Beginning To Use GIMP
Tutorial on How To Open GIMP Image Files in Simple Steps
After downloading GIMP, what's the first step? Guided practice to opening, moving, and closing GIMP image files.
GIMP is able to search for saved photos on a computer, and open them in its own editing window -- at any zoom level specified. Using GIMP, it's even possible to edit an image at the level of individual pixels.
Opening GIMP
- Click on the GIMP shortcut which is now probably on the computer's desktop. This brings up GIMP's main toolbox. (It takes a minute.) A separate little window containing a random tip on using GIMP will also open up. It's fine to close the tip window without trying to make sense of it.
- The GIMP main toolbox is now sitting by itself on the desktop. On the top line of the toolbox, under the title GIMP, there are three words: File, Xtns, and Help.
Bringing Up an Image to Edit in GIMP
- Click on File, and then on Open, on the dropdown menu.
This will bring up a browsing window, which lists files and folders on the computer. Browsing windows are used by many programs to locate something (in this case, an image), which is already stored on the computer. GIMP makes this process less confusing than many of the online sites, because it lists all the different layers of a computer's storage areas in separate little rectangular bubbles at the top of the browsing window. Clicking on any of these little rectangular bubbles will bring up a list of what's inside it.
Highlighting one of the images on the list will bring up a little preview of the image on the right.
- Highlight the photo that will be edited. Beginners will feel more peace of mind if they choose a photo which is not important to them.
- Click Open at the bottom of the browser window.
Now the picture opens on the desktop, and the browser window goes away.
Getting Comfortable with the Image Window
The toolbox and the image windows can be moved around so they don't overlap on each other, and they can also be made larger or smaller just as with any windows. They are moveable by dragging the top margin of them, and they are made bigger or smaller by dragging at the very edge of the window. This action does not affect the actual dimensions of the stored image.
At the bottom of the image's window, toward the left-hand side, there is a little white field with a percent in it. This shows the size that GIMP decided was most helpful to show the image. A big photo will often open at 50% of its true size. "Clicking on the arrow next to that percent field on the right enables the user to choose a different percent number from the drop-down box. Clicking on "other" allows any percent figure of zoom to be entered.
Close out an Image without Saving
The image window can be closed without saving any editing changes by clicking the "X" up in the right hand corner. If the image has been changed, accidentally or on purpose, GIMP will inform the user that those changes are not going to be saved. The picture is safely kept the way in its original condition.
