How to Resize and Add Borders to GIMP Images

Using a free (and open source) image editor is a great way for you to save some money for your desktop publishing business. Way to go on making the smart fiscal move! Of course, any new piece of software comes with a learning curve. If you need to learn how to make your images as neat as possible, then this GIMP tutorial will help you to become a GIMP image master. Your first step is learning how to resize your images. Your second step will be to learn how to add a border to your image. Just a standard white border that will do for buffering your images from your text in your desktop publishing projects.

Making your image a new size is really very easy. Just follow these simple steps.

1. Opening (or import) your target image.
2. Right click anywhere on the image.
   
3. Choose "Image" then "Scale Image" from the menu that will appear.
   
4. You will now come to the "Scale Image Options" screen. Use this screen to alter the images size, by raising and lowering the values in the box.
   
5. If you wish to alter only one value, then click on the black link to unpair the values.
   
6. Click on "OK".

Once your image is at its new size, it is time to add a basic border to your new image. Let’s get that border on.

1. Click on the word "Image" on your menu.
   
2. Click on the words "Canvas Size" in the sub-menu.
   
3. Adjust the values that you have on the screen. As above, if you wish to change only one value you must click on the black link next to the numbers to unpair them.
   
4. Click on "OK".

* It is worth noting that we are talking about a very basic canvas extension. It is a border in the sense that it will keep your text from directly abutting your image. You will notice that this is a grey checker board pattern. Do not worry, your final image will not show this grey. Just whitespace.

Now, you know everything that you need to know for the basic manipulation of images in Gimp. Best of luck with your new software.

How to Import an Image

Just in case this is your first project in Gimp, and you do not know how to import a non Gimp image here are some basic instructions on how to import an image in Gimp.

1. Click on "File".
   
2. Click on "Open"
   
3. Navigate to the image that you want to open.
   
4. Click on "OK".
   

Your image should now show up in your GIMP editing screen.

How to Enlarge Photos Using GIMP covers this subject too with a few screen shots to help you along. There are other GIMP tutorials on this Bright Hub channel so just use our search feature to find what you need.