Gimp Walk Through

Now use  the menu (in the  toolbox dialog) to create  a new image
(File ->  New).  The  image creation dialog  will popup,  asking you
some parameters about the image you want to create:
Useful  predefined   templates  for  standard  image   types  are
provided.  You  can select one  of them using the  ``From Template''
list.  I  will later teach you  how to modify the  templates and add
your own.

     You can also manually specify the parameters for your image.
     
    First you can specify its size in pixels.  The portrait/landscape
buttons just  swap the height  and the width.   As you can  see, the
amount  of memory  required for  keeping  the image  loaded is  also
shown.

(Layers)---

     The GIMP uses layers to simplify  the edition of images.  You can
think of  your image as a  stack of ordered layers.   Each layer can
have transparent see-through  pixels, that show the  contents of the
layers on the bottom, as well as solid pixels, which hide the bottom
layers.

     Use the  image menu  to bring  up the  layers dialog  (Dialogs ->
Layers) in the image where you added some text:
As you  can see,  our image  has two layers.   The top  layer was
created by  The GIMP when  we added our  text and the  bottom layer,
``Background'', was created when we created the image.

     The currently selected  layer is highlighted.  Its  size is shown
in the  image dialog using  yellow and  black lines.  If  you select
your text layer, you will see those lines surrounding the text.

     You can click on the little eye  icon to hide a given layer.  The
image will be updated without the layer next to the eye you clicked.
If you hide your text layer, you will see nothing but the background
(and the yellow  and black lines indicating the size  of the current layer).

     The buttons on the bottom of  the layers dialog will let you edit
the properties (the name) for the currently selected layer, create a
new  layer  and  raise,  lower, duplicate,  anchor  and  delete  the
currently selected layer.
 
     Right clicking  on a layer  will bring up  a menu with  even more
operations to  be performed  on a  layer.  Just  in case  this isn't
enough, you  can also find these  options in the Layers  menu in the
image dialog.
 
     I recommend you  actually read the menu options  for layers, most
should be self  explanatory (or will become self  explanatory as you
advance in this tutorial).

     You can move the layers individually.  Select the ``Move Layers &
Selections'' tool in the toolbox: Once  this tool  is selected  you  can drag  your layers  around.
Click in your text and drag it to whatever position you want.  It is easy to  miss the text and  drag the background instead;  undo might come in handy if you happen to do so.

     Once all your text is shown, right click on its layer and use the
``Layer  to imagesize''  menu option.   Assuming that  the layer  is
smaller than the image, new  transparent areas will be added causing
it to cover the entire image.

     Create a  new layer (by  using the buttons  at the bottom  of the
layers dialog or right clicking on  a layer in the layers dialog and
selecting the  ``New Layer''  option).  The  ``Create a  New Layer''
dialog will be shown. You  are prompted  for  the  properties for  the  new layer.   By
default, the  width and height will  be those of your  image (so the
layer will fill the entire image  region).  Make sure the layer fill
type  is ``Transparent''  to create  an entirely  see-through layer.

     Once  you are  done, click  OK.  Your  layers dialog  should look
 similar to this. In general, I advise you to keep creating multiple layers for all
the different ``objects'' that make up your image.  Try not to stack
multiple objects in the same layer: since many tools in The GIMP can
be applied to individual layers, keeping multiple things in the same
layer will make it difficult to modify them separately. Plus you might do somthing you don't like to one thing and you can always delet that layer by itself.

    Second you  can specify  the image's  resolution.  I  hardly ever touch those values, but you might find them handy.

    You can create either a RGB or a Grayscale image.  RGB images use
8 bytes per pixel and allow full color.  Grayscale images only use 4
bytes per pixel but only allow black and white images.

    Finally you can specify the initial contents with which the image
will be initially  drawn: foreground and background  use the current
colors shown in the toolbox; transparent, what I tend to use mostly,
leaves the image transparent.