Gimp: The 5 best beginner tips
Gimp is an effective image editing program, but often a bit confusing for beginners. We show you the best tips for getting started in Gimp.
Tip 1: Use image layers in Gimp
- Similar to Photoshop, you can work with different layers in Gimp. To display the Layers menu, click on "Dockable dialogs" under "Window" and select "Layers".
- Right-click to duplicate, merge and edit the layers. You can hide and show individual layers using the eye symbol.
Tip 2: insert text into images
- To insert text into an image with Gimp, select the "Text" item under "Tools".
- With one click you can position the text anywhere in the image. You can change the font as well as the size and color of the text.
Tip 3: Reduce photos with Gimp
- With Gimp, you can resize images relatively easily. To do this, open the corresponding file in the program and click on "Image" in the menu bar.
- Then select "Scale image". You can specify the desired size in pixels, centimeters or percent, among other things.
Tip 4: Optimize the colors of your pictures
- With photos and other pictures you can optimize the colors with Gimp. To do this, click on "Colors" under "Tools".
- Here you can adjust hue, saturation and contrast, among other things. You can also change the brightness here according to your wishes.
Tip 5: Export pictures with Gimp
- By default, Gimp saves your projects in XCF format. You can do little with this, however, if you want to send or upload an image.
- Therefore, to save a finished image on your hard drive, select the "Export as" option under "File". You can either enter the file type manually or select it in the selection menu at the bottom of the window.
Now that you are more familiar with Gimp, we will show you in the next practical tip how you can smooth edges with Gimp.