Scale image or layer

[rich2005]

Use Ofnuts recommendation - Image -> Scale Image.

Lots of screen shots so not inline. Click to view. Keep an eye on the image size in the Gimp info bar.

1. This is what you are doing with the scale tool. http://i.imgur.com/m7gz1Mg.jpg
2. This is what you get. http://i.imgur.com/s92uV8I.jpg

3. A way out is Image -> Zealous Crop http://i.imgur.com/v1o41mK.jpg
4. Which gets you to your small image. http://i.imgur.com/uJuvsCf.jpg

What you should be doing is
5. Image -> scale image http://i.imgur.com/dHA2zjF.jpg
6. Gives this in one go. http://i.imgur.com/AQxEJX7.jpg