Gimp 2.8.22 How do I crop to a Free Selection?

[Songbird]

After carefully outlining this pencil using the Free Select tool I went to Image and clicked on Crop to Selection, and it didn't. Instead it gave me a rectangular crop that hugged the pencil. Actually, all I really need is the pencil on a white background, and I'd like to draw a black line around the edge of the pencil. Can someone help me do this?

(I can't seem to attach a screen shot of what I'm talking about.... Do I need special permission from an admin?)

[sallyanne]

First you need to make sure your image has an alpha channel. Then after your selection, invert selection and delete. Depending on what you are doing you may want to feather your selection a little first as well.

You will still have a rectangular canvas but the ouside of your selection should be transparent now. Gimp doesn't do other than square or rectangle. Can be made to look otherwise though
Then if you want a black line around your pencil go selection to path - go back to the selection menu and turn off selection then - stroke path - make sure your foreground color is the colour you want to stroke.
Oh I forgot, if you want a transparent background after, do not export as a jpg. Export as a png.

[Ofnuts]

"Crop" in Gimp means cutting the image into a rectangle, so in your case, "Crop to selection" takes the smallest rectangle that contains your selection and crops the image to it.

To extract the pencil, two ways:

1) Delete the rest: Layer > Transparency > Add alpha channel (if not done already), Select > Invert (so that you select the background) and Edit > Clear to delete the background.
2) Copy to another layer: Edit > Copy, Edit > Paste, and Layer > To new layer (Ctr-C, Ctrl-V, Ctrl-Shift-N)

Note that either method won't give a truly satisfactory result (there will be a halo with the old background). But we will come to this later.

[Songbird]

(05-29-2022, 05:27 AM)sallyanne Wrote: First you need to make sure your image has an alpha channel. Then after your selection, invert selection and delete. Depending on what you are doing you may want to feather your selection a little first as well.

You will still have a rectangular canvas but the ouside of your selection should be transparent now. Gimp doesn't do other than square or rectangle. Can be made to look otherwise though
Then if you want a black line around your pencil go selection to path - go back to the selection menu and turn off selection then - stroke path  - make sure your foreground color is the colour you want to stroke.
Oh I forgot, if you want a transparent background after, do not export as a jpg. Export as a png.

Thanks, Sallyanne! I figured out a different way to get my pencil, but I KNOW I will be back here reading your answer, probably several times! I still have the rest of my logo to create!

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(05-29-2022, 09:23 AM)Ofnuts Wrote: "Crop" in Gimp means cutting the image into a rectangle, so in your case, "Crop to selection" takes the smallest rectangle that contains your selection and crops the image to it.

To extract the pencil, two ways:

1) Delete the rest: Layer > Transparency > Add alpha channel (if not done already), Select > Invert (so that you select the background) and Edit > Clear to delete the background.
2) Copy to another layer: Edit > Copy, Edit > Paste, and Layer > To new layer (Ctr-C, Ctrl-V, Ctrl-Shift-N)

Note that either method won't give a truly satisfactory result (there will be a halo with the old background). But we will come to this later.

Thanks, Admin Ofnuts! SUPER HELPFUL!!! I'm going to be back here reading this as I create the rest of my business logo!

[Songbird]

Ok, NOW: How do I put one image onto another? I need to put a pencil, a paintbrush, a set of music notes, and letters and numbers in certain specific places on the big smiley face I've drawn and saved. Also: how do I fine-tune the size of these images as I place them on the smiley face?

[sallyanne]

Open your image of a smiley face - File > Open > Browse for your image and open.
Open as layers one at a time -
File > Open as layers - each picture you want to put on top
Then while each layer is selected (you can only select one at a time) move them to the position you want.
If your layers are too large or too small you can scale them to size - either by using the scale tool or going to layer > scale layer.

[Songbird]

(06-15-2022, 02:40 PM)sallyanne Wrote: Open your image of a smiley face - File > Open > Browse for your image and open.
Open as layers one at a time -
File > Open as layers - each picture you want to put on top
Then while each layer is selected (you can only select one at a time) move them to the position you want.
If your layers are too large or too small you can scale them to size - either by using the scale tool or going to layer > scale layer.

Thanks, Sallyanne, but I already did these things. The scale tool won't let me fine-tune the scale of my second layer. Also, when I try to move my second layer as a floating layer, I can only see it within a rectangle. If I move it outside of that rectangle, it disappears from my view. Do you have any advice about that?

[sallyanne]

@ Songbird, If you get a floating layer. Click on the green icon - 'below the layer dialog', that will make it a new layer.

[attachment=8132]

If when you are scaling an object you want to not keep the aspect ratio, make sure this is unchecked in the scale tool options or the chain is separated in the scale dialog

[Songbird]

Thanks, Sallyanne, but my GIMP does not look like this, and I see that we are using different versions of GIMP. I don't want to change the aspect ratio, I just want to be able to see my entire image as I place it. When I enlarge the image I'm placing on my base layer, IT gets bigger but the rectangle in which I can view it (as a separate second layer) does not. Maybe this is just a version 2.8.22 issue?

[rich2005]

Quote:How do I put one image onto another? I need to put a pencil, a paintbrush, a set of music notes, and letters and numbers in certain specific places on the big smiley face I've drawn and saved. Also: how do I fine-tune the size of these images as I place them on the smiley face?....snip.....
....The scale tool won't let me fine-tune the scale of my second layer. Also, when I try to move my second layer as a floating layer, I can only see it within a rectangle. .....snip....
.... When I enlarge the image I'm placing on my base layer, IT gets bigger but the rectangle in which I can view it (as a separate second layer) does not. Maybe this is just a version 2.8.22 issue?

Making heavy going of this Have to confess, I do not understand that last bit, I think you must be copying and pasting. Not a good idea. Add your images using File -> Open as Layers Then each layer can be adjusted as required.Save your work as a Gimp .xcf file. All layers are saved and you can go back and adjust later if required.

This might be a little simple for you, but there might be something that you can use. Sorry forgot about text, but the text tool add its own layer anyway.  All in Gimp 2.8.22 https://youtu.be/YP-BNyuvH_0