Taken from the Nintendo Forums. Credits to THEKOOPATROOPAS

Now before I start, I'd like to explain two things:

Why am I making this? On a daily basis I get at least 3 PM's a day explaining how to do this, and how to do that in the Gimp. I'm a tad annoyed by it, and I've decided to make a FAQ that will hopefully explain some basic questions (which I hope reduces the traffic of questions around here)

The second thing is this; I am NOT making this thread just to promote my Gimp tutorials. Yes, I have made a fair number of Gimp tutorials on NSider, but this is in no way being used to advertise them. If I wanted to do that I could quite easily with mass PM's, bumping and signatures.

I'd like to give out a special thanks out to BATTOUSAI0O0 for making the excellent banner at the top.



This thread is not for giving out Gimp resources, if you have one I'm sure that CurlyHairBoy and MyrrhCollector would appreciate you posting or giving Gimp resources to NSider. ^_^

If you are interested, please view the GIMP Resource Thread!

Q. What is the Gimp?

A. The Gimp or Gimp is a graphics program that operates similarily to Photoshop and Paintshop Pro. It is open source so new versions come along now and then (with input from other Gimp users). Gimp stands for gnu image manipulation program.

Q. So, is Gimp free, or what?

A. Yes, it is free. There isn't any 30-day trial or anything like that.

Q. So where do I download it?

Windows:

Windows Gimp Download Page.

You’ll need to download both the GTK+ 2 for Windows, as well as the Gimp program (whichever version is compatible with your computer)

You must download GTK+ 2 runtime before downloading Gimp or it will not run properly in many cases!

Mac:

Gimp Mac Download Page.

Now download the Gimp version that your computer can handle, AND make sure to download the X11 windows program. You need it to run the program [Gimp].

Q. I followed your link and came to a page with different mirrors on it, what do I do?

A mirror is just a location in which you can download files from, just select the closest one to you in location and continue to download it. But if it doesn't work still try another mirror.

Q. When downloading the Gimp Program, Winamp player is trying to open it, what can I do about that?

Follow these steps, then continue your download:

1. Click on the start menu and select Preferences->Control Panels.
2. Double-click on "Add or Remove Programs".
3. Now a window will pop-up, select WinAmp player and click on remove.
4. Your Gimp download should work now.

Q.What is the latest version of Gimp currently available?

The latest version for Macintosh is version 2.2.11 The latest version for Windows is 2.2.13

Q. So besides digital art and photo retouching, what else can it do?

It can also make animated GIF's. If you’re interested in making animations check out the animation tutorials made by NSiders in the 2nd post.

Q. I’ve heard of Gimp Animation Package, what is it exactly?

Gimp Animation Package or GAP for short is a bunch of plugins for handling more advanced animation and video.

Q. Does GAP work for Mac computers?

No. Unfortunately GAP is incompatible with the Mac operating system.

Q. When I've finished with my animation and I play it in an internet browser it flashes. How Can I fix this?

Re-open the animation in Gimp and if there are any layers that are blank (just a transparent or white background) delete them. Now save it again, and see if it works.

Q. Once I've saved an animation how do I change its speed?

Re-open your animation in Gimp. Now right click (CTRL key + click for Mac) and select "Edit Layer Attributes". There should be a number like 100ms in a pair of parenthesis like this "(100ms)". This represents 100 milliseconds; if you want your animation to move faster decrease this from 100, if you want it to move slower increase this from 100. Repeat for all frams (unless you have other plans for your animation).

Q. I have the Mac OS X 10.4 operating system, and I can't install X11 on my computer. What can I do?

Take your "Mac OS X Install Disc" that came with your computer, and put it in your Mac. Let it run to a point where you get the option of selecting a button called "Optional Installs". There you'll find X11, which you should check so you download it along with your software.

The above question's explanation can be fully credited to DSGAMER3002.

Q. I’ve heard of GimpShop, what is it?

Gimpshop is a hacked version of GIMP that is made to look like Adobe Photoshop in appearance. It is no better or worse than standard Gimp, but if you're used to using Photoshop and prefer the layout it may be a good idea to download it.

It can be found here for Windows and Mac.

Q. Who is that Fox guy that I sometimes see on Gimp pages?

His name is Wilbur, and he is Gimp's mascot. Here he is:

Image hosting by Photobucket

Q. Are there any tutorials available?

Yes, in the 2nd post there are over 90 tutorials available. Another good resource for Gimp Tutorials is Gimptalk.

Q. How do I install brushes?

Go to a website that has downloadable Gimp brushes (such as Deviant Art), download them, and place them in the "Brushes" folder which should be inside a "Gimp" folder. To make them appear, and be usable you can either quit Gimp and re-run it, or you can click on the refresh button near the brushes menu.

If you're not able to get your brushes to load using the above method, I would suggest using the following guides:

Setting up a Personal directory

Downloading Brushes & Fonts FAQ

The Simple and Easy Way to Download Gimp Brushes and Fonts

Sky's Step by Step Guide on Uploading Downloaded Brushes to GIMP!

Mr. Taco's Guide To Downloading Brushes On A Mac!

Q: How do I make brushes?

To make brushes all you need to do is go to file-> New... (input the dimensions you want the brush to be), now fill in the area how you see fit. Now go to Save as..., and save it as ".GBR" (Gimp Brush Format) and place the finished brush inside the "Brushes" folder. (within the folder Gimp)

Restart Gimp (or the computer if you need to), and your own brushes should work.

Q. How do I cut out an image from the background?

Select the Magic Wand tool, then click on the single colour background. Now go up to the menu and select Select->Invert. Now Cut and Paste your selected image. If all the white isn't gone, adjust the threshold bar below the toolbox when using the Magic Wand tool.

And if you still can't figure it out, there are several guides available on how to do this:

TYLER53741'S guide to cutting out the image

PURPLEHUSKYDAWG's How To Take Off White In Pics

How to remove/cut out non-white backgrounds.

How to get rid off white background in pictures.

I want to be able to edit my signature after I save it, how do I do that?

Before saving your file as anything else, save it as .XCF.

What is .XCF you ask?

Wikipedia has an answer to that:

"The XCF file format is the native image format of the GIMP image-editing program. It supports saving each layer, the current selection, channels, transparency, paths and guides. However, the undo history is not saved in an XCF file."

The XCF acronym is derived from the "eXperimental Computing Facility" which it originated from.

In short .XCF is the .PSD of the Gimp; it allows you to open finished or incomplete work later without altering the layers and other functions. It is also useful as a back-up file in case your .PNG or .GIF copy gets deleted.

Other Stuff:

If you would like to support this thread, you are free to use any of the following sig add-ons:

48 pixel add-ons:























90 pixel:



Credit for the first 48 pixel and 90 pixel sig add-on goes to BATTOUSAI0O0
Credit for the second and third 48 pixel sig add-on goes to SKYFALCON07
Credit for the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh 48 pixel sig add-ons goes to SHOJ_BLADE
Credit for the the eighth and ninth 48 pixel sig add-on goes to ALTRIKDOUT21
Credit for the tenth 48 pixel signature add-on goes to METROID139
Credit for the final 48 pixel signature add-on goes to EUGENIO1