Post by Jin Oh on Jul 27, 2008 14:14:12 GMT -5
Introduction
I have looked for some full guides for GIMP, but basicly it's only for mastering photo-editing, which actually makes me pretty "mad". When starting out GIMP'ing it may be hard to learn all the features: blending, blurring, rendering ect.. You should ignore the language of the images, ther will be a description in english of what to do!
This tutorial should cover the most used features... You will make your first signature, learn to scale images, open as layers, blur, blend ect.
Enjoy!
Requirements
You will need this, when you are travelling thoughout this tutorial. All of the following listed items are totally free, since GIMP is also a free program:
The Newest GIMP
During the tutorial I'll be using GIMP 2.4 - which, in writing time, are the newest GIMP version.
Internet Connection
You will need this to download renders, fonts ect. Is a good idea to have, recommended, but absolutly not necessary.
GIMP Compatible Computer
Before downloading GIMP, be sure to have a computersystem, which can run GIMP properly.
Step One - the basics
This is the first step of the tutorial, covering the basics of GIMP, which you will need when designing. To create a new image, use this menu-combination:
Files>Create New Image or simply: press CTRL+N as shown on the image.
When you have done this, a new dialog will pop up. Her you'll be able to choose the width and height of the image. (recommended working in pixels) There will also be a button saying: Advanced Settings, and it will open up some more settings. Her you'll be able to choose the background colour fx. transparent, comments, x- and y-resolution ect.
My setting is as shown, ignore the language. In english, the only thing that I've changed is: the height and width of the new image. Choose 200px as your height and 500px as your width.
That will open a new window with your blank image. It will look like this:
Congratulations. You have created your first image. Now comes the hard part: the image looks pretty empty. Let's fill it out with something.
Step 2 - creating a signature and how to blend
First we need a render, a cut-out thing downloaded online or cut out yourself. Since cutting out is more advanced, it'll first be described in later parts. You could download renders opening Google or DeviantART and searching for Renders. Else, do like I does pretty often: open PlanetRenders.net
Since it's not a tutorial for Planet Renders, I'll move on quickly:
- Create a new account
- Activate it by your email
- Open Planet Renders
- Search for the render you want to be used
- Click on the resized render w. a black background.
- If you're logged in, the render will open up in full size cutted out.
- Rightclick the render, and choose 'Save As...'
- Save it in a folder you like
Part A. Then open your new image, select Files>Open Image as Layer or press 'CTRL+ALT+O' and choose the image in the folder, where you saved the render.
Open Image As Layer
i31.tinypic.com/rcjasz.jpg
Open the folder, where the render is saved
i29.tinypic.com/2hn1h6d.jpg
Open the saved render, by double-clicking it
i31.tinypic.com/e6qgep.jpg
Now, when your render is opened, it may be too big for the image. Click on 'Layer>Scale Image' and choose a width and height, you mean would fit to the image.
Now the image should look like this:
Part B. Time to create a background. This can be hard to do, but I hope you'll learn out from it.
1. Duplicate the render opening the layer dialog by using this commando: Windows>Layers or pressing 'CTRL+L'
2. Do the above about 5-10 times, depending hpw big your render is.
3. Move them around so they fill out most of the image. Use the commando: Image>Flatten Image
4. Now it's time to do the actíon 'blurring'. This is done by clicking: Filters>'The First Choice'>Gaussian Blur
Use these settings:
5. Open up your render again, repeating Part A.
6. Now then, open the layers dialog (CTRL+L) and then Filters>'The First Choice'>Pixelize..
7. Now your image should look like this.
´
So far, you've learned how to open images, blur them, pixelize them, making backgrounds, creating images and downloading renders. See, the steps you've done above, are very basic. Now we move on to something, that'll be harder, but gives nicer effects: Blending and Motion Blurring
Blending
Of course, the image look flat, and just like to images put together on each other. That doesn't look very nice, so here is the method to make the sig look nice and clean.
Take the lasso tool, and select very close to your render
Now go to 'Select>Feather' and enter a value. The higher, the more blended. I used 50 for my image.
Now, invert your selection (Ctrl-I) or go to Select>Invert. Click the Delete Key for GIMP 2.4 users & Ctrl-K (Clear) for users of GIMP 2.2 and below to blend more and more.
Congratulations, you have now blended the render.
Motion Blur
Now, to make some realistic movements in the image - so it doesn't look flat or boring you should use the deature: Motion Blur. This is reached by Filters>'The First Choice'>Motion Blur
But first, open you render again, repeating Part A.
Place it just above the blended render. Now open the Layer Dialog and move the new render below the old.
Then Motion Blur it - You can choose different settings, after your taste.
This should be your sig so far:
Not yet finished. You need learning about:
Texting
We need text, to kinda personalize your sig.
You could do this by downloading fonts' but to make it easier I'll use a preinstalled font.
1. Choose a colour-chooser, by pressing 'O'
2. Go to the layer dialog and choose the layer you wants to fetch a colour from. Open your image again and click somewhere with the colour you want.
3. Go to the GIMP Stack.
4. Select the Text Tool.
5. Go to the background image via the Layer Dialog
6. Click somewhere, where you want your text.
7. Type your text
I've used some ugly colours and I'ld be happy if you could make it better. Please feel free to register and post your results
Also, the text can also be blended excactly the same way the render got blended.
Borders
A sig is never fulfilled without a border:
Select all clicking 'CTRL+A' and then go to 'Select>Resize' (May be named something else, so the image should be able to show you.)
The usual border is 1px but to make it more visible to you, I'll make it 3px. Be sure that the checkbox is checked.
Now invert, 'CTRL+I', and choose a new colour in the GIMP Stack.
Then choose the Paint Bucket in the stack and make a new layer in the Layer dialog. Choose it.
Now zoom in to 800% and go down to the bottom of the image.
Click on the selected area, the frame-like thing. Now, you should have a border.
The signature should look like this:
I know, and I have said, the text font and colour is very bad.
Now and important thing. How do your save your image. Simply. Press 'CTRL+S' or Files>Save As.... Then a dialog looking like the Open New Image will apear. Choose a folder to save and the type a name for the image. Remember a file extension at the last.
i27.tinypic.com/28svjhw.jpg
What You've Learned So Far
You've learned how to open images, blur them, pixelize them, making backgrounds, creating images and downloading renders. You've also learnt how to make text, getting colours from an existing image, typing text (hard xD), blending and motion blurring; and some of the basic basics like saving an image. Remember, you can save an image as a .pdf file, but GIMP's project save file (saves the layers also) is .xcf
I have looked for some full guides for GIMP, but basicly it's only for mastering photo-editing, which actually makes me pretty "mad". When starting out GIMP'ing it may be hard to learn all the features: blending, blurring, rendering ect.. You should ignore the language of the images, ther will be a description in english of what to do!
This tutorial should cover the most used features... You will make your first signature, learn to scale images, open as layers, blur, blend ect.
Enjoy!
Requirements
You will need this, when you are travelling thoughout this tutorial. All of the following listed items are totally free, since GIMP is also a free program:
The Newest GIMP
During the tutorial I'll be using GIMP 2.4 - which, in writing time, are the newest GIMP version.
Internet Connection
You will need this to download renders, fonts ect. Is a good idea to have, recommended, but absolutly not necessary.
GIMP Compatible Computer
Before downloading GIMP, be sure to have a computersystem, which can run GIMP properly.
Step One - the basics
This is the first step of the tutorial, covering the basics of GIMP, which you will need when designing. To create a new image, use this menu-combination:
Files>Create New Image or simply: press CTRL+N as shown on the image.
When you have done this, a new dialog will pop up. Her you'll be able to choose the width and height of the image. (recommended working in pixels) There will also be a button saying: Advanced Settings, and it will open up some more settings. Her you'll be able to choose the background colour fx. transparent, comments, x- and y-resolution ect.
My setting is as shown, ignore the language. In english, the only thing that I've changed is: the height and width of the new image. Choose 200px as your height and 500px as your width.
That will open a new window with your blank image. It will look like this:
Congratulations. You have created your first image. Now comes the hard part: the image looks pretty empty. Let's fill it out with something.
Step 2 - creating a signature and how to blend
First we need a render, a cut-out thing downloaded online or cut out yourself. Since cutting out is more advanced, it'll first be described in later parts. You could download renders opening Google or DeviantART and searching for Renders. Else, do like I does pretty often: open PlanetRenders.net
Since it's not a tutorial for Planet Renders, I'll move on quickly:
- Create a new account
- Activate it by your email
- Open Planet Renders
- Search for the render you want to be used
- Click on the resized render w. a black background.
- If you're logged in, the render will open up in full size cutted out.
- Rightclick the render, and choose 'Save As...'
- Save it in a folder you like
Part A. Then open your new image, select Files>Open Image as Layer or press 'CTRL+ALT+O' and choose the image in the folder, where you saved the render.
Open Image As Layer
i31.tinypic.com/rcjasz.jpg
Open the folder, where the render is saved
i29.tinypic.com/2hn1h6d.jpg
Open the saved render, by double-clicking it
i31.tinypic.com/e6qgep.jpg
Now, when your render is opened, it may be too big for the image. Click on 'Layer>Scale Image' and choose a width and height, you mean would fit to the image.
Now the image should look like this:
Part B. Time to create a background. This can be hard to do, but I hope you'll learn out from it.
1. Duplicate the render opening the layer dialog by using this commando: Windows>Layers or pressing 'CTRL+L'
2. Do the above about 5-10 times, depending hpw big your render is.
3. Move them around so they fill out most of the image. Use the commando: Image>Flatten Image
4. Now it's time to do the actíon 'blurring'. This is done by clicking: Filters>'The First Choice'>Gaussian Blur
Use these settings:
5. Open up your render again, repeating Part A.
6. Now then, open the layers dialog (CTRL+L) and then Filters>'The First Choice'>Pixelize..
7. Now your image should look like this.
´So far, you've learned how to open images, blur them, pixelize them, making backgrounds, creating images and downloading renders. See, the steps you've done above, are very basic. Now we move on to something, that'll be harder, but gives nicer effects: Blending and Motion Blurring
Blending
Of course, the image look flat, and just like to images put together on each other. That doesn't look very nice, so here is the method to make the sig look nice and clean.
Take the lasso tool, and select very close to your render
Now go to 'Select>Feather' and enter a value. The higher, the more blended. I used 50 for my image.
Now, invert your selection (Ctrl-I) or go to Select>Invert. Click the Delete Key for GIMP 2.4 users & Ctrl-K (Clear) for users of GIMP 2.2 and below to blend more and more.
Congratulations, you have now blended the render.
Motion Blur
Now, to make some realistic movements in the image - so it doesn't look flat or boring you should use the deature: Motion Blur. This is reached by Filters>'The First Choice'>Motion Blur
But first, open you render again, repeating Part A.
Place it just above the blended render. Now open the Layer Dialog and move the new render below the old.
Then Motion Blur it - You can choose different settings, after your taste.
This should be your sig so far:
Not yet finished. You need learning about:
Texting
We need text, to kinda personalize your sig.
You could do this by downloading fonts' but to make it easier I'll use a preinstalled font.
1. Choose a colour-chooser, by pressing 'O'
2. Go to the layer dialog and choose the layer you wants to fetch a colour from. Open your image again and click somewhere with the colour you want.
3. Go to the GIMP Stack.
4. Select the Text Tool.
5. Go to the background image via the Layer Dialog
6. Click somewhere, where you want your text.
7. Type your text
I've used some ugly colours and I'ld be happy if you could make it better. Please feel free to register and post your results
Also, the text can also be blended excactly the same way the render got blended.
Borders
A sig is never fulfilled without a border:
Select all clicking 'CTRL+A' and then go to 'Select>Resize' (May be named something else, so the image should be able to show you.)
The usual border is 1px but to make it more visible to you, I'll make it 3px. Be sure that the checkbox is checked.
Now invert, 'CTRL+I', and choose a new colour in the GIMP Stack.
Then choose the Paint Bucket in the stack and make a new layer in the Layer dialog. Choose it.
Now zoom in to 800% and go down to the bottom of the image.
Click on the selected area, the frame-like thing. Now, you should have a border.
The signature should look like this:
I know, and I have said, the text font and colour is very bad.
Now and important thing. How do your save your image. Simply. Press 'CTRL+S' or Files>Save As.... Then a dialog looking like the Open New Image will apear. Choose a folder to save and the type a name for the image. Remember a file extension at the last.
i27.tinypic.com/28svjhw.jpg
What You've Learned So Far
You've learned how to open images, blur them, pixelize them, making backgrounds, creating images and downloading renders. You've also learnt how to make text, getting colours from an existing image, typing text (hard xD), blending and motion blurring; and some of the basic basics like saving an image. Remember, you can save an image as a .pdf file, but GIMP's project save file (saves the layers also) is .xcf