REMOVING AND REPLACING PHOTO

BACKGROUNDS WITH GIMP

CAMILA CRAWFORD TECHNICAL WRITING INTENSIVE JULY 23, 2019

© 2019 Camila Crawford. This document was completed as the final requirement

for Technical Writing Certificate – Inclusive at Bellevue College.

Disclaimer: The following instructions have been written based on GIMP version 2.10 and may not be up
to date. Refer to www.gimp.org for the newest documentation information and latest software updates.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION TO GIMP ...................................................................................................................................... 5
GETTING STARTED WITH GIMP .............................................................................................................................. 5

DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAM ..............................................................................................................................................5

THE PROJECT SCREEN ......................................................................................................................................................6
OPEN IMAGES ................................................................................................................................................................6
Layers .....................................................................................................................................................................7
Zoom In ..................................................................................................................................................................7

REMOVING IMAGE SUBJECT FROM BACKGROUND ................................................................................................ 7

FREE SELECT TOOL ..........................................................................................................................................................7

Mistakes.................................................................................................................................................................8
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INTELLIGENT SCISSORS TOOL ............................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
Mistakes.................................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
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LAYER MASKS .................................................................................................................. ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
Mistakes.................................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
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FINAL TOUCHES ................................................................................................. ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

MOVE IMAGE .................................................................................................................. ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

RESIZE ............................................................................................................................ ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
FLIP ............................................................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
ROTATE .......................................................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
IMAGE EFFECTS ................................................................................................................ ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
Saturation ............................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Exposure ................................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Brightness-Contrast ................................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
SAVE .............................................................................................................................. ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

REFERENCES....................................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

STYLE SHEET....................................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

INTRODUCTION TO GIMP
GIMP, which stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, is a powerful image manipulation
software program comparable to Adobe Photoshop. It is a free, open source program that can be
used by anyone, from beginners to creative professionals. Its capabilities range from simple photo
editing to creating complex original images.

One commonly used technique in GIMP is cutting out and removing the subject of a photo and
placing it onto a new background. The technique is simple to learn and has many uses, from
replacing an unattractive background to creating a fun novelty project.

This guide will explain the basics from how to get started with the program, to creating and
finishing a simple project. GIMP can seem complex at first, but with a little practice you can master
the techniques and be able to create any type of photo project you wish.

GETTING STARTED WITH GIMP

In order to use GIMP, be sure to have the following:

 a computer with up-to-date operating system

 mouse
 internet access
 recent version of GIMP
 photos or images downloaded onto computer or accessible from the internet

DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAM

GIMP is free and easy to install. Go to www.gimp.org and select Download from the menu at the
top of the screen. Find the version that is compatible for your operating system and click to
download. For at-home use, the most commonly used versions are Windows and OSX. Follow all
directions and when installation is complete, double-click the GIMP icon to open the program.

GIMP website
THE PROJECT SCREEN

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Project Screen: (1) Tool box (2) Tool sizing options (3) Menu bar (4) Image Thumbnails (5) Current Image (6) Tool
shape options (7) Layers

After installing and opening GIMP, you will see a blank project window with tool panels on the left
and right sides. The menu bar is at the top of the screen. At the upper left is the toolbox, which
contains different tools and effects used to manipulate images. Below is a list of tool sizing options.
Thumbnails of open images will be seen at the top of the screen; click the desired image to view
it on the main screen.

The top right panel contains different tool shapes, and the bottom right panel shows the active
layers of a project. These will appear after you start the project and have added images.

OPEN IMAGES
To start editing your chosen image, go to File > Open, and a directory window will appear. Go to
the folder on your computer where the image is stored and click Open. The image will appear in
the project window.
To open your background image, go to File > Open as Layers, and select the image from the
directory window. The image will appear in the project window. To toggle between photos, click
on the image icon at the top of the screen.

LAYERS
Layers are simply images that can be stacked on top of one another. Your background image,
which covers the whole project screen, is a layer. The image you will be pasting on top of it is a
layer as well. Projects can consist of one or many layers; there is no limit.

ZOOM IN
To perform detail work, it is helpful to see the photo up close. From the menu bar, go to View >
Zoom > Fit Image in Window, or select a custom zoom level. To revert to normal view, go to
View > Zoom > Zoom out.

REMOVING IMAGE SUBJECT FROM BACKGROUND

There are several methods to separate the subject of an image from a background, depending
on the complexity of the image. This manual will cover three basic methods, from least to most
complex.

FREE SELECT TOOL

The Free Select tool is the easiest to use, and works best with simple, smaller shapes,
such as a circle.

1. To begin, select the Lasso icon located on the top row of the toolbox.
2. Click and hold the mouse on a point along the border, and slowly trace a
continuous line around the shape you wish to cut out.
3. To close the shape, hover the cursor over the starting point until it turns yellow,
then release the mouse button.
4. Once you’ve finished the outline, click once anywhere inside the border. This will
produce a “marching ants” effect, to show the border is separated.
5. If desired, use the Feather tool to blur the outer border to blend better into a new
background. Go to Select > Feather. A pop-up screen will appear and allow you
to select the number of pixels. The higher the pixel number, the stronger the effect.
6. Right click and go to Edit > Copy
7. Navigate to your background layer, by clicking its thumbnail at the top of the
screen.
8. Right-click on the background and go to Edit > Paste. The image will now be
visible on your background image.
9. On the right side of the project screen, you will now see an [eye] that says Floating
Selection. Right click on that and select To New Layer. The selected image will
now read Pasted Layer.
MISTAKES
If a mistake is made, discard the outline and try again. Click the move icon and go to
Edit > Undo Free Select.

Feather Select tool

Outlining with Free Select tool

Finished product: Left outline feathered by 5 pixels; right outline feathered by 12 pixels