How do I prevent the outline from dipping into an image that has gaps inside it?

[rich2005]

Quote:When I tried to open it it only gave me the option to go to the Microsoft Store to look for app to open with.

Oh child of MicroSoft click-n-wish
The correct way to open an image, any supported image format, is of course File -> Open  https://i.imgur.com/dEiVdqF.jpg

There are other ways, with Gimp open and using Windows Explorer, click-and-drag into the area top of the tool box. Ever wondered why it was there? That is the reason. You can also click-and-drag into the canvas area. No image active and the file opens. If an image already there the file is added as a layer. https://i.imgur.com/dnagy8N.jpg
Gimp not opened? Click-and-drag into the Gimp icon. Gimp opens with the image.  https://i.imgur.com/jRewM4w.jpg

Quote:I'm not sure if you know what I mean, it's not the edges of the image that's at issue but rather those gaps that I've filled in with the paint tool, they don't match the snowman's white and not sure why?

Well, the colour picker shows that the snowman white is white so maybe your FG colour was abit off or maybe partially transparent. 

Quote:Looked at your picture, howw did you get your image to have the gaps not filled and still have a outline??

The way described in the video. 
1. Made an initial selection (alpha-to-selection)
2. Refined the selection with quickmask to remove the gaps from the selection. 
Another xcf.gz for you to try. Saves on file-size, saves on  storage, saves on download.  Rememeber use File -> Open to open.



Truthfully there is a bit of work to get that original in a better state. Plenty edges to 'fix-up' either paint-in or erase-out with a tiny brush. That snowman will originally have been a vector image and you could remake as a vector, but that is another story.