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GIMP vs Photoshop: Which Should You Use in 2021?

24 Dec

The post GIMP vs Photoshop: Which Should You Use in 2021? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Which is the better post-processing program, GIMP vs Photoshop?

That’s what this article is all about. I’m going to take you through the pros and cons of each program – so by the time you’ve finished, you’ll know which option is right for you.

So, if you’re ready to determine the best editing software for your needs…

…then keep on reading!

GIMP vs Photoshop: Overview

Photoshop is proprietary software that is available via paid subscription, whereas GIMP is a free, open-source program.

In the old days, before 2013 when Adobe changed to its subscription model, price was enough to decide between Photoshop vs GIMP.

You could choose Gimp for free, Photoshop CS6 for $ 699, or Photoshop CS6 Extended for $ 999. For most photographers, GIMP would inevitably win out.

Nowadays, you can have Adobe Photoshop starting at $ 9.99 USD per month. That’s a very reasonable price, even for a hobbyist.

Of course, GIMP is still free, so don’t automatically pay for Photoshop without thinking.

Instead, I recommend you take a careful look at the key differences between these two programs:

GIMP pros

Portability
Light download
Faster processing
Customizable
Free

Photoshop pros

Mobile
More tools
Handles more color profiles
Supports RAW and other file formats
Non-destructive editing
Good value for the money

Mobility and portability

If you only have one computer and do all your photo editing there, this isn’t an issue for you. However, most photographers don’t edit that way.

You see, here’s one of the most important differences between GIMP and Photoshop:

GIMP is more portable, while Photoshop is mobile.

GIMP doesn’t have a mobile version, which puts it at a huge disadvantage in today’s world where every smartphone has a camera.

Of course, you can still edit your photos on your phone for free. There are many options out there (including Photoshop, as I’ll explain in a moment). However, you can’t do mobile editing with GIMP.

What GIMP does have is portability. If you need to work on multiple computers, GIMP can be downloaded as many times as you want. You can even install GIMP on a USB drive so you can use it on any computer without having to download it.

This is an excellent choice if you want to edit your photos in a university library or in the business lounge at your hotel or airport, for example.

Photoshop, on the other hand, can only be installed on two computers. Also, the program needs to be fully installed, so you can’t place it on external hard drives.

However, Photoshop does have a mobile version: any paid Photoshop subscription comes with Photoshop for the iPad.

Plus, Photoshop for smartphones has three free versions (though you’ll need a free Adobe account to use them).

In summary:

Photoshop wins if you need to edit on the go. GIMP wins if you need to use it on many computers, including public ones.

Size and speed

GIMP is a very light program (after all, you can install and use GIMP from a portable USB drive!).

Photoshop, on the other hand, occupies quite a lot of space on your hard drive. It also uses a lot of RAM. So if your computer has limited processing capacity, Photoshop won’t be your friend.

There are some ways to optimize your computer for Photoshop use, but all in all, Photoshop will always be more resource-intensive than GIMP.

For Photoshop, you need 4 GB of available hard disk space (and additional space is required for installation).

GIMP requires 200 MB for the official install. This can grow depending on how you enhance GIMP over time.

As far as memory goes, Adobe recommends a minimum of 8 GB and preferably 16 GB of RAM. I’ve used Photoshop with 4 GB of RAM, and it works – but it’s choppy. GIMP, however, only needs about 20 MB of memory.

Note that the memory required by both GIMP and Photoshop can significantly increase depending on the images you’re working on, so that’s always something to bear in mind.

Ultimately, thanks to its size and processing requirements, I have to give the win to GIMP.

System and tools

I mentioned at the beginning that GIMP is open source while Photoshop is proprietary software.

This means you can modify GIMP as much as you want, from adding tools to directly changing the source code.

Modifying a program is great, but if you don’t know the tech behind GIMP, you probably won’t be able to take advantage of the open-source design. Even installing GIMP plug-ins can be difficult, and without these enhancements, you’ll be left with a program that is too bare to be appealing.

On the other hand, if you can get the hang of it, this flexibility can be hugely helpful. Plus, there is a big community behind GIMP, and many members are constantly creating interesting program additions. That way, you don’t have to wait for the GIMP team to release the next update; you can use community members’ programming to enhance your own GIMP software.

Photoshop is delivered as a finished product. You can’t make many changes, but it also doesn’t require much in the way of enhancements. You can set up your own workspace and add plugins, but that’s about it. On the upside, you get continuous updates included as part of your Adobe subscription – and in every update, you get high-quality improvements and innovations, thanks to a huge team that has maintained Photoshop’s status as the industry standard for many decades.

Photoshop also gives you the tools to create graphics and 3D designs, which is a very big plus if you have use for it.

Otherwise, these features will take up a lot of space in your system, but you don’t have the option to remove them and keep only what you need.

When it comes to tools, I find it difficult to declare an overall winner. Photoshop is a more robust program, but GIMP is more flexible. I’ll call it a tie, depending on your needs and skills.

File formats and color profiles

As you know, digital images are files with information. The file format is the way in which this information is encoded and stored.

Photoshop has its own native format: the PSD, or Photoshop Document. In the same sense, GIMP has native XCF files.

While the PSD is native to Photoshop, it’s very compatible; it can be opened by the Adobe apps, CorelDRAW, and even GIMP.

On the other hand, the XCF file format is not supported by other image editing programs. This makes it difficult to share original XCF files.

As a workaround, you can export the file using one of the common file formats like JPEG or TIFF, but the lack of XCF support does present some problems if you want the file recipient to build on your own edits (assuming they don’t use GIMP).

Also, GIMP doesn’t open RAW files by default. If you want to work with RAW files in GIMP, you have to download and install a plugin called UFRaw, whereas Photoshop has a built-in companion program, Adobe Camera RAW, which handles RAW files with ease.

When it comes to file management, you also have to consider the color profile options.

Gimp can only handle the sRGB color profile, whereas Photoshop has many more options. This is important when you want your images to look their best on the web and for printing.

To recap:

Regarding file formats and color profiles, Photoshop offers more options and is more compatible with other programs – which is why I’d give the win to Photoshop.

Editing and layers

I already covered the tools in a previous section, so you know that, for advanced editing, Photoshop has the edge over GIMP.

Both programs support plugins, actions, and presets. You can find many great options for free. The only difference is that Photoshop has more variety to choose from because it’s more popular overall.

The same rules apply for tutorials:

You’ll find so many more educational materials for the Adobe products compared to GIMP.

Finally, there is one thing Gimp is sorely lacking: non-destructive editing. Photoshop offers both adjustment layers and smart objects, which are extremely important for serious editing and hand Photoshop a definite win.

Cost and value

Last, I want to talk about cost and value.

When you download GIMP, there is no cost or subscription involved in the process. You get a photo editing program for free.

That’s not bad at all, considering that you’re not paying any money or giving out any information that many other “free” programs require.

However, you’ll need to download GIMP enhancements separately.

A Photoshop subscription includes the editing program, plus cloud storage space, a free customizable website on Adobe Portfolio, and access to Adobe Fresco, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark. You can also get Adobe Lightroom if you choose the Photography plan.

And you have access to all the perks that come with the size and experience of Adobe, such as thousands of high-quality, creative brushes designed by Kyle T. Webster, as well as the most innovative tools that a big team of experts can develop.

When it comes to value, I have to declare a Photoshop vs GIMP tie. GIMP is free in every sense of the word, and you get excellent software.

For Photoshop, you do have to pay, but considering the low cost, the high quality, and the number of extras that you get, the program offers great value for the money.

It all comes down to what you need and what you can afford.

GIMP vs Photoshop: Conclusion

In my opinion, Photoshop is worth having if you’re into photography post-production.

That is, of course, if you can afford it. If you can’t do that just yet, then GIMP is a magnificent choice.

I actually have and use both programs. There are some things I find easier to do in one software versus the other. So owning Photoshop and GIMP gives me the best of both worlds!

I hope this GIMP vs Photoshop comparison gave you enough information to decide on the right program for you, based on your needs and budget.

Remember that the most important thing is your passion and your skills, so keep on creating – no matter which program you choose!

To download GIMP, click here, and to purchase Photoshop, click here.

Now over to you:

Which post-processing program do you prefer, GIMP or Photoshop? And why? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post GIMP vs Photoshop: Which Should You Use in 2021? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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Easily Create 2D Illustrations from Photographs Using GIMP

14 Oct

The post Easily Create 2D Illustrations from Photographs Using GIMP appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

From advertising campaigns to cartooning your profile photo, 2D illustrations are used much more than you realize. Creating 2D illustrations can be a lot of fun, but they aren’t necessarily easy to do. Here’s an uncomplicated way to use photography as a template to get great 2D illustration results.

Create 2D illustrations from a photograph

Create 2D illustrations in GIMP

There are tons of programs for visual artists and graphic designers that specialize in digital drawing and 2D illustrations, but have you ever tried to actually create an illustration from scratch?

Graphic design software can be amazing and, for some great professionals, this can be the way to go. But many of us need a starting point to get us going, especially if our talent is in photography and not design.

That’s why I’m going to show you how to use GIMP to create 2D illustrations out of a photograph.

1. Draw the subject

First, choose the photo you want to draw. There are no restrictions here; you can use a portrait, a landscape, still-life, or anything else you want. I do suggest you start with images that are simple and don’t have too many details.

Create 2D illustrations using photographs

Imagine you’re creating an illustration from a photo in real life. You would place some tracing paper on top of your image and then start tracing and coloring on it, right? Well, this is the same thing.

First, create a new transparent layer. You can do this by going to Layer (in the menu) and then choosing New Layer. Make sure you select Fill with Transparency and press OK.

Next, you need to select the outer part of your subject. You can use any selection tool that works best for you; GIMP has many solutions for this.

For example, you can use the Path tool because it gives the most control. Just click every time you want to create an anchor point around your subject. Then move the path handles to adjust the curvature.

Once you’re done outlining your subject, click Selection from Path on the left-side Options panel. This will turn your path into a selection, which is what you want. But note that this is only necessary if you used the Path tool; with any of the other selection tools, you can skip this step.

Now you can use the Bucket tool to color your entire subject. You can use the color picker to select a color that matches the original color from the photo.

Of course, you can also use a color different from the original object. Get as creative as you want.

Finally, click inside the selection to fill it with your chosen color.

2. Color the inside shapes

Now that you have your main shape, you can start adding some shapes on the inside of your subject using different colors.

To do this, disable the top layer by clicking on the eye icon next to it. That way, you can see the original image.

Select the area you want to color. Then come back to the top layer and use the Bucket tool with a new color to fill it.

Repeat this process for all the shapes you want. Keep in mind that 2D illustrations are not as detailed as a realistic 3D model. So keep going only to add enough information to your subject to make it recognizable.

You don’t have to be extremely precise with your selection when you’re working inside a shape. GIMP will automatically stop at the edge. Notice in the next image how my selection is over to the yellow part, but the new color doesn’t spill there; it stops at the edge of the dark brown shape.

3. Add some details

Working on the top layer, turn down the Opacity so that you can see the original image underneath to use as a template for drawing details. Keep in mind that only you will see both versions (the illustrated and the original), so you don’t have to copy everything exactly as it is.

If you want to add details with thin lines and you don’t have a steady hand, you can use the Path tool to trace them. Then choose Stroke Path from the Options Panel. This will draw a line using the current Brush or Pencil settings.

Of course, you can draw the details freehand using the Pencil or the Brush tool, as well.

To add some thicker decorations, you can use the selection tools again to make things faster. In this example, I used the Color Selection tool to select the blues on the original photo. I then painted the flower:

Use the selection tools to paint the details

The specific tools and strategies that you use will depend on the illustration you are creating and your own drawing skills.

4. Fill the background

If you want to draw a background, then add a New Layer in between the original photograph and the first drawing layer.

Choose the color you want, then go to Edit>Fill with FG color. FG stands for “foreground.”

You can leave the background as a solid color or add some decoration by drawing lines and shapes the same way you did for the subject.

Create 2D Illustration with creative backgrounds

Final thoughts

As you can see, by using a photograph as a template it’s really easy to create 2D Illustrations.

When you’re saving your file, remember that GIMP has its own format that will be the default setting when you use the Save or Save As choices. To use a universal file format such as JPEG or TIFF, you need to select Export As.

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial! The next time you want to create 2D Illustrations, let your photography skills help you out.

The post Easily Create 2D Illustrations from Photographs Using GIMP appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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A Non-Techie User Guide to Installing GIMP Plugins

23 Aug

The post A Non-Techie User Guide to Installing GIMP Plugins appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Have you heard all about how GIMP is free and open-source, but you’ve struggled to embrace the program? Well, I was like that at first; that’s why I decided to make this guide on installing GIMP plugins from one non-techie to another.

My first few attempts to use GIMP were quite off-putting, and when I tried to install a plugin I ended up completely frustrated. But now I actually prefer GIMP to Photoshop for certain edits. Hopefully, this article can save you some time and turn you into an avid GIMP user, as well.

What is open-source software?

When a developer builds software, they write lines of text in a specific programming language. This forms the software’s source code.

In commercial software, this code is protected by copyright. You have to pay a license to use such a program, and you can’t change it in any way.

Instead, an open-source program can be used, modified, and distributed by anyone. Also, most of the time it is free. Sounds great, right?

Well, it is. That’s why everybody keeps telling you GIMP is amazing because it’s “open source.” On the other hand, GIMP is not as user-friendly as other programs. So you might need some time to get used to it. Here’s an introductory guide to get you started.

What are plugins?

A plugin is an add-on that gives more functions to a program. It can be a filter, a tool, or a library that isn’t included in the original source code. As a result, the software gets more powerful and gains more capabilities.

Commercial software has plugins, too (Photoshop, for example).

Since we are already talking about expanding the capabilities of software, scripts are another essential add-on to be aware of. You’ve probably heard of Photoshop actions and Lightroom presets, both of which are scripts.

Well, GIMP has scripts to automate processes and save you time and effort. So while you might find GIMP to be somewhat basic at first, once you start adding plugins and scripts you’ll see that it really has a lot to offer.

Where can you find GIMP plugins?

This is where it starts to get more tricky. Because neither GIMP nor the plugins are made by one developer, there isn’t a website that you can go to find a list with links.

GIMP's plugins are no longer in registry installing GIMP plugins

There used to be one registry that held all the plugins, scripts, images, and files, but it’s not active anymore. Fortunately, in this day and age, you can find anything just by Googling.

As you know, search engines like Google will show you a lot of results; some of it can be outdated, other results can even be a virus, so be careful with what you download.
Here are some tips to make your search more efficient:

Look for tutorials

Start by searching for guides or tutorials on what you want to do, for example: “How to do Content Aware Resizing in GIMP?”

These results will give you suggestions for different plugins that have this functionality, and often they’ll even share the link so you can download it. Since you know that the recommendation comes from a plugin user, you know it’s safe and you can also see if it’s what you’re looking for.

Always look at the date the recommendation was published and click on the most recent suggestions. If you find an article that’s too old, you might not find the plugin anymore, or the plugin may not be compatible with your GIMP version.

Look for reviews on blogs

There are tons of websites that make lists and reviews about these kinds of things. You can search for “The best plugins of this year for GIMP.”

This way, you’ll also find safe downloads and you don’t have to worry about the plugins being useful. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be on such a list, right?

Installing GIMP plugins

Download your file

Once you find the plugin you want, download it to your computer. I’ll use the Resynthesizer plugin as an example, which you can download here. Please keep in mind that you need to find the right file for your operating system. Everything you see here is done on a Mac.

Resynthesizer downloads in a zip file, so double-click on it to extract the files. Leave this Finder window open. You’ll need it again in a moment.

Find GIMP’s plugin folder

Now open GIMP. Click on the GIMP menu and choose Preferences. This will open a pop-up window.

In the left column, find the Folders menu and click on it. This will display all the folders that hold GIMP’s information, so just look in there for the one called Plugins.

Find the folder with the plugin resources. It should be called something like this: GIMP-2.10.app/Contents/Resources/lib/gimp/2.0/plug-ins.

Of course, the GIMP version may be different for you; mine is 2.10.

Find the folder for installing GIMP plugins

Now click on the square button in the top right of the window. If you hover on top of the button, it should say Show file location in the file manager. This will open the folder that contains the plugin files.

Copy the plugin to GIMP

Now you should have the two folders open:

On one side, the Finder window with the folder of the plugin you downloaded.

On the other side, the window you just opened from GIMP with the folder that contains the plugins.

Select the files from the new plugin and drag them into GIMP’s plugin folder.

Copy-Paste files for installing GIMP plugins

Restart GIMP

That’s it. Now you only have to restart GIMP to find the new tools ready for use.

In the case of the Resynthesizer plugin, it adds the filters Enlarge & Sharpen, Heal Selection, Heal Transparency, Sharpen by Synthesis, and Uncrop.

Conclusion

That’s it. As you can see, installing GIMP plugins is basically a copy-paste operation, so it’s really not as complicated as you might think.

The only hassle is finding the right files and locations. With the tricks I showed you in this article, it will hopefully get easier.

In the end, it’s worth the effort.

Now over to you:

Share in the comments your experiences with GIMP plugins, as well as any plugins or scripts you recommend.

The post A Non-Techie User Guide to Installing GIMP Plugins appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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PhotoGIMP for Linux tries to turn GIMP into a more Photoshop-like experience

24 Jun

For Linux users, Adobe doesn’t offer any of their Creative Cloud software, including Adobe Photoshop. Linux users have long had GIMP, which is a capable photo editing alternative to Photoshop. Although similar in functionality to Photoshop, GIMP’s default appearance is quite a bit different. With a new patch for GIMP 2.10, called PhotoGIMP, users can achieve a much more similar user interface to Photoshop.

PhotoGIMP’s major contributors are Diolinux and yevklim, and the PhotoGIMP Patch has been designed for people with experience with Photoshop. As pointed out by John Aldred at DIY Photography, more users have been turning to Linux for their operating system needs. The result is that there are photographers used to Photoshop who are now needing to learn the ropes with GIMP instead. When you boot up the standard version of GIMP, you immediately see that the layout of tools is very different from Photoshop. Not only this, but the keyboard shortcuts users have committed to memory often work differently in GIMP. This is where PhotoGIMP comes in. By making GIMP look and act more like Photoshop, it should dramatically reduce the learning curve.

As you can see in this screenshot, PhotoGIMP looks quite similar to Adobe Photoshop in terms of organization, tool location and the overall user interface. Image credit: PhotoGIMP on Github

The primary features of the PhotoGIMP patch for GIMP are as follows:

Similar tool organization and layout to Adobe Photoshop
Hundreds of new fonts that mimic those available in Photoshop
New Python-based filters, such as ‘heal selection’
Default settings maximize the space on the canvas
New splash screen
Following Adobe documentation, in-app shortcuts are set similarly
New icon and name using a custom .desktop file

YouTube channel Novaspirit Tech recently published a video overview of PhotoGIMP, including a quick comparison showing the differences in user interface between the standard version of GIMP and PhotoGIMP.

While PhotoGIMP does not include all the same tools and features of Photoshop, it appears to look the part. For installation instructions, refer to the PhotoGIMP github page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Create Light Beams in GIMP that Glow Without Any Plug-ins

01 Apr

The post Create Light Beams in GIMP that Glow Without Any Plug-ins appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Do you want to create light beams with GIMP? While previous versions of GIMP used a process called Alpha to Logo, it’s not available in the latest version. Not to worry, you don’t have to download any plug-in or script-fu, as I’ll show you a step-by-step example to do them manually.

GIMP’s open-source nature can be the most attractive thing for some people and the most off-putting for others. Create light beams used to be a one-click operation, but the script-fu was removed since version 2.10.4. There’s a way to get it back and install it separately, but you can also create them using GIMP’s basic functions.

How to Create Light Beams in GIMP

1. Design the shape

Open the image or canvas where you want to create light beams.

Now create a new layer, I strongly recommend you to name them as you go because you will need a few of them.

Do this in the designated space on the top. Then choose Fill With Transparency and click OK.

In this new layer, draw the shape of your light beam using the Path Tool. Make sure the Edit Mode is set to Design and start drawing.

If you want to create curves, just hold the mouse button and drag the anchor point.

Once you have the shape you want, choose the color by clicking in the patches you find on the left panel.

Then right-click in any anchor point of your shape and choose Edit > Stroke Path from the menu.

This will open a pop-up window.

Select Paintbrush and Emulate Paintbrush.

This will apply the effect using the settings you have in your Paintbrush tool as if you had painted the shape.

2. Create the beam

Now, the stroke needs to start looking like a light beam. For this, you need to draw a lighter outline to it. The easiest way is to right-click on the layer and choose Alpha to Selection.

Go back to the color swatches and choose a lighter hue, or even white.

Create another transparency layer, then go to Edit > Stroke Selection. In the pop-up window choose Stroke Line and set the value that will determine how thick you want it.

Create light beams outlines — Here I disabled the visibility of the first stroke. You don’t have to do this, it was only to show you how the second stroke does an outline.

Deselect everything and click on the Layer Mask button.

Set it to black (full transparency). This will cover the entire outline you created before, but that’s OK, you’ll make it visible in the next step.

Pick the Paint Brush tool and set the color to white.

Then lower the opacity of the brush and paint over your light beam to slowly make the outline visible. After that, with full opacity, paint over some parts to create highlights.

add some highlights — I used full opacity only in the curves because that’s where I want the highlights to be.

3. Make it glow

Duplicate this layer and delete the mask. Lower its opacity and then go to Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur. The value is up to you, I started with 22. Repeat this process a second time, this time changing the values in the Opacity and the Blur filter.

This is how you can create light beams that appear to glow. If you feel like adding a neon effect, keep on reading to learn how.

4. Add some color for a neon effect

With the top layer selected, add a new transparency layer.

Then set the color you want in the swatches.

Since you’re going for a neon effect, I recommend you choose something ‘electric’.

Use the Paint Brush tool to add some colored splats on your design.

Change this layer to Soft Light blending mode at the top of the Layers panel.

Then create another one and do the same with another color. Change this one to HSL Color.

That’s it! Your neon glowing light beam is ready.

Feel free to skip any step or add some more to make it your own.

Remember, the good thing about doing them manually is that you have full control over the outcome.

Extra tip:

If you want it to swirl around something, like mine, just erase or cover with a layer mask the parts that should go behind the subject.

Incorporate light beams in your photography

Conclusion

Scripts and plug-ins can save some time, but they aren’t necessarily available or easy to install. Granted, you don’t always know the individual commands that were automated and that makes it difficult.

This process, however, is meant as a starting point to make it less daunting and allow you to get creative. I hope you liked this technique to create light beams in GIMP without any plug-ins.

Want to learn more GIMP Tutorials? You may like:

A Brief introduction to GIMP Software
Creative Uses for the GIMP Jigsaw Pattern
How to Use Gimp for Basic Photo Re-Touching
Make your Photos Sparkle with GIMP
5 Top Tips for Working with Gimp

The post Create Light Beams in GIMP that Glow Without Any Plug-ins appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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Creative Uses for the GIMP Jigsaw Pattern

26 Mar

The post Creative Uses for the GIMP Jigsaw Pattern appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Are you looking for a fun way to display your photos? With the GIMP Jigsaw pattern, you can make your photos look like a puzzle in a single step. But why stop there? Take out some pieces or make a grid with it. Keep reading to learn how to use this filter and some creative applications for it.

Make a puzzle

It may look like elaborate work, but actually turning your image into a puzzle is extremely easy. The GIMP Jigsaw Pattern is a tool that allows you to control the way you want your puzzle to look, then applies it to your image.

Let’s get started.

With your image opened, go to the menu and select Filters > Render > Pattern > Jigsaw.

This will open a window where you can choose the number of pieces that will form the puzzle. You can also choose whether you want the shapes to have rounded corners or straight lines.

You’ll also see a section called Bevel Edges with two sliders in it. This is like a carving effect, giving the illusion of tridimensionality.

There are no right or wrong values – it’s a matter of taste.

Here’s a comparison for you to get an idea of what it looks like.

GIMPs Jigsaw Patter Bevel Values Comparison — On the left, I had the values at the minimum: Bevel width: 1 and Highlight : 0.10
On the right I pushed them to the highest, so 10 and 1.0 respectively.

That’s all there is to it.

Choose the values you want in the pop-up window, and the GIMP Jigsaw Pattern does the rest.

Now, let’s see how you can break the puzzle into pieces.

Separating the pieces of the Gimp Jigsaw Puzzle

Make a template

Taking out a piece of the puzzle makes the image more dynamic – like you’re actually building it. However, unlike a real puzzle, we’re not just going to take it out from the puzzle we just made.

To make things easier, open a new white document. Here, in the blank canvas, you’ll apply the GIMP Jigsaw Pattern as you did on the previous exercise.

This will serve as a template to select the pieces, hassle-free.

Now you can put in the photograph.

Go to the menu and select File > Open as Layers, and choose the file of your image. It will get placed as a layer on top of the jigsaw template.

Next, copy the layer with the template. You can do this by going to the menu and selecting Edit > Copy. While it’s there on your clipboard, select the image layer and create a Layer Mask. Do this by clicking on the button at the bottom. Then paste the template that you copied by going to Edit > Paste.

To set it onto the mask you created, you just need to click on the anchor button.

Then right-click on the layer and choose Apply Layer Mask. The mask and the layer will then merge together.

I know it sounds like a lot, but it’s actually very easy. And this way, you have everything ready to ‘cut-out’ all the pieces you want very quickly. Let’s try one.

Cut-out piece by piece

Select the piece you want to cut-out using the Fuzzy selection tool. Make sure to click on it while the template layer is selected. That way, you’ll get it with just one click.

To perfect the selection, go to the menu Select > Grow Selection and give it 1 or 2 pixels.

Cut out the piece in Edit > Cut and then paste it with Edit > Paste. To finalize the pasting, click on the New Layer button so that the piece remains independent.

With the Move and Rotate tool, you can position the piece. Then go to the menu Filters > Light and Shadow > Drop shadow. You decide the values depending on whether you want it dark and defined or blurred and lighter. Use the X and Y sliders to make it appear closer or further away.

You can repeat the process for all the pieces you want out of place. Just go back to your template every time you need to select a new one.

Create a jigsaw grid

Open a new document and create a new jigsaw as you did before. The number of pieces depends on the number of images you want to add. I don’t recommend too many because it could look messy. But, it’s entirely up to you.

GIMPs Jigsaw Pattern used as grid template

Add all the images you’re going to use by opening them as layers.

Then resize them with the Scale Tool and move them to fit each of the pieces of the puzzle. Don’t worry if they overlap in some places, you’ll fix that next.

Lay out the images for the grid on top of GIMPs Jigsaw Pattern

In the template layer, click on the piece you want with the Fuzzy Selection Tool. Then go to the corresponding image and click on the Add Layer Mask button. A pop-up menu will appear. Choose Selection from it, and click Add.

Mask the selected piece from the jigsaw pattern

That’s it.

Repeat the same for every image-piece combo until you complete your puzzle.

Have fun finding new and creative ways to use GIMP’s Jigsaw Pattern!

Supplementary Reading

If you’re not familiar with GIMP, check out this brief introduction.
If you want to edit your photograph before you turn it into a puzzle, learn here how to make them sparkle.
If you’re loving GIMP and want to take it with you, learn how to install it on a portable device.

The post Creative Uses for the GIMP Jigsaw Pattern appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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Basic Photo Retouching in GIMP

25 Jul

The post Basic Photo Retouching in GIMP appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Do you feel your photos are good but not great? Do you think something is missing in your images? You may just need a little post-production to give your images the punch they need to become eye-catching. Keep reading to learn some basic photo retouching in GIMP – a free software – that will make your photos pop.

Basic Photo Retouching in GIMP

GIMP is an image manipulation software you can download for free. If you’re not familiar with it, check my previous article, A Brief Introduction to GIMP. There are many things you can do with it. To start you up, I decided to do a quick overview of the most common adjustments for photo editing.

Rotate

Most times you take a photograph without a tripod, you’re bound to have the horizon line leaning towards one side. You can easily fix this common problem by using the rotation tool. First, you may want to turn on the visibility of the grid. For this go to View -> Show Grid. If you want to make it wider or narrower, go to Image -> Configure Grid.

GIMP. Configure the grid

Now, to straighten the image, click on the rotation button from the toolbox to open the tool’s setting window. Then you can either drag the slider or type the degree of the angle you want. The last two options are there to re-position the rotation center point if you want. You can also do this by dragging the image itself.

Basic Photo Retouching in Gimp. Rotate Tool

Crop

After the rotation or other transforming methods like perspective, some parts of the canvas remain empty, and you need to crop them out. For this, click the Crop tool from the toolbox and drag around the part you want to keep. The part that will be cropped out becomes shaded. To fine-tune the selection click, and drag the edges. When you’re satisfied click on the image to apply the crop.

Crop Tool

To keep an eye on the composition while cropping, you can put some guides to use as points of reference. For example, to play with symmetry put a guideline at 50%. Alternatively, put one at 33% and another at 66% if you want to follow the rule of thirds. You can do this by right-clicking the image window to open the main menu. From there, you need to go to Image -> Guides -> New Guide by percent.

Guides by Percent

Layers

For retouching, it’s always best to work on layers. That way, you can always go back if you don’t like how things are going. First, make sure the layers dock is visible. If it’s not, open it from Windows -> Dockables.

From there you can add a new empty layer from the blank page icon. Duplicate the current layer with the symbol of 2 squares, or delete it by dragging it into the paper shredder one.

Basic Photo Retouching. Create and manage layers

By the way, if you don’t want to cancel the entire process you’ve done on a layer, you can go to the tab, Undo, and do it step by step. The Undo tab keeps a history dialogue allocated as a dock containing your latest actions. If the dock is not there, you can open it from Windows -> Dockables.

Basic Photo Retouching. Undo

Color Adjustments

If your image is not well exposed, you can find the Adjustment tools to fix it in the Color menu. To access it, right-click on the image window and choose Colors. Then choose the tool that best suits the adjustment you need to do. To see these options more in-depth check the article Make your Photos Sparkle with GIMP. For now, I’ll just show you the Levels tool, which I find to be one of the most versatile.

Basic Photo Retouching in GIMP. Color Adjustment tools

Levels

With Levels, you can fix the color balance and tonal range of your image. GIMP gives you different choices to modify the Levels from the same window. You can move the sliders, enter the values underneath, use the eyedroppers to set the brightest, darkest and middle tones, and even use the auto-mode. They all make similar changes, but they can be more or less precise.

Remember to have the preview box checked so you can see the changes take effect before you apply them.

Basic Photo Retouching. Levels

Filters

You can also apply a great variety of filters; from correcting ones like sharpening an image, to special ones like coffee stains. You can find all these options in the Main Menu -> Filters.

Feel free to experiment with them.

Basic Photo Retouching in GIMP using filters

Finally, you can switch to the Multiple Windows Mode (in case you weren’t using it) by going to the menu Windows -> Single Window Mode and uncheck it. Then open the original file and a second window will open with the image so you can compare the side-by-side before and after images.

GIMP. Before and After

I hope you learned some useful tips to fix or boost your images.

If you’re interested in doing some more in-depth work on GIMP Check out the tutorials:

How to Replace a Sky in GIMP
Content-Aware Resizing in GIMP

Have you used GIMP? What are your thoughts? Do you have any other tips to share in the comments? We’d love to hear from you.

The post Basic Photo Retouching in GIMP appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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A Brief introduction to GIMP Software

19 Jul

The post A Brief introduction to GIMP Software appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Whether you are looking for a free program to start learning photo editing or you want a lighter alternative to Photoshop, GIMP may be the software for you. You can create graphics, text, and manipulate photos, but first, you need to understand how it works. Keep reading for a brief introduction to GIMP software and how to use it.

Introduction to GIMP

What is GIMP?

GIMP is a completely free image editor. You can even use it for commercial purposes without having to pay. It is also open-source, which means that a lot of third-party developers have created free plug-ins for use with GIMP. Furthermore, if you know how to code, you can also modify it as you see fit. Finally, it is also available for many different operating systems. You can download GIMP from its site, and it will suggest the one for you.

Introduction to GIMP Software Download

It’s even possible to take it with you for other devices. You can find an instruction manual in the article How to Install GIMP on a Portable Device. In any case, on the main page of GIMP’s website, you’ll see a very enticing description, beautifully illustrated and promising high-quality image manipulation, original artwork creation, and graphic design elements.

Introduction to GIMP. What can you do with it

It all sounds fantastic, right? But when you open the program, you may not know where to start. Well, let’s break it down for you to easily understand.

Multiple windows or just one?

Most programs open in one window that you can enlarge or squeeze, minimize or close, all in one go. Instead, GIMP, by default, opens in three windows. This is a bit puzzling, and I found it very off-putting the first time I used it.

Introduction to GIMP. Multiple Windows View

The good news is that from version 2.8 of GIMP, you can change into a one-window view. I’ll tell you how to switch in just a moment.

First, I want to tell you what makes the multiple window choice worth trying. As each image opens as a new window, you can work with two or more images side by side. Even better, the same image can open in two windows so you can work on it as a side-by-side comparison.

Introduction to GIMP. Side by side comparison using multiple windows.

Another perk of having separate windows is that you can gain more image space on your screen. You can individually minimize any window containing tools or labels that you’re not using. Now, if you’re not convinced with it, you can switch to the single-window mode by going to Menu -> Window -> Single-Window Mode. Whichever choice you make, it saves as a default for the next time you open GIMP.

Introduction to GIMP. How to change to single window view.

What’s What?

Now that you have set up your workspace, it’s time to learn what each window contains. In the center, you’ll have the image window. Here you can see the image or canvas you’re working on. If you are on multiple windows, each image opens separately (as shown before), and if you are on the single-window mode, they open as tabs.

Introduction to GIMP. Open images as tabs

On the left side, you’ll have a window that holds your toolbox. In there, you can have a shortcut button for the tools you use most often. It comes with a default setup that you can personalize. To do it, go to GIMP -> Preferences -> Toolbox and choose the tools you want to add or delete from there.

Introduction to GIMP. Set toolbox preferences

Underneath you have the options available for each tool. Therefore, it’s not static content; it changes every time you select a different tool. You can drag and drop this dock to a different position if you prefer, however, I keep it on the right.

Introduction to GIMP. Toolbox option panel

On the right side, you have a window that holds a series of tabs like History or Layers. This window behaves like a dock. If you want to open a tab that is not showing, you have to go to the menu Windows -> Dockable Dialogs, and chose it from the drop-down menu. It will automatically dock the tab. Then click on the arrow button on the right to open the settings and manage it from there.

Introduction to GIMP. Manage the dockable panels

If you are working with multiple-windows mode, you can still reach these tabs on the menu Windows -> Dockable Dialogs. In this case, you’ll find that some open as tabs and some open as separate windows that you can drag, minimize, or close individually.

Save or export?

Whether you did a small modification or an original artwork, you need to save it. If you go to the menu File -> Save as you would normally do, you can only use the GIMP extension .xcf.

Introduction to GIMP. Save files

If you want to use a universal format like .jpg or .tiff or even change it into Photoshop’s .psd, you have to go to the menu File -> Export. From there, you have a huge variety of file formats to choose from. If you aren’t sure about which one is best, check this article for Understanding all the Different Image File Formats.

Introduction to GIMP. Export to save in different formats

I hope you found this article helpful overview to understand GIMP software and give it a try. If you are still not convinced with it, there are other free programs out there. For more information check out this article with Tips on choosing a Free Photo Editor for Post-Processing.

Have you used GIMP software? What are your thoughts? What are some other free post-processing software applications that you use? Please share with us in the comments section.

The post A Brief introduction to GIMP Software appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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GIMP 2.10.0 released: Features 32-bit support, new UI and more

01 May

Open-source image editor GIMP has been updated to version 2.10.0, its first major update in six years. In this new version, GIMP has been “nearly” fully ported to the GEGL image processing engine, which brings support for up to 32-bit images, multi-threaded processing, and optional GPU-side processing for systems with stable OpenCL drivers.

According to the team, GIMP 2.10.0 uses GEGL for all of its tile management and to build an acyclic graph for each project. That satisfies the prerequisites for eventually adding non-destructive editing, a future feature slated for version 3.2.

The new image processing engine aside, GIMP 2.10 brings an updated UI with a new default dark theme; the symbolic icons are also now enabled by default. This gives users a total of four theme option: Dark, Light, Gray, and System. However, themes and icons have been separated so that users can choose them independently for better customization.

Additionally, there are now four icon sizes to improve their look on HiDPI displays. The software automatically detects the best size for the display; however, since it may not always be accurate, users can manually change the size if necessary.

Many new features and improvements, as well as expanded support, have arrived in 2.10.0—complete details of the changes are available in the full release notes. Notable among the changes is support for multiple new formats (including OpenEXR, WebP, RGBE, and HGT) on-canvas previews for filters ported to GEGL, improved warp tools, color management has been revamped as a core feature, and the digital painting experience has been enhanced.

GIMP 2.10.0 can be downloaded now for Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD, and Solaris.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Demo: How to edit professional beauty images with GIMP on Linux

24 Apr

Though Photoshop remains the most recognizable image editing application out there, open-source alternative GIMP is still around, still free, and still receiving updates. In this video tutorial, photographer Shane Milton spends around 25 minutes demonstrating how to use the software to apply a pro-level beauty edit to an agency’s model image.

If you want to go fully open source for your photo editing, Milton is a great resource. His YouTube library offers numerous other videos on GIMP and free Lightroom alternative Darktable. In this particular video, Milton uses a Wacom Intuos Pro Small tablet with GIMP 2.9 running on Linux. He previously demonstrated optimizations that users could make to this version of GIMP, as well as setting up the Wacom tablet for use with Linux.

GIMP can be downloaded at this link for Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD, and Solaris.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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