Can anyone help me with GIMP?

[Former_Member]

I downloaded GIMP after reading somewhere on Etsy about how to make a banner, I can't find that article/blog or whatever it was again.

Does anyone know how to use GIMP? I can't figure out how to add a photo so I can create a new banner. I can't figure out how to edit or change the banner I previously made - which the blog post said was "easy to do"

Thanks

[Former_Member]

Hey there!
I learned by going on youtube, and typing in "How to use Gimp"
Hope that helps : )

[Former_Member]

Hi Judy,

I also use GIMP. It's a pretty powerful program and I have yet to learn even half of what it can do. The problem is, there *is* a learning curve and I had given up learning how to use it in the past because I found it so difficult. My need for an Etsy banner kind of forced me into learning the basics.

Etsy Banner article: http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2007/skill-share-making-a-banner/

What you will need to do is import a photo into GIMP. When you open GIMP, you should get a screen. Click File > Open and open up the photo. Your photo must be at least 760 pixels wide (or tall if you plan to rotate it around)!

You then take out a *slice* of the photo that is 760 pixels wide by 100 pixels tall. You can do this by using the Rectangle Select Tool. You can also do this by opening a new 760 x 100 pixel blank window and opening a photo into this. Then rotate the photo around until you are seeing the portion of the photo you want to be your banner. If your photo is huge (pixel-wise) to begin with, rescale it and then zoom in.

If you want your banner to have words and designs, you'll have to open a 760 x 100 window and add in those things. For my banner in my shop (almondcrafts.etsy.com), I took a bunch of photos of buttons and things, edited and resized each photo, and then carefully added them layer by layer. This involved a lot of small steps, and despite the simplicity of my banner, took me a while to do.

When I save, typically save as a .jpg.

If I just confused you, there are probably a lot of tutorials on YouTube!

Good luck!

[KilnFiredArt]

I learned from Youtube too

[Epheriell]

Google it :) My solution to all problems, and how I work pretty much anything out.

Seriously, someone will have written a tutorial on whatever you want to do, and GIMP has a good support document, too.

Good luck!

[Former_Member]

If you want to import a photo into gimp you go to file and then select 'open as a layers', then you can choose a photo from your files that you want import.

youtube is a great source to find tutorials.

hope this helps!

[Former_Member]

It looks like you've been helped quite a bit already, but I did want to jump in her and tell you that I do gimp and UFRaw tutorials and would be happy to help you out more. Feel free to find me on: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/GimpTutorials/258785994164787
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/alexstandiford
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/115462925579015280773/posts

[DonnaKallnerFiberArt]

Aman is right -- there is a learning curve, but try this to make a simple banner:

Create a blank canvas the size you need for your etsy banner by going to File>New then filling in the dimensions (width 760 pixels and height 100 pixels). File>Save As EtsyBanner.jpg . Leave this window open while you get your image.

To do that, go to File>Open and select the image. Now Edit>Copy Visible. This places that image on the clipboard. Close the original image without changing it.

Back to your blank EtsyBanner.jpg file. Edit>Paste will move your copied image from the clipboard. Its now a "floating selection -- pasted layer". Use Layer>Scale Layer to adjust the size if necessary. Drag the floating layer to where you want it on the banner -- think "interesting crop". When it's where you want it click Layer>Anchor Layer.

Now Image>Flatten Image.

Save your jpeg image again.

As you get more comfortable with GIMP and learn to use the Layers you'll be able to create the collage type banners you see. But give yourself permission to do something simple for now and be successful. GIMP is great, and too many people give up too quickly.

Good luck!

[Former_Member]

oh boy - I'm not computer savy enough for this :( don't have any idea what most of what you folks have said means LOL

[Former_Member]

Yes! I love GIMP!

I've got tons of tutorials (video and written) at my new website http://How-to-GIMP.com

And, if you want some specific banner tutorials, I've got those too :)

[Former_Member]

To answer your questions specifically:

•To create a new image, the size of an Etsy banner:

Go to File > New in the Main Menu. The New Image window will pop up. Choose 760px for the Width, and 100px for the height. Make sure the X and Y resolution settings are 72. Click OK to create your new banner background.

•To add a photo to this new background:

Go to File > Open as Layers in the Main Menu. The Open Image window will pop up. Use this window to navigate to the image you want to add to your banner. Click OK to open the image.

•To make your picture the correct size:

The picture you just added probably isn't the right size for your Etsy banner. So, you'll either need to crop it (cut the edges to make it the same shape as the etsy banner) or 'scale' it (which means re-size it). To crop, use the 'crop tool' in the GIMP toolbox window. It looks like an Xacto knife. To scale the picture, go to Layers > Scale Layer in the main menu, and choose a new height of width for the picture.

You might have to crop, AND scale to get the picture to the right size.



If you want more detailed instructions, here are those banner tutorials I was telling you about:

• A Becinner's Version of an Etsy Banner: http://pareandfocus.com/index.htm/etsy-shop-gimp-text-banner/
• An Etsy Banner with a Photo Background: http://pareandfocus.com/index.htm/take-charge-of-your-etsy-shop-make-an-easy-banner-with-a-photo-bac...
• An Etsy Banner with a Photo Background and foreground graphics http://pareandfocus.com/index.htm/making-an-easy-etsy-banner-for-free-using-gimp-part-three/

Hope this helps!!