GIMP is one of the free and advanced photo manipulation tools that'll let you play with layers. While that is stupendous, using GIMP may seem a bit challenging. However, once you get hold of it, everything will be easy
GIMP is one of the free and advanced photo manipulation tools that'll let you play with layers. While that is stupendous, using GIMP may seem a bit challenging. However, once you get hold of it, everything will be easy after some practice.
Even though GIMP is less powerful than Photoshop, it is one of its best alternatives for using layers. Consider layers as stacks of images where you can work on each layer individually. That gives you the freedom to manipulate your images in several ways.
You can create a new layer from an existing image, add a transparent layer, link layers, and do so much more. But how does one use them in GIMP on a Windows PC or Mac?
You are at the right place as we will dive deep into the basics of layers feature available on GIMP. Before we start, make sure you have the latest version of GIMP on your system.
The canvas of GIMP starts with one main layer. That is, any image you open in GIMP is considered a base layer. So you can add new layers to an existing image or start from a blank layer.
To add a new layer, right-click on the layer panel and select New layer from the menu. Alternatively, click on the new layer button at the bottom of the layer panel. Similarly, you can add multiple layers.
Tip: Use the shortcut Shift + Ctrl + N to create a new layer on Windows. On macOS, press Shift + Command + N.
When adding a layer to an existing image, the layer size will be the same as that of the image. However, if you are creating a new image, you will have to set the size. The layer size can be changed in both the cases under Height and Width setting.
Fill Layer With
One of the essential properties of a layer is the ‘Fill With’ option. When you are adding a new layer, you will be asked to choose the color you want to fill in the layer. You get five options: foreground, background, white, transparency, and pattern.
Choosing the foreground and background will add the respective colors present in the color dialog. White, as is obvious, will fill it with white color and pattern adds the selected pattern. Using the transparency mode adds a transparent layer quite useful for creating PNG files.
Layers are named as layer 1, layer 2, and so on by default. If you are working with multiple layers, giving them a proper name comes handy. There are some ways you can rename them. First, you can do it in the New Layer window itself while creating a layer.
Secondly, once the layer is created, double-click on the layer name. The text will become editable. Now you can add a new name.
Select a Layer
To start working on a particular layer, simply click on it once in the layer panel. The selected or the active layer will have a grey box around it.
Change Order of Layers
The layering of orders is crucial while working on them. So the basic rule is that the top layer will be visible. Meaning, the layers or the portion of the layer below a layer will not show. You have to adjust them in a way that each part of a layer is visible.
For instance, in the below image, the top layer has dandelion, and only certain portions of the sunset layer are visible. If I move the dandelion layer below sunset, then the entire sunset layer will become visible as shown in the second image.
To reorder layers, click and drag the layer to its new position in the layer panel. Alternatively, use the up and down arrows present in the layer panel to change the position of the selected layer.
To delete a layer, right-click on it and select Delete Layer from the menu. Alternatively, select the layer and click on the delete icon in the layer panel. You can even drag the layer to the delete icon to remove it.
Sometimes, deleting an entire layer isn’t required for you can retain the transparency of the layer and clear other content present in it. To do so, select the layer, go to Edit in the top bar, and choose Clear.
Tip: Press the Delete key on your keyboard to clear the layer.
Also on Guiding Tech
Show or Hide Layers
When you have multiple layers in GIMP, deleting or clearing a layer seems a harsh step as it removes the main content of the layer. To avoid that, you can simply hide a layer if you don’t need it.
To do so, click on the eye icon present on the left side of the layer name in the layer panel. To make it visible, click on the blank area where the eye icon is supposed to be.
As you can see in the image above, even though the top layer is the sunset layer, we can see dandelion and the layer below that. That’s because I hid the sunset layer (no eye icon before that).
Add an Image to Current File
Many times, we want to add an image from our co