Cutting out in GIMP Navigation click to go to a section Before you start Cutting out an element Using several elements Using backgrounds with cut out elements Adjusting the colour of elements Creating a shadow
Before you start to the top 1. To set up your work area, after opening GIMP go to WINDOWS at the top and make sure SINGLE WINDOW MODE is ticked. 2. On the left you should have a TOOLBOX and on the right a DOCK. If the DOCK is missing hover near the edge and drag to the left to reveal it. 3. Close any open tabs on the right by left clicking the button indicated below and then choosing CLOSE TAB. 4. From WINDOWS > DOCKABLE DIALOGS open LAYERS and TOOL OPTIONS. These will probably appear on the right.
5. Now drag each tab on the right to the DOCK on the left.
6. After moving both close the right hand side DOCK by dragging the edge to the right. This will give you the maximum working area. 7. This guide assumes you have things arranged as above. Once you re confident feel free to organise your workspace as you want it.
Cutting out an element to the top 1. Open your image in GIMP and then from the LAYERS tab in the bottom left RIGHT-CLICK and click on ADD ALPHA CHANNEL. 2. RIGHT-CLICK again on the layer and click on DUPLICATE LAYER. 3. Click on the top layer to make sure it is active and then use COLORS > BRIGHTNESS-CONTRAST 4. Use your judgement but you re aiming to increase CONTRAST in order to make the edges more distinct. Don t worry about the effect on the image; you will delete this layer later.
5. Using the SCISSORS tool, set the options in the bottom left (from the TOOL OPTIONS tab) to FEATHER EDGES, setting the value to 2px. 6. Now click on the edge of the element to be cut out. Continue clicking around the edge and GIMP will work out where the edge should be. If it doesn t look right you can move the last point you clicked so that it is closer to the previous point. 7. Once you ve gone around the item click inside the element to create a selection.
8. Drag the top layer the one on which you increased the contrast to the bin at the bottom of the LAYERS tab. 9. You have the element selected so do SELECT > INVERT from the top. 10. Increase the selection by doing SELECT > GROW and chosing 1px or 2px. This will make it more likely that the background is completely removed.
11. Press DEL on the keyboard to delete the background. You should be left with the element on a checkerboard background (to indicate it is transparent). 12. Crop to size and then FILE > EXPORT to save as a PNG file for use in other programs, for example Publisher. 13. Use FILE > SAVE to save a XCF version. You cannot use this elsewhere but you can reopen it in GIMP to work on the layers.
Using several elements to the top 1. After following the steps above you can create multiple versions of the same element. Right click on the layer from the LAYER tab in the bottom left and click DUPLICATE LAYER. 2. Use the MOVE TOOL to reposition the element. 3. The SCALE TOOL allows you to make an element larger or smaller. When using this tool the centre of the layer can also be used to reposition the element. 4. When using the SCALE TOOL you can either use the resizer handles that appear when you click on the element or use the DIALOG box. 5. On the SCALE dialog box click the link icon to preserve the proportions of the element. This will prevent it looking stretched. 6. Set a new width and the height will automatically adjust when you click the SCALE button.
7. The ROTATE TOOL will allow you to rotate the element. 8. Duplicate the layer again (and again and again, if you like) and reposition. 9. Use FILE > EXPORT and save as a PNG file to use the image elsewhere. 10. Use FILE > SAVE to save a XCF version. You cannot use this elsewhere but you can reopen it in GIMP to work on the layers.
Using backgrounds with cut out elements to the top 1. Cut out your element following the steps above. 2. Open the image you want to use as a background. You will see tabs appear underneath the top menu so you can switch between open files. 3. Copy the layer with your cut out element on it by making the layer active and then using EDIT > COPY. 4. Use the tab at the top to switch to the background image. 5. Use EDIT > PASTE. In the LAYERS tab in the bottom left you now have a floating selection. If you have a low resolution background your cut out element will be huge; if your background image is high resolution your cut out element will appear to be tiny. 6. Right click on the floating selection in the LAYERS tab and click TO NEW LAYER.
7. The floating selection has now become a standard layer. 8. To move or resize the cut out element see using several elements above.
Adjusting the colour of elements to the top 1. After cutting out your element and then duplicating it you can adjust each element. 2. Each of the examples below only affects the active layer. 3. From the menu at the top use COLORS > BRIGHTNESS-CONTRAST. 4. From the menu at the top use COLORS > ADJUST COLOR BALANCE 5. From the menu at the top use COLORS > ADJUST HUE-SATURATION
Creating a shadow to the top 1. Follow the steps above to create a cut out element. 2. Click on the SELECT BY COLOR TOOL and then click on the checkerboard background of the layer containing your element. This selects the transparent background. 3. Use SELECT > INVERT to make a selection that is the same shape as the element you want to put a shadow behind. 4. Feather by 100px. The higher the number the softer the edge of the shadow will be. 5. Make a new layer so that you can create a shadow. Click on the new layer in the bottom left corner of the LAYERS tab. 6. Click on the foreground colour to choose a new colour for the shadow.
7. Making sure that the empty layer is active in the LAYERS tab in the bottom left use the BUCKET FILL TOOL and click on the selection shape. 8. Reposition the shadow using the MOVE TOOL. 9. Drag the shadow layer beneath the main element layer in the LAYERS tab. 10. The white layer has been added to demonstrate the shadow effect. Delete it before doing FILE > EXPORT and saving as a PNG for use elsewhere.