cleanly.

Adding a shadow effect

When you want to add a shadow to an original image like the following,

select Filters > Light and Shadow > Drop shadow from the menu.

After changing a few options, a shadow is added as follows.

Selected area turns into the background color when pressing the Delete button

• Making the background of an image transparent in Gimp

If you want the action to turn the area transparent, check whether the channels contain only RGB.

There is no alpha channel, so you need to add one. Click Layout -> Transparency -> Add Alpha Channel in the menu to add it.

GNOME Desktop Icon

It is located at /usr/share/applications/gimp.desktop.

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Name=GNU Image Manipulation Program
GenericName=Image Editor
Comment=Create images and edit photographs
# Translators: Search terms to find this application. Do NOT translate or localize the semicolons! The list MUST also end with a semicolon!
Keywords=GIMP;graphic;design;illustration;painting;
Exec=gimp-2.10 %U
TryExec=gimp-2.10
Icon=gimp
Terminal=false
Categories=Graphics;2DGraphics;RasterGraphics;GTK;
StartupNotify=true
MimeType=image/bmp;image/g3fax;image/gif;image/x-fits;image/x-pcx;image/x-portable-anymap;image/x-portable-bitmap;image/x-portable-graymap;image/x-portable-pixmap;image/x-psd;image/x-sgi;image/x-tga;image/x-xbitmap;image/x-xwindowdump;image/x-xcf;image/x-compressed-xcf;image/x-gimp-gbr;image/x-gimp-pat;image/x-gimp-gih;image/tiff;image/jpeg;image/x-psp;application/postscript;image/png;image/x-icon;image/x-xpixmap;image/x-exr;image/x-webp;image/heif;image/heic;image/svg+xml;application/pdf;image/x-wmf;image/jp2;image/x-xcursor;
X-Ubuntu-Gettext-Domain=gimp20

Raster Graphics Editor Projects

• Raster graphics editor (Image editor)
• Gimp
• Photoshop
• Paintbrush (OSX)
• mspaint (Windows)
• Krita
• Tux Paint
• Filmulator
• aseprite
• Cascade - GPU-accelerated node-based image editor
• Gimel Studio - Node-based open-source 2D image editor
• Piskel - Web-based
• xpano - Image Stitching Editor
• Filter - Web-based image editor
• Wigglypaint

Troubleshooting

When the ToolBox is not visible on screen

Uncheck the Windows > Hide Docks checkbox.

When none of the tool windows are visible on screen

Go to Edit > Preferences and press the "Reset" button at the bottom.

How to ungroup tools when the tools in the ToolBox are grouped

In the settings screen (Edit > Preference), select Interface > Toolbox and uncheck the Use tool groups checkbox.

Removing the Antialiasing effect on the Delete button

• pixel - Hard edges on bucket fill tool in Gimp - Graphic Design Stack Exchange
• Bucket fill - fill whole selection also affects pixels outside of selection

As in the image above, the Antialiasing effect is applied when you press the Delete button after using the ellipse select tool (Ellipse Select).

If you want to remove this effect, turn off the Antialiasing option before selecting the image.

Likewise, when filling ("Bucket Fill"), the selection area can be the problem in the same way.

See also

• Wigglypaint
• Inkscape (open-source version of Illustrator)
• RapidRAW - GPU-accelerated, non-destructive RAW image editor

Free software alternatives

• Photoshop -> GIMP
• Illustrator -> Inkscape
• After Effects -> Nitron
• Premiere Pro -> DaVinci Recolve
• Adobe XD -> Figma
• Adobe Lightroom -> PhotoDirector

Favorite site

• GIMP webpage
• Wikipedia (en) description of GIMP
• Guide to GIMP plugins and scripts
• [Recommended] Gimp Tutorial - javatpoint

GIMP DOC

• GIMP Korean user manual ¹
• 6.3. Color Picker
• Grids and Guides (grids and guides)

Other reference doc

• GIMP tutorial: drawing basic shapes
• Adding brushes (brush) to GIMP

GIMP Resources

• [Recommended] GIMP Brushes

Tutorials

• Pixel Art - Pinnguaq - Pixel art with GIMP

References