GIMP is a great tool for image editing as long as you know how to work with it. Here is a great selection of tutorials so you can quickly learn how to get the most from this free application.
Getting Familiar With GIMP
GIMP is an alternative to Photoshop and has many of the same features for a much better price. As a matter of fact, it is completely free and, even better, available on all platforms. So if you want to give the program a try but don’t know where to start, this guide might just be the ultimate GIMP source for you. I’ve selected some of the very best GIMP tutorials to help get you on your way. Kick back and read about what makes this program so great and how you can learn from it!
First Things First: The Basics
When you are entirely new to the world of photo editing or digital art in general, applications like GIMP, Photoshop or PaintShop Pro can look overwhelming with their various features and functions. However, it is key to not get discouraged by these wealth of options, take your time and just start by learning the very basics.
- What is GIMP?
- Installing GIMP on Your Computer
- GIMP: Photo Editing Made Easy
- Comparing Photoshop to GIMP
- How to Enlarge and Resize Photos Using GIMP
- How to Use GIMP to Make JPEGs Larger
- How to Resize and Add Borders to GIMP Images
- Cropping and Rotating Images With GIMP
- Straight Lines and You – GIMP Tutorial for Beginners
- Understanding Sharpness – Definition, Tips and Techniques
Layers
Once you become familiar with the basics of GIMP it is essential to go a bit further and learn how to use layers. You will find that once you get the hang of layers, it becomes much easier to manipulate photos, extract portions of images or to create something new altogether. Luckily, GIMP is capable of all that!
Digging a Bit Deeper
Once you have a basic understanding of GIMP, you can look into becoming an expert on using the program. Understandably, a lot of the real cool effects and tools will take time to learn. These tutorials will help you get the hang of some of the more advanced features.
- Dealing With Blown Highlights in GIMP
- Understanding Curves Tool in Photoshop and GIMP
- How to Make a Transparent Background in GIMP
- Creating a Fade Effect in GIMP
- Working With Masks in GIMP
- How to Make GIMP Brushes
- How to Replace Text in GIMP
- A Look at Aliasing, Jagged Edges and Anti-Aliasing
- How to Create a Cartoon in GIMP
- Creating a Web 2.0 Button With GIMP
- How to Make a Badge for a Website
- How to Make a Rainbow in GIMP
GIMP and Photography
Most people use photo editing software for, well, photography. When you are a photographer and on a budget, GIMP might just become your best friend. After all, you want to make those pictures look extra good by adjusting them a bit on your computer. The following tutorials are catered for photographers only and will teach you all you need to know about using GIMP for adjusting photographs. Whether it is advanced photo manipulation you are after or some simple touch-ups, it is all here.
- Recapturing Beauty: Photo Retouching for Digital Photographers
- Create HDR Photography With GIMP
- Restoring a Damaged Picture in GIMP
- Creating Photo Frames in GIMP
- How to Change Image Color in GIMP: A Guide for Changing Colors With Images
- How to Cut a Person From a Picture Using GIMP
- How to Create Icons From Your Photographs With GIMP
- How to Fix Photo Blemishes With GIMP
- How to Turn a Body Into Stone Using GIMP
- How to Get Rid of a Double Chin in GIMP
- How to Put a Photo on Canvas
Additional Resources
If you want to go beyond the basics of GIMP and add some functionality, this can be done through plugins. The following resources will help you find those additions you need so you can go ahead and keep adding to your GIMP experience.
- Top Seven Websites for Free GIMP Plugins
- Top 20 GIMP Plugins
- How to Load Photoshop Plugins Into GIMP
- How to Install Add-Ons for GIMP (Linux)
A Mighty Image Editing Workhorse
GIMP is not just a free alternative to Photoshop, it’s a worthy opponent. Nevertheless, when you get familiar with either one of the applications, you will likely be able to tackle any of your photo editing tasks using both of the programs. These how-tos on getting started with GIMP are therefore of great value if you are looking into getting familiar with image editing in general. Whatever your motivation might be, now you can go ahead and keep practicing your new skills to become a true GIMP expert!
References
- Image courtesy of GIMP, http://www.gimp.org/images/frontsplash.jpg
