Moving content between existing layers

[willip4]

Hi,

I am completely new to Gimp. I have a very simple image made of up two layers.  My image is too large to post as an attacbment

I want to cut and move some of the content on one of the existing layers to the other existing layer and vice and versa.
  
I have been reading up and can see information about the Select Float technique but this is not working. I tried cut and paste as new layer and then merge down but this just seems to move the section I cut out and not the image content.

I would just like to understand.
1) How I should select the content I want to move. I have been using the paths tool and then selecting the path.
2) How I can permanently move the selected content from my first layer to my second layer including the content on the screen.

I am feeling very slow at the moment!

Any help or pointers to existing tutorials would be much appreciated.

Cheers,
Willip4

[Espermaschine]

make a selection, copy, paste

[willip4]

(03-31-2018, 09:50 AM)Espermaschine Wrote: make a selection, copy, paste

Thanks for the prompt response.  When you say make a selection - how do I do this?
When you say paste - how do I paste onto an existing layer?

I attach a screen shot of my gimp image

I want to move the black lines from layer 2 to 1

I also want to move content from 1 to layer 2.

[Espermaschine]

Countless ways to make a selection:
basically all selection tools can be used (elliptical, rectangular, lasso, fuzzy, etc.) or a path and many more.

Lets say you have an active selection going on (marching ants are visible). All pixels in that selection of the active layer are now copied to the clipboard with the relevant command (like CTRL + C or Edit -> Copy).
When you paste (CTRL + V) as the next operation a floating layer will appear.
Click the new layer icon, and the floating selection will be turned into a new layer.

You can also click the anchor icon, which will merge the selection down to the selected layer (which is probably not what you want to do).

The problem with your question is that it does not address what the real goal is.
You say you want to copy something to a new layer, but what is really relevant is what you want to achieve.
The technique depends on the context.
For example: i can only explain to you how to make a selection when you tell me what you want to select.
Is it a person, or a red circle on black background, or irregular shapes on a busy background ?
etc.

[willip4]

Hi - that is most helpful - that has worked to a degree, but the part I have cut out is still appearing on both layers.

This is a brave new world to me!

[Blighty]

(03-31-2018, 09:54 AM)willip4 Wrote: When you say make a selection - how do I do this?
When you say paste - how do I paste onto an existing layer?

1. Select the first layer.

2. Use the selection tools to make a selection - demarcated by "marching ants". See attached image.
For more info see https://docs.gimp.org/en/gimp-tools-selection.html

3. Do Edit > Copy (or Ctrl-C)

4. Do Edit > Paste (or Ctrl-V)

5. In the layers dialogue you now get a "Floating Selection". You now get 2 options:
5.1 Right click the "Floating Selection" layer in the layers dialogue and do To New Layer
5.2 In the layers dialogue click the anchor button and the floating selection will be merged with the currently active layer.
Most often the To New Layer is the better choice.

If you selected To New Layer you will have a new layer at the top of the layers list. You can use the Move Tool to move it into the correct position. Possibly best to leave it as its own layer.

[Espermaschine]

(03-31-2018, 10:23 AM)willip4 Wrote: Hi - that is most helpful - that has worked to a degree, but the part I have cut out is still appearing on both layers.

Well copy does not cut. The command for Cut is CTRL + X.
But this will destroy your original layer to a degree.

[Blighty]

(03-31-2018, 10:23 AM)willip4 Wrote: that has worked to a degree, but the part I have cut out is still appearing on both layers.

Instead of using Edit > Copy use Edit > Cut
Result will depend on whether you have an alpha channel or not.

If no alpha channel the cut out section will be filled with background colour. If you have an alpha channel the cut out section will be transparent.

[Espermaschine]

Hello, echo

[willip4]

Thank you both so much. Final questions.
1) When I cut it only appears to cut out a white space and not the actual image I want to move. It has destroyed my original image.
2) How do I determine the alpha channel?
3) Is there a better way to do this?

I am trying to create an image I can silk screen print and ultimately just need two layer that I can print out and screen print.