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Introduction To GIMP
Introduction To GIMP
Introduction To GIMP
Penang Matriculation College
2009/2010 Session
1. Introduction to GIMP
1.1 What is GIMP?
• GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program
• GIMP is an impressively powerful and freely‐distributable Adobe Photoshop‐alternative open‐
source application for digital image composition, authoring, retouching and processing.
• By using GIMP, you can resize, sharpen and remove blemishes in photographs, create logos,
collages and apply artistic affects.
• You can crop, rotate and create an animation. And you can do a lot more
1.2 Features and Capabilities
The following list is a short overview of some of the features and capabilities which GIMP offers you:
• A full suite of painting tools including brushes, a pencil, an airbrush, cloning, etc.
• Tile‐based memory management, so image size is limited only by available disk space
• Sub‐pixel sampling for all paint tools for high‐quality anti‐aliasing
• Full Alpha channel support for working with transparency
• Layers and channels
• A procedural database for calling internal GIMP functions from external programs, such as
Script‐Fu
• Advanced scripting capabilities
• Multiple undo/redo (limited only by disk space)
• Transformation tools including rotate, scale, shear and flip
• Support for a wide range of file formats, including GIF, JPEG, PNG, XPM, TIFF, TGA, MPEG, PS,
PDF, PCX, BMP and many others
• Selection tools, including rectangle, ellipse, free, fuzzy, bezier and intelligent scissors
• Plug‐ins that allow for the easy addition of new file formats and new effect filters.
• The only format capable of saving all of the information in an image, including layers,
transparency, etc., is GIMP's native XCF format.
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Inforrmation Tech
hnology Unitt
Penang Matriculaation Collegee
2009/22010 Session
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1.3 The GIMP In nterface
The screenshot above shhows the mo
ost basic arraangement off GIMP windo
ows that can
n be used
effectively.
1. The Main To oolbox: Conttains a set off icon button
ns used to select tools. MMay also conttain the
foreground and backgro ound colors; brush, pattern, and Grad dient; and an
n icon of the active
image. Use EEdit → Prefeerences → To oolbox to enaable, or disable the extraa items.
2. Tool optionss: Docked beelow the maiin Toolbox is a Tool Optio ons dialog, showing optioons for the
currently selected tool (in this case, the Smudge tool).
3. An image w window: Each h image open displayed in a separate w
n in GIMP is d window. Man ny images
can be open n at the samee time, limiteed by only th
he system ressources. Before you can do anything
useful in GIM
MP, you need d to have at least one immage window w open. The image windo ow holds the
Menu of thee main comm mands of GIM MP (File, Edit, Select...), w
which you can also get byy right‐
clicking on the window.
4. The Layers, Channels, Pa aths dock with the Layerrs Dialog opeen; note thatt the “dialogss” in the
“dock” are tabs. This diaalog window shows the laayer structurre of the currently activee image, and
be manipulated in a varieety of ways. It is possiblee to do a few
allows it to b w very basic things
without usin ng the Layerss dialog, but even moderrately sophissticated GIMP users find it
indispensable to have th he Layers diaalog availablee at all timess.
5. Brushes/Pattterns/Gradiients: The doocked dialogg below the laayer dialog sshows the dialogs (tabs)
for managing brushes, p patterns and gradients.
For more informatio
on please visiit http://ww
ww.gimp.org//
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