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This tip is about the how to Work with Layers in GIMP. So read this free guide, How to Work with Layers in GIMP step by step. If you have query related to same article you may contact us.
How to Work with Layers in GIMP – Guide
If you need to create a composition that includes two or more photos, you’ll need to learn more about layers. We’ll look at the GIMP layering system using a real-world scenario in this tutorial. Layers can be thought of as individual sheets of paper layered on top of each other. This means that effects can be applied to each layer independently, which can be extremely useful, as we’ll discover later in the course. Keep in mind that unless the layers are transparent, like a stack of paper, you won’t be able to see through them.
The GIMP layer panel
before showing you how to working with layers in GIMP, first let’s look at the layers panel. If it’s not visible, go up to the Windows menu > Dockable dialogs > Layers to open the panel.
The layers panel consists of three main sections:
Layer Modes
At the top is an option (drop-down menu) called Mode. This is a method for changing how your layers interact with each other. They are similar to blending modes in Photoshop. When you choose from the drop-down menu, the active layer “blends” with the layer below according to the mode you’ve chosen.
Opacity
To adjust the transparency of a layer, use the Opacity slider to increase or decrease as needed.
To lock
To prevent accidental adjustments to a layer, you can lock it. There are three options available here. The first one (the brush icon) prevents any kind of editing being done on the layer. The second (arrows icon) prevents the layer content from being moved. The third padlock (chessboard icon) prevents adjustments to the layer’s transparency.
Layer Previews
Each new layer you create will display a preview (thumbnail) of the layer’s content in the middle of the layer panel. The size of the displayed layer previews can be adjusted larger or smaller according to your preferences. Just follow these instructions:
manage layers
You’ll find the following options for managing your layers in GIMP at the bottom of the layers panel as shown below.
Create a new layer
As mentioned earlier, to create a new layer, just click on the first icon at the bottom of the layer panel (#1 in the image above). Before you finish creating the layer, you might want to make some choices in the “New Layer” dialog that appears. up. Here are the options and a description of each.
All of these options, with the exception of Fill With and Size (Width / Height), can be changed at any time by right-clicking on a layer and choosing “Edit Layer Attributes”.
What is the yellow dotted line?
A unique feature of GIMP is the yellow dashed line around a layer. This yellow line is known as the “Cover Boundary”. In the beginning, it’s not a big problem. Only after resizing a layer larger or smaller than the canvas can it become annoying. So if you want to turn it off, go up to the top menu and select View > Show Layer Boundary to show or hide it.
Organize your layers into groups
When working on an image, you’ll start creating several layers to achieve the final result. The more layers you make, the more chaotic and slower your workflow. The solution is to put similar types of layers together in a group.
First, to create a new grouped layer, click on the second icon at the bottom of the layer panel. Double-click on the name “Layer Group” and give it a proper title. To add layers inside the group, just drag and drop them onto it. Click on a layer, hold the mouse button down and drag it over the layer group. Once you see an outline around it, release the mouse button to drop it and the layer will be added to the group. Repeat this for each layer you want to add to that group.
layer masks
Using layer masks is an essential skill that will elevate your editing! A mask provides precise control over where an edit is applied to your image. So take the time to learn how to use layer masks. For example, suppose you have a portrait where skin tones are unnatural. In that case, you can decrease the saturation with the Hue / Saturation tool as shown below. However, this will adjust the saturation of the entire image. If you want to apply it only to the object’s skin (and hair in this case), you’ll need to use a layer mask. Follow these steps:
It is important to note here that whatever appears as white in the mask – that part of the layer will be visible or shown. Whatever is black on the mask will be hidden. Think of it as actually looking through a Halloween mask with your eyes cut out. If you paint with a lower opacity (grayscale), it means that it will partially show sections of that layer.
Rotating GIMP layers to straighten an image
Sometimes getting the horizon (or vertical lines) straight on the camera can be challenging. But don’t worry, this is easily fixed in GIMP. To fix this problem, you can rotate the layer as follows:
There may come a time when you need to move, rotate, or resize multiple layers simultaneously and equally. Unfortunately, with the current version of GIMP, it is not possible to select multiple layers at the same time.
How to link layers in GIMP
To work around this, you can link two or more layers and adjust them as you see fit. To mark a layer as linked, click to the left of the layer’s thumbnail preview (to the right of the eye icon) to add a link (see the red box in the image above for precise location). Do this for each layer you want to be part of the link.
NOTE: Being able to select multiple layers is coming in GIMP 3!
Aligning Layers
To know how to Aligning layers is another frequently asked question for new GIMP users. Although you may have already found the alignment tool, there are no built-in instructions for how to use the. This will likely lead to frustration because you don’t know the secret step. But everything will be revealed below!
How to align layers in GIMP
The key to aligning layers in GIMP is enabling the ones you want to be aligned through the canvas and not the layers panel. This is because it is not possible to select multiple layers in the current version of GIMP. First, get the alignment tool by pressing Q as a keyboard shortcut. To activate a layer to be aligned, click on its content within the canvas. You’ll know the layer is turned on when you see a small square in each corner of the layer’s content (see below). Then, in Tool Options, make sure “Relative To” is set to “First Item”. Below that drop-down menu, click on the icons to align the layer to your canvas.
To align two or more layers with each other, you will need to activate the additional layers to be aligned. As before, activate a layer with the Alignment tool. Then hold down Shift and click on each additional layer. This has the effect of selecting multiple layers. You can now use the alignment options in Tool Options to align your layers.
Final note
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