creating a transparent overlay with text

[Sherry Barboza]

I am a small church secretary who is relatively new to GIMP. I need to create an overlay of text on a transparent background to place over a photo. In short, I use a photo of a baptism to  create the certificate of baptism for the individual, so I need to create this transparent layer with the basic text that can be altered with each individual. Not sure if I'm making sense. Can anyone help?
Sherry Barboza

[denzjos]

Load the photo in gimp and type the text using the 'text tool'. It is the icon with an 'A' character. Affter clicking on this icon, just click on a place on the photo and  type the text you want. You can change the size of the text, the font and the colour. You always can change the text afterwards.  

   

[rich2005]

(06-04-2024, 02:53 PM)Sherry Barboza Wrote: ....snip....so I need to create this transparent layer with the basic text that can be altered with each individual. Not sure if I'm making sense. Can anyone help?

Without knowing sizes, say you use US Letter size, you can create a blank layer using File -> New and choose the standard template. Choose the orientation and expand the dialogue - the advanced options - to show this:

   

Fill that up with your text (and maybe any extra graphics you want, If you keep a text layer for the name on top as a marker makes it easier.  Save this as a Gimp .xcf file which keeps all layers 

It might work like this.
File -> Open the image with the photo
File -> Open as Layers the text overlay
Export this with a new name. All layers are merged for png and jpeg formats. You might want to merge into a single layer for exporting as a PDF

A 50 second demo: https://i.imgur.com/4vLY9Pg.mp4

[Sherry Barboza]

(06-04-2024, 04:11 PM)denzjos Wrote: Load the photo in gimp and type the text using the 'text tool'. It is the icon with an 'A' character. Affter clicking on this icon, just click on a place on the photo and  type the text you want. You can change the size of the text, the font and the colour. You always can change the text afterwards.  

I appreciate your willingness to help. This isn't quite what I'm looking for. I need to create a transparent 'picture' to enter the baptism certificate data so that I can COPY and paste it onto a NEW person's certificate, just changing the name (so it needs to be editable).

[sallyanne]

Also when you do a text layer over any picture/photo the text shows and the rest of the layer is transparent.

You can create a template of sorts with text, do it on a transparent layer the size needed and make sure you save it as an xcf then you can change it whenever you want.
Each time you want to use it, add the template over your photo as a layer and change the text/colour etc  as needed before merging

Save your xcf as 'baptismal name' or whatever you will remember it is. By the way you can only change this in gimp. No other program.

I have added an xcf for you but you can do it anyway you want

[sallyanne]

After you do one, export it but before you close the picture in gimp, you will know where everything needs to go now. So delete the certificate layer and save as an xcf the template. You can do this only if all your certificates are the same (with names etc). Remember the xcf can only be changed in gimp.

[PixLab]

(06-04-2024, 05:31 PM)Sherry Barboza Wrote:

(06-04-2024, 04:11 PM)denzjos Wrote: Load the photo in gimp and type the text using the 'text tool'. It is the icon with an 'A' character. Affter clicking on this icon, just click on a place on the photo and  type the text you want. You can change the size of the text, the font and the colour. You always can change the text afterwards.  

I appreciate your willingness to help. This isn't quite what I'm looking for. I need to create a transparent 'picture' to enter the baptism certificate data so that I can COPY and paste it onto a NEW person's certificate, just changing the name (so it needs to be editable).

It is EDITABLE as did say @denzjos.

Is there something you did not understand?