We will choose the Transparency option. By proceeding, you agree our Cookies Policy. From the menu, select New from Visible.

To remove a layer from a group, drag it outside of the group. Then select the other two old layers and delete them. You can also use the create layer group icon in the layer panel. Grouping various layers lets you link them in an organized manner. Layer masks need to be added to a layer before they can be used. You can have a layer group inside another layer group. If I move the dandelion layer below sunset, then the entire sunset layer will become visible as shown in the second image. This way the edge of the selection will be soft, but still sharp. Then click on the Select option at the top and choose None from the menu. And believe me, it will be easier to learn how to use them, than to study how you could use them.

The dialogue box will open. The layer size can be changed in both the cases under Height and Width setting. Right-click on the layer in the right sidebar and select Add Alpha Channel. Navigate to the image and open it. If a part of a layer is transparent, you can see what there is in the layer below, if present. The difference between a Floating selection and a Layer is that a floating selections loses its ability to be a separate entity when the selection is deleted. You will see it looks very similar to the Photoshop equivalent. You can move, rotate, flip, and resize layers using the link feature.

So here, we will tell you a few methods to remove the background of an image and make it transparent using GIMP. The dotted line indicates the hierarchy of the layers. For instance, if you put a transparent image on top of a yellow image, the image will now have a yellow background. The difference between a Floating selection and a Layer is that a floating selections loses its ability to be a separate entity when the selection is deleted. Of course, I could have chosen a different color than black to create the mask. To reorder layers, click and drag the layer to its new position in the layer panel. Now we want to fade the selection of 3 pixels, so that the edge will be softer when we're going to cut the mountain to create a new layer that will be pasted above the new sky. Layer masks need to be added to a layer before they can be used.

Leave a Reply Cancel Your email address will not be published. First let's find out where we need to shift our attention. To do so, go to Select and click on Invert from the menu. Alternatively, right-click on the image layer from the Layer tab in the right sidebar and select Add Alpha Channel. For the purposes of this tutorial, we will let the mask initialize to White full opacity. In photo editing with Gimp the cut done with the scissors is called Selection or Mask, while the two different photos stacked one above the other are two different Layers. If you do not see it however, you can add it by going to the menu and selecting Windows — Dockable Dialogues — Layers. I think the best way to understand the Gimp layers is to use an easy to understand example: In the past, before computers, photo editing could be made cutting out a part of a photograph and pasting it on top of another photo, we'll do the same.

I think the best way to understand the Gimp layers is to use an easy to understand example: In the past, before computers, photo editing could be made cutting out a part of a photograph and pasting it on top of another photo, we'll do the same. In photo editing with Gimp the cut done with the scissors is called Selection or Mask, while the two different photos stacked one above the other are two different Layers. You can either manually input the size of your layer or use your mouse to change the size. You need to do it manually by clicking the mouse on the outline. Photography Deals. This website uses cookies. The selections: A selection is a mask, you can imagine it as "a border" that cannot be crossed by the various tools and effects that we are going to use. In the window that opens, you can name it, define its size and choose whether to fill the layer with color or have a transparent layer. Once the background is selected, go to Edit and hit the Clear button.

Choosing the foreground and background will add the respective colors present in the color dialog. Now we have to paste the mountain over this second photograph. Type the name that you want for your image followed by. Alternatively, right-click on the image layer from the Layer tab in the right sidebar and select Add Alpha Channel. Step 3: Right-click on the floating layer and select To New Layer from the menu. If you hide the bottom layer, you will see the new layer. Here you need to paste the layer that you copied. In the first method, click on the Layer option at the top.

We can apply any filter or make any change, and it will always affect only the layer that is actually selected on the Layers window. Once you have copied it, turn this duplicate layer off using the eye icon before the layer name. If you hide the bottom layer, you will see the new layer. Not everyone uses Adobe Photoshop, neither does everyone like it. Click on the minus sign to close the group. Alternatively, select the layer and click on the delete icon in the layer panel. When you make the image background transparent, it takes up the color according to the background of the new image. To link layers, hit the space present before the name of the layers that you want to link.

You can hide or show all layers at once by using the eye icon next to the layer group. Then again, click on Colors and select Brightness - Contrast from the menu. Following the steps above, add a layer mask to the desaturated layer and initialize it to White full opacity. A selection is a mask, you can imagine it as "a border" that cannot be crossed by the various tools and effects that we are going to use. So you can quickly identify such layers. Alternatively, tap the Delete key on your keyboard to delete it. Using the transparency mode adds a transparent layer quite useful for creating PNG files. With the new Floating Selection layer selected, click the Anchor layer option at the bottom. Once you add an alpha channel, you will see that the name of the layer in the Layer tab changes from bold to normal.

However, if you are creating a new image, you will have to set the size. Architecture Photography. Next up: Want to create fancy images with see-through text? We can apply any filter or make any change, and it will always affect only the layer that is actually selected on the Layers window. The selections can be found in the Gimp toolbar, they are divided and grouped into different types according to the kind of selection we have to make. The layering of orders is crucial while working on them. This comes quite handy in graphic designing. Alternatively, select the layer and click on the duplicate layer icon in the layer panel or drag the layer towards the duplicate layer icon. You will see it looks very similar to the Photoshop equivalent. The selected or the active layer will have a grey box around it.

Landscape Photography. Like in Photoshop not only can you change the opacity of the blend, by changing the opacity value, you can drag and drop layers into a new order, delete them, lock them and group them. If you hide the bottom layer, you will see the new layer. To remove a layer from a group, drag it outside of the group. So here, we will tell you a few methods to remove the background of an image and make it transparent using GIMP. With the new Floating Selection layer selected, click the Anchor layer option at the bottom. The dotted line indicates the hierarchy of the layers. You can use them for selective coloring, mockups, changing background, and many other things. Click the crop icon, select the area that you want to crop, and hit the Enter key to crop.

I want to fill this selection with black, but before I do I need to make sure that my foreground color is black. The layer remains a separate entity always, until we decide to merge it down. Layers without an alpha channel appear in bold. You can adjust the size of the pencil accordingly. Alpha channels are important for creating transparency. It is necessary to save transparent files either as. Unlike the Adobe product, there is no Fill mode. We will cover the following two here: Mask and Path tool. Even though GIMP is less powerful than Photoshop, it is one of its best alternatives for using layers.

Now we can move the "mountain layer" in the right position using the keyboard arrows or the move tool and we will never affect the layer on the bottom. You can now click inside the selection to fill it with the foreground color black. I decided to paint the boy on the fence. Macro Photography. The blend mode you choose is entirely down to what you are trying to achieve. So the basic rule is that the top layer will be visible. Alternatively, click on the new layer button at the bottom of the layer panel. Here you need to paste the layer that you copied. Underneath this we can choose to lock individual layers and then we come to the main Layer section where all the different layers are displayed.

After you export an image, the size of the layers will be cropped to the size of the canvas, and everything outside will be deleted, but while you are working in Gimp and you don't export, you can keep their informations outside the canvas. While that is stupendous, using GIMP may seem a bit challenging. Now again right-click on the same layer and select the option Duplicate Layer to create its copy. Click on it from the left sidebar to select it. We think that this short article should have clarified you what a layer is, at least in a theorical way, but if you really want to master the subject, you should start to follow our pratical tutorials, and you will use layers in different pratical ways. Difference Mode. There could be many reasons why you would want to do that. Once the tool is enabled, use your mouse to change the size of the layer. The canvas of GIMP starts with one main layer.

Beneath this we have the opacity tool. I repeat, select the main layer and not the duplicate one. The text will become editable. Not everyone uses Adobe Photoshop, neither does everyone like it. Layer masks are a fundamental tool in image manipulations. Photography News. We hope you enjoyed the tutorial. Alpha channels are important for creating transparency.

Camera Lenses. This will deselect the current selection. Grouping various layers lets you link them in an organized manner. For instance, in the below image, the top layer has dandelion, and only certain portions of the sunset layer are visible. Now we have to paste the mountain over this second photograph. As you type onto the image, you will see that the text tool automatically creates another new layer. There must therefore be at least two layers in the image to be able to use layer modes. The Scale Layer dialog box will open. Action and Sports Photography.

To superimpose an image or to import an image to a layer, you need to open it as a layer. Enter the required dimensions. Now we have to paste the mountain over this second photograph. To do so, go to Select and click on Invert from the menu. Using the Paintbrush Tool I painted over his shirt and head. In the window that opens, you can name it, define its size and choose whether to fill the layer with color or have a transparent layer. There are two ways to do so. Notice that the first option is to set the entire mask to White, which will result in full opacity on the layer no transparency from the mask. The selections can be found in the Gimp toolbar, they are divided and grouped into different types according to the kind of selection we have to make. In photo editing with Gimp the cut done with the scissors is called Selection or Mask, while the two different photos stacked one above the other are two different Layers.

Secondly, once the layer is created, double-click on the layer name. We can use GIMP to remove the background from any image. Action and Sports Photography. Now we can glue the mountain over the photo with the interesting sky to get a mountain with a nice sky. If you take the mountain and you move it outside the canvas, until you see only the tip of the mountain, you can release the mouse, work on the background, then take the tip of the mountain and move it back in the position and everything will be visible again. To do so, click on the eye icon present on the left side of the layer name in the layer panel. Check our tutorial on how to do it in GIMP. To start working on a particular layer, simply click on it once in the layer panel. Normally they are filled with an image, but they may also be empty. Next up: Want to create fancy images with see-through text?

A new text layer added and it's opacity reduced. When you open an image in Gimp by default the Layers Dialogue will be open on the right side of the screen. Camera Craft. In previous articles we have looked making your images sparkle and how to add graduated filters. Notice that the first option is to set the entire mask to White, which will result in full opacity on the layer no transparency from the mask. About Author. Since we need to delete the background and not the selection, we have to invert it. That gives you the freedom to manipulate your images in several ways. Then click OK.

Alternatively, right-click on the image layer from the Layer tab in the right sidebar and select Add Alpha Channel. Here you need to paste the layer that you copied. A dialog box will open. You can move, rotate, flip, and resize layers using the link feature. For instance, in the below image, the top layer has dandelion, and only certain portions of the sunset layer are visible. If you take the mountain and you move it outside the canvas, until you see only the tip of the mountain, you can release the mouse, work on the background, then take the tip of the mountain and move it back in the position and everything will be visible again. Food Photography. For the second method, first, select the layer and then click on the scale tool present in the toolbar. You can even drag the layer to the delete icon to remove it. Since not everyone is familiar with these tools, we'll start with the basics.

Typically, you would do it one by one. You can move, rotate, flip, and resize layers using the link feature. By proceeding, you agree our Cookies Policy. It will show up as a floating layer in the layer panel. Now that the background is selected, hit the Delete key. You can hide or show all layers at once by using the eye icon next to the layer group. Photography Post Production. There are two ways to do so. This list could be longer, and probably is difficult to understand what we listed if you don't know how a layer behave. Once you have selected the shape of the mountain, close the selection on the bottom right and left corners of the image.

So here, we will tell you a few methods to remove the background of an image and make it transparent using GIMP. Continue doing so until the two points meet and then hit the Enter button. As you can see in the image above, even though the top layer is the sunset layer, we can see dandelion and the layer below that. This comes quite handy in graphic designing. A new text layer added and it's opacity reduced. In this method, we will use the Path tool. To save your original layer from getting damaged while trying something new in GIMP, you can duplicate a layer. The Scale Layer dialog box will open. There are a ton of things that should be sayed about the layers: Layers have its own dimension and position, and it could be different from the image size.

Step 3: Right-click on the floating layer and select To New Layer from the menu. And believe me, it will be easier to learn how to use them, than to study how you could use them. I suggest you to open Gimp , so you can follow this tutorial on the layers in the program, to better understand. In photo editing with Gimp the cut done with the scissors is called Selection or Mask, while the two different photos stacked one above the other are two different Layers. As you can see in the image above, even though the top layer is the sunset layer, we can see dandelion and the layer below that. For the second method, first, select the layer and then click on the scale tool present in the toolbar. Imagine to have a picture of a very interesting sky and another one with a nice mountain, but a flat and dull sky. Unlike some free software, Gimp www. To duplicate a layer, right-click on the layer in the layer panel and select Duplicate Layer from the menu.

Action and Sports Photography. Alternatively, use the up and down arrows present in the layer panel to change the position of the selected layer. A chain icon will appear indicating that the layers are linked. Typically, you would do it one by one. Black and White Photography. You can recognize it by the small icon at the top, that looks like this:. There are two ways to scale a layer. Finally, select the duplicate layer but don't enable it that we had created and right-click on it. Alternatively, select the layer and click on the duplicate layer icon in the layer panel or drag the layer towards the duplicate layer icon.

There must therefore be at least two layers in the image to be able to use layer modes. Similarly, you can add multiple layers. In my example we are trying an HDR merge from a single image so the Overlay modes such as Soft Light will tend to work better. In previous articles we have looked making your images sparkle and how to add graduated filters. If you liked our Dodge and burn tutorial for Gimp , you could consider to support us: by clicking here you can see how. This allowed those colors to show through from the layer below. Like in Photoshop not only can you change the opacity of the blend, by changing the opacity value, you can drag and drop layers into a new order, delete them, lock them and group them. In the window that opens, you can name it, define its size and choose whether to fill the layer with color or have a transparent layer. You will see that the image is successfully extracted with a clear and transparent background.

Your email address will not be published. Photographic Composition. As you type onto the image, you will see that the text tool automatically creates another new layer. Similarly, you can add multiple layers. If we could cut away the sky, we'd get a layer with a "solid" mountain and a "transparent" sky. You can now click inside the selection to fill it with the foreground color black. To do so, you can use two tools: Color or Fuzzy Select tool. Alternatively, click on the new layer button at the bottom of the layer panel.

This allowed those colors to show through from the layer below. Then using this tool, draw the outline of the image that you want to keep. Close Menu Home. To delete a layer, right-click on it and select Delete Layer from the menu. We will choose the Transparency option. Once you add an alpha channel, you will see that the name of the layer in the Layer tab changes from bold to normal. So the basic rule is that the top layer will be visible. They can be bigger, they can be moved outside the actual canvas of the image, they are completely separate entities. However, if you want to crop manually, you need to use the crop tool present in the toolbar. You will see an identical layer.

Clicking on it will reveal a host of familiar looking blend modes. After adding the alpha channel, you need to select the background. There are two ways to do so. They allow you to selectively modify the opacity transparency of the layer they belong to. Now we can glue the mountain over the photo with the interesting sky to get a mountain with a nice sky. So the basic rule is that the top layer will be visible. Food Photography. A new text layer added and it's opacity reduced. You can move, rotate, flip, and resize layers using the link feature. Alternatively, select the layer and click on the delete icon in the layer panel.

When you open an image in Gimp by default the Layers Dialogue will be open on the right side of the screen. Of course, I could have chosen a different color than black to create the mask. There is a base image at the bottom of the stack, and a single layer of teal over it. A new text layer added and it's opacity reduced. And believe me, it will be easier to learn how to use them, than to study how you could use them. From now, make sure this is the layer that is selected as you need to work on it only. Then click on the Select option at the top and choose None from the menu. Street Photography.

The lighter layer in Normal Blend Mode. Not everyone uses Adobe Photoshop, neither does everyone like it. As you can see in the image above, even though the top layer is the sunset layer, we can see dandelion and the layer below that. Finally, select the duplicate layer but don't enable it that we had created and right-click on it. Black and White Photography. Then click on the Select option at the top and choose None from the menu. To unlink them, click on the chain icon. You will see an identical layer.

Then select the pencil tool and make sure the hardness strength is set to in the Brushes toolbox. If you liked this tutorial here you can find all the other guides we wrote about photo editing with Gimp , or you can go there to take a look to our photography tutorials. The layer and new layer dialogues. As you can see in the image above, even though the top layer is the sunset layer, we can see dandelion and the layer below that. You can even drag the layer to the delete icon to remove it. In this case we are going to use the freehand selection, to better follow the profile of the mountain. When you make the image background transparent, it takes up the color according to the background of the new image. Once you add an alpha channel, you will see that the name of the layer in the Layer tab changes from bold to normal. Check our tutorial on how to do it in GIMP.

Now we have to paste the mountain over this second photograph. Select a subject to copy and paste, so you can create a copy of the selected part in a new layer. The text will become editable. Now we can move the "mountain layer" in the right position using the keyboard arrows or the move tool and we will never affect the layer on the bottom. It could be used if we want to change the color of a flower, without affect the rest of the photograph. You can have a layer group inside another layer group. Of course this is possible, and that's what we're going to do. The layer remains a separate entity always, until we decide to merge it down. Once you do so, a layer with a folder icon will be created.

If you liked this tutorial here you can find all the other guides we wrote about photo editing with Gimp , or you can go there to take a look to our photography tutorials. Photo Genres. Black and White Photography. To save the image, click the File option at the top and select Export as from the menu. The text will become editable. Many times, we want to add an image from our computer onto the current image. Latest Posts July 29, With the new Floating Selection layer selected, click the Anchor layer option at the bottom. There must therefore be at least two layers in the image to be able to use layer modes. Beneath this we have the opacity tool.

A selection is a mask, you can imagine it as "a border" that cannot be crossed by the various tools and effects that we are going to use. About Author. If we could cut away the sky, we'd get a layer with a "solid" mountain and a "transparent" sky. To do so, you can use two tools: Color or Fuzzy Select tool. Open a suitable shot in Gimp, then from the menu select Select — All. June 10, To duplicate a layer, right-click on the layer in the layer panel and select Duplicate Layer from the menu. The layer remains a separate entity always, until we decide to merge it down. In the first method, click on the Layer option at the top.

Photography News. Since we need to delete the background and not the selection, we have to invert it. As you can see in the image above, even though the top layer is the sunset layer, we can see dandelion and the layer below that. Then go to Transparency and select Add Alpha Channel. Let's see the result. All you need to do is press a button. The dotted line indicates the hierarchy of the layers. You get five options: foreground, background, white, transparency, and pattern. When adding a layer to an existing image, the layer size will be the same as that of the image. Accept and close.

Right-click on the layer in the right sidebar and select Add Alpha Channel. After you export an image, the size of the layers will be cropped to the size of the canvas, and everything outside will be deleted, but while you are working in Gimp and you don't export, you can keep their informations outside the canvas. There are two ways to do so. Step 3: Right-click on the floating layer and select To New Layer from the menu. First let's find out where we need to shift our attention. Landscape Photography. You can move, rotate, flip, and resize layers using the link feature. All you need to do is press a button. Let's see the result.