GIMP Working with Text


1) Start a new image with dimensions that hold your text. Plan for extra room.

2) Text Tool: Create a Text. Type in a name or something. Pick a font and Size of 50 pixels.


3) Adding a Shadow:

There are different ways add a shadow. There are many ways to add a basic shadow but some will
result in your shadow being clipped on the edges. So I'll show you a work around. This would also
Apply when part of your blur - or other filter - gets knocked off the text selection you apply it on.
I've found out you can do two things.

3.A) In your text dialog, you can enter a line return before the text, add some spaces before and
after the line of your text, and add a line return after the text. You can also set the text alignment
to center. This is a fast method to make empty space around your text. This makes your text layer
larger but might make it difficult if you use guides to align layers.

- or -

3. Under the Layers menu, select 'Discard The Text Information' on your selected layer. You wont be
able to edit the text so make certain this is the size you want. Now under the Layers menu select
'Layer Boundary Size'. The layer size may say something like Width: 337, Height: 52, add the amount of
space around the text. So if I was going to add a Gaussian Blur at 25 pixels, I would need to make the
width 337 + (2*25 pixels) = 387; height 52 + (2*25pixels) = 102. So I unchecked the lock icon, enter

the
new values, click the Center button, and finally resize.

4) Now make two (2) Duplicate copies of the layer (Duplicate button on Layers Dialog). You can rename
the layer to note any modifications on it.

5) Now on the Filters.. Blur.. select Gaussian Blur (on the Menu). Select 4 pixels and click OK.


6) On the second layer. Make a second Gaussian Blur with a pixel of 15.


7) Make three (3) copies of the layer. Right-click the layer copy (layer dialog box) and select Merge
down. Do this till all the duplicated copies are merged with the original. This shows gives a deep
shadow behind our text.


8) Make a copy of the original Text Layer. Right click the copy (layer dialog box) and select 'Alpha
to Selection'. Now that your text outline is highlighted.

8.1) From the Select.. select Grow (on the Menu). Select 1 pixel and click OK.

8.2) Now select the Bucket Fill Tool. Make sure the 'BG color' and 'Fill whole selection' is selected
(on the Tool options). This will allow you to paint with the white to the entire text selection. Now
with the paint tool click inside the selection.

8.3) From the Select.. Select None (on the Menu)


9) Now click the foreground color to open the color selection dialog. Change the foreground color to
something like blue. Select 'FG color' in the bucket tool options. Finally select the background color. Paint
the background blue.


10) Congratulations. You're done. You can save this as the native GIMP format (.xcf) or export to
jpeg.

I love this your tuto. It's clear, with nice examples. Exactly what I was looking for, a step-by-step explanation on how to do the thing.
By the way, I hate the sig obtained that way, I hate this blur, I hate the colour you used, but that's not the aim of this topic. The goal was teaching how to do this, and this goal is obtained. Thanks.
Yordan

Yes, really great tutorial, it is something I have been doing with Gimp, except a bit different things with the font, you could also write about how to add shadows with some different or custom gradients, make a reflection of the font add something inside, a picture with different opacity and etc.

Thank you for this great tutorial!

I made a signature for myself with this tutorial.
If you want to see it, here's a link:
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/1601/snakesigho2.jpg

Please make more useful GIMP beginner tutorials!
I only got GIMP yesterday!

pretty nice if green is your think, maybe tone down on the GB or try re-ordering your layers for a better effect.

Yeah I've been looking up a lot of tutorials and I've been becoming better.
I even started my own userbar tutorial for Astahost waiting to be accepted!

Oh and green, red, and black are my favorite colors.

~ Snake