GIMP is a free and open-source advanced photo editing software and one of the best alternatives to Photoshop and Affinity Photo, and with Gimp 3.0 it will be the best free image editor in the world.
Gimp is capable of anything that Photoshop and Affinity are capable of.
At first, most people who try Gimp don’t know what to do and where to start, and even if you know very basic things about Gimp’s features, you can still learn a lot from these GIMP Tips for Beginners.
Note: I will be using gimp 2.99.x, as it will be 3.0 in certain future.
GIMP Tips for Beginners
GIMP is fully customisable.
Gimp is fully customizable, so you don’t have to stick with one layout. You can change as you like. For example, if you want to make gimp’s UI like photoshop or any other software, then you can also do that in gimp.
Duplicate your adjusted layer
For people who don’t know gimp currently don’t have a non-destructive feature. That means any adjustment you make with your layer is permanent. Yes, yes you can undo that adjustment, but you can not adjust anything in your adjusted layer, so always duplicate your layer before making any adjustment.
Use Split View to Check the Difference
Split View is a great feature that can help people to make changes to the image with the ability to check what adjustment you make to your image.
Split View is great for checking adjustments in your image, and it’s also great for comparing your adjustments in your image.
Make Shapes with GFIG.
You know the joke about not knowing how to make shapes in Gimp, but that is not a big concern in Gimp because Gimp has this feature.
If you don’t know, there is not a single tool for making shapes in Gimp, but there is a hidden tool that can help you make shapes in Gimp, and it is called gfig. You can access this tool by going to filter, then rendering, then clicking gfig, and here now you can make shapes.
Use the Foreground Select Tool to Make Easy Selections
Making a selection can be frustrating, but this tool can help you select very complex elements in your image with ease.
Using the foreground tool is very easy. You just need to draw a rough selection on your subject where you want to select, and after that, click enter, and here you can refine your selection for a more perfect selection.
