How to use GIMP to edit photos

As is known, there are many photo editing software that can replace Photoshop such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom , PhotoScape or Corel PaintShop Pro ... However, when it comes to efficiency, features and interface, GIMP can be considered as "twins". If you have installed GIMP but do not know, not familiar with how to use it, you can refer to the following tutorial.

GIMP for Windows GIMP for Mac GIMP Portable

Before embarking on implementation, you need to pay attention to some important points as follows:

  • Go to Windows / Single-Window Mode to activate all tools and put them in the common toolbox.
  • Photos open in the default mode is zoom mode ( Zoom ), so it is best to View / Zoom / Fit Image in Window to adjust accordingly.
  • Image changes made with GIMP are not reversible, so it is best to do this on a copy of the original image.

Rotate images in GIMP (Rotate)

Rotate an image or Rotate with a square icon with 2 opposite arrows (shown below). Can click on the icon to use or press the keyboard shortcut SHIFT + R .

How to use GIMP to edit photos

Then click anywhere on the image to make the Rotate box appear . In the Angle , you can choose two arrow keys to change the rotation angle (each click corresponds to a rotation angle of 10 degrees). You can also enter the correct number directly there if you wish.

How to use GIMP to edit photos

Select the rotation angle, click on Rotate to perform. The image will be rotated with the corresponding angle, go to Image / Autocrop Image to remove the excess from the rotating image and retain the main part.

Cropping in GIMP (Crop)

This is the most effective way to remove redundant details or take photos of the desired size. Select the Crop tool (tip) to get started. Then click on any point in the image, hold and drag to start framing the part to be cropped. You can also press the SHIFT key to crop the image with the original scale.

How to use GIMP to edit photos

We can also use the shortcut SHIFT + C to perform this crop if you are familiar with the hand. After creating the frame to be cut, can:

  • Click on the markers on the frame and move them to change the selected image.
  • Click in the middle of the image, hold and move to change the image area.
  • Hit Enter to perform the Crop.

Adjust image brightness

Adjust the brightness of the image (also known as the exposure of the image) to help you take photos with the most appropriate, standard colors.

How to use GIMP to edit photos

Go to Colors / Brightness-Contrast , when the options like the below appear, adjust the Brightness or Contrast bar to change the exposure of the image to the desired level. Click Preview to preview the image with the operation just made, OK to perform.

How to use GIMP to edit photos

A small note is that if you are adjusting for JPG images, you should enter the exact number in the cell of that bar or adjust appropriately to avoid losing the original color or reducing image quality.

White balance

This is a term often used to talk about how we handle fake, unrealistic tones on every image detail.

How to use GIMP to edit photos

Open the image to adjust, go to Colors / Auto / White Balance , this option will immediately take effect. However, because it is Auto, GIMP will automatically analyze and adjust, if you feel that it is not reasonable, or want to have other special effects, just go to Colors / Levels and select an intermediate pixel. Other colors will be calculated and changed based on this intermediate color.

How to use GIMP to edit photos

A little tip is that you should choose this intermediate pixel in the dark areas and try on many different points until you choose the best color.

Adjust image colors

This is also one of the most used photo editing tips. Not only does it create impressive photos, it can sometimes "trick" viewers with misunderstandings about the color of the image.

How to use GIMP to edit photos

Just go to Colors / Hue-Saturation , this is the saturation mode. From here, you can change the options bar to change the color of the image. However, if it is too much, the photo will become very fake and lose the truth. It is best to change slowly or enter the correct number in the box next to it.

If you are a photo editing experience, you can directly change details for each color in the image (6 basic colors). And don't forget, the Lightness bar is just as effective and important as Hue or Saturation.

Adjust the contrast

Contrast is usually not too important, but in some photo situations, it will help the image to have more depth, or even change the image material (style).

How to use GIMP to edit photos

Go to Colors / Levels , the Levels dialog box appears as the picture above. And you can see a graph of the current contrast of that image. The left side is dark ( black ), the right is light ( white ), and the middle is the intermediate color ( gray ). Just change one of these three options (using the triangle below the bar), and we'll make a lot of changes to the image.

Remove dust, dead spots

If you do not hold the camera carefully, the lens may become moldy and cause the photo taken with the black dots to appear. Or this could also be the dirt on the lens cause.

How to use GIMP to edit photos

If you want to fix this, you just need:

  • Zoom in a little bit for easy operation, click View / Zoom / 1: 1 or press 1 on the keyboard.
  • Then press the spacebar and use the left mouse button to click on the image, move to the image area to be edited.
  • Select the tool named Healing Tool ( shortcut H ) to get the implementation tool.

By default, the edit icon will have a circle of a certain size, but we can use the [ or ] key to resize it more appropriately.

How to use GIMP to edit photos

  • Hold CTRL (Windows) or CMD (on Mac) at a sample point.
  • Release and move the mouse to the area, pixel to be deleted, then left-click.

This will turn the dirty pixel into a color similar to the sample we have just selected. Repeat several times until the dirty spot disappears or the desired level is reached.

How to use GIMP to edit photos

In addition to the above basic operations, you can discover more about GIMP by:

  • Use third party plugins.
  • Learn about Curves - the dominant color and tone control tool for photos.
  • Masks - blend multiple images, image overlays.
  • Clone and Airbrush and many other tools that GIMP is providing you.

In short, GIMP photo editing software will be quite simple if you have used Photoshop or have some experience in photo editing. If not, this article is also the initial reference that you need if you decide to use GIMP.

Sign up and earn $1000 a day ⋙

Leave a Comment

Instructions to fix the error “Network path was not found” in Windows

Instructions to fix the error “Network path was not found” in Windows

When a computer, mobile device, or printer tries to connect to a Microsoft Windows computer over a network, for example, the error message network path was not found — Error 0x80070035 may appear.

How to block Internet connection of Windows 10 software and applications

How to block Internet connection of Windows 10 software and applications

We can block Internet access for any application or software on the computer, while other programs can still access the network. The following article will guide readers on how to disable Internet access for software and applications on Windows.

How to Stay Safe on Windows 10 Until 2030

How to Stay Safe on Windows 10 Until 2030

Instead of paying $30 for a year of security updates, keep Windows 10 safe until 2030 with this simple solution.

Windows Startup Tips That Will Save You From Dangerous Malware

Windows Startup Tips That Will Save You From Dangerous Malware

When it comes to Windows, it’s always helpful to know a few tricks for when your computer starts to crash. Many people have recently encountered a similar situation, and have restarted their computers with this super simple trick.

Using CMD to Delete Large Folders on Windows

Using CMD to Delete Large Folders on Windows

Large folders on the system are one of the culprits that eat up a lot of system space. Many folders that you create, after deleting them, will come back after a while. Maybe those are junk folders that you try to remove them.

11 Ways to Open Recycle Bin on Windows

11 Ways to Open Recycle Bin on Windows

This guide will help you answer the question Where is the Recycle Bin in Windows 10? and let you choose the most comfortable way to reach the Windows 10 Recycle Bin location:

How to reset Windows Security settings on Windows

How to reset Windows Security settings on Windows

On Windows, sometimes you also need to reset Windows Security settings to default to fix some connection errors, stop working or simply want to return to the original state...

Heres how to check if your IP address is static or dynamic

Heres how to check if your IP address is static or dynamic

To check if the IP address you are using is a dynamic IP address or a static IP address, you can refer to the article below by WebTech360.

Instructions to block automatic driver installation on Windows 11

Instructions to block automatic driver installation on Windows 11

Windows 11 can download drivers for your computer without user intervention, but you don't always want to install drivers automatically to avoid unwanted problems.

How to Run and Stop Clean Boot on Windows 11

How to Run and Stop Clean Boot on Windows 11

Clean Boot is a troubleshooting technique used to start Windows with a basic, essential set of drivers and startup programs.

How to clone Windows hard drive without third party software

How to clone Windows hard drive without third party software

The cloning process involves moving data from one storage device to another (in this case, a hard drive) with an exact copy copied from the destination drive.

How to Disable Fast Startup on Windows

How to Disable Fast Startup on Windows

Fast Startup Windows 11 helps your computer boot faster, but it can also be the reason why your Windows computer doesn't shut down completely.

How to enable cloud storage file search on Windows 11

How to enable cloud storage file search on Windows 11

Search on Windows 11 pulls results not only from files and apps on your computer, but also from cloud storage linked to your Microsoft account.

Coding is not as difficult as you think

Coding is not as difficult as you think

Once you learn and actually try it out for yourself, you will find that encryption is incredibly easy to use and incredibly practical for everyday life.

How to Open Control Panel on Windows 11

How to Open Control Panel on Windows 11

Control Panel still plays a vital role in many of the configuration tasks you need on your new operating system. Here are a few different ways you can access Control Panel on Windows 11.