Making a Page in Gimp

When I first opened Gimp, it opened three windows like this:

The First is what is called your layers box. This is where each page or element you use will go and this is also where you will be able to move them around, depending on where you want them (in front of or behind another object) the middle box is where your page will appear, and this is your workspace. The third, is your toolbox. We will talk about the ones you need to know in a bit.

BACK UP A BIT!!!:

Up until now, I have assumed that ya’ll know that you need to have kits to be able to make a page….but I guess, if you are beginners, you probably are going to need to know where to get those too! So, quickly, here is a list of sites that offer freebies almost every day!

These websites search for all of the daily freebies and bring them to you in one place:

http://suzee-q-stuff.blogspot.com/

http://handpickedfreebies.blogspot.com/

http://scrapbook.creativebusyhands.com/

http://www.browniescraps.com/

http://www.foreverfreedownloads.com/page/2/

Here are a few places that offer free kits all the time:

http://www.summertimedesigns.blogspot.com (One of my favs!!)

If you prefer to purchase them, I use two sites that are my favorite, but I am sure there are tons and tons and tons of them out there!

http://www.browniescraps.com

http://www.gottapixel.com

*If I could just give one little word of advice: Don’t separate out your kits! It’s very hard to give credits to the designer when you don’t know where you got it from, and also, it is a great big pain to try to find something to match a kit when you have them all compiled together! I made this mistake once and spent hours putting them back. My suggestion is that you Make a folder name, and then three subfolders under that: Papers, Elements, and Alphas. Also, some have Word Arts in the kits and when they do, I also make a Word Art subfolder in that kit. Just suggestions though; do what ya want!

Okay, so let’s get started already!!

MAKING YOUR FIRST SCRAPBOOK:

I found the easiest way to learn this, is to just find a tutorial that will show you how to make a scrapbook without getting into too much detail about exactly how or why you have to do things this way or that. So, that’s exactly what we are going to do! If you have any questions at anytime please feel free to email me at liviesmommy2008@yahoo.com and I will try to answer your questions as best as I can!

Step 1:

Open your program already!!

*Note: If your program opens up and does not look like the screen shots, it is probably maximized. You can work with it like this also! Or you can restore it back to the smaller screen. Either way, if you ever need to zoom in or zoom out on your page, you can use these commands:

*Shft+ (to make larger) and – (to make smaller)*

Step 2:

Okay, so you are staring at a blank Gimp Screen. The first thing we need to do is make a new Project. Go up to your File Menu and click on “New. This will bring up a screen like this:

In the Image Size Section, we are going to change the Pixels to 3600 X 3600 or 12 X 12 inches. You may type this in however you may prefer by using the drop down menu next to the box labeled “height” and changing it to inches. Okay, we need to check one more thing before we move on!

Go down to the area that says “Advanced Options” and click on the Plus Sign(+) next to it. Find the box that says, “Fill With” and make this say TRANSPARENCY! THIS IS IMPORTANT!!

Now, your Workspace should look like this:

*Note: Notice that the windows are in a different order from the original screen shot? You can move them around to wherever you feel most comfortable using them. This order is the most comfortable for me.

Step 3: Let’s Get Acquainted!

Okay, so, notice that your 12X12 box in the middle looks like a checkered piece of paper. This is just what “transparency” looks like. This means that there will be no color on this layer when you save your file. It is TRANSPARENT!

In the Window to your right (or left if you did not switch them around), is your Layers Window. This is where your will spend a lot of time! Each Page or Element that you add to your scrapbook page will show up down here. Everything is a Layer. Each layer is separate from the other. I will show you why this is important when we start building your page!

Step 4: Choose a Background Layer

Okay, this is where the fun begins! We are going to put down our first layer! I am going to use a kit that anyone of you can also use. It is from Summer Drigg’s website http://summertimedesigns.com and it is called Limeade. You can find it here: http://summertimedesigns.blogspot.com/2008/08/blog-post.html you can also use any kit you have! It just might be easier to follow along if we are all using the same kit!

We are going to go to the File Menu now and click on the word “Open As Layers”

Get very comfortable with this Command! You will be using it A LOT!!! (File + Open As Layers)

Now, this will open your documents in your computer. Find the folder that contains your Digiscrap Material. For example, mine is in Documents, Digiscrap, Kit’s to keep together, and then whatever kit I want to use.

Open your folder and choose a Paper. If you are following along with the Limeade Kit, Please choose the paper labeled “Dots” by doubling clicking the paper or clicking on the paper and then selecting Open in the bottom right hand corner.

Now, your screen should look like this:

We have just laid our first paper! You will see that we now have two Layers in our Layers Window on the right. One is our background and the other should be your Dots Page! *Note: if you want to you can click on the name of that layer and change it to something easier to find like: Dots Page or Layer 1.

Step 4: Adding More!

Okay, so we want more than one page on our scrapbook so, now we are going to grab another! Again, File+ Open As Layers and choose your next page or element. In this case, we are going to choose another paper, I am going to go back to the Limeade Kit and Use the one labeled “FLOWERS”. Now, your screen should look like this:

The paper we just added will be placed on top of the dotted paper. Now, just for fun, and to get you to understand the Layers Window, we are going to switch the papers around so that the dotted paper is on top!

Go over to the layers window on the right and select the dotted paper. You will know which layer you have selected by the color. The one that is selected will be highlighted first blue, and then when you click back to your Workspace in the Center, it will become Dark Gray.

Now, hold down your Left Click and drag the dotted Layer over the top of the Flower Layer

Release your mouse and now your dotted layer should be the one on the top!

That was fun! Now, let’s make this page!

Step 5: Scaling Layers

Okay, now we are going to make sure that the dotted paper is the layer highlighted in our layers window (on the right) and then we are going to go to the paper in our workspace and make it smaller.

You can do this, one of two ways. I am a shortcut person and prefer to use keyboard shortcuts; however, if you are a clicker, I will also tell you how to do it this way as well!

Shortcut: Hold down Shift and the Letter T (Shft+T)

Clicker: Go to the toolbar window on your left and click on the shape that looks like a Square box with an Arrow pointing down through it. Third Row, 4^th one in.

*HOVERING OVER EACH TOOL WILL TELL THE NAME OF THAT SPECIFIC TOOL*

Okay, if you know the exact size of the paper you would like, you can change it in the boxes. The drop down menu will allow you to change pixels to inches. However, I never really know the size I want until I mess with it a bit, so, we are going to move the Scale Layer box over a bit, off of our paper, and use the squares at the corners to click and drag (they will appear when you click on the corner you want to drag from). You can also use the squares at the tops and the sides, but be very careful! This could distort your paper!!

Once you get your paper the size that you want it, if you are following along, you want it to look like this:

Now, you will want to Press “Scale” on the Scale Layer Window that you moved to the side (or just press Enter). You will see a green line going across the bottom of your workspace screen. This is the program showing you that it is working on your request. The green line will disappear when it is finished.

In order to get out of the Scale Layer Mode, you will need to click on the Move Tool in the Tool Bar, or….you can just press the “M” key on your keyboard! The move tool is the one that is a cross made of arrows on both ends.

Now, we are going to grab the dotted paper and drag it to the center of the Flowered Paper. If the paper still seems too large, go ahead and rescale (Shft+T). Don’t forget to press Enter after you get your paper how you want it! Then, Press “M” and move your paper back to the center.

Your page should look like this now:

Good Job!! Let’s Move On! Now, we have two different Layers and our papers set where we want them. It’s time to add some elements to set off the page.

Step 6: Adding Elements

Okay, you are getting pretty familiar with it now, so think about that next step and see if you can do it by yourself! …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Still need a little Help? That’s Okay! File + Open As Layers!

Time to choose some pretty’s as my two year old would call them! If you are working in this kit, the first element we are going to grab is the black polka dotted ribbon labeled “Black Dotted Ribbon”.

The Ribbon comes in a bit large so we need to scale this down a bit, so that it fits just across the top of the dotted paper. So, hit Shft+T (or use your tools and find the scale tool) and then scale the dotted ribbon so that it is just as long as the dotted paper. Be careful to only pull the corners (and possibly tiny bits at the ends) so that you don’t distort the ribbon.

*Note: If you do mess up the ribbon, hit cancel and start over!

I have moved the Ribbon to the top by Pressing the “M” key on your keyboard and then clicking and dragging. Now, we are going to move it again, just slightly down the page. So that maybe an inch of the dotted paper is showing at the top:

*Note: If something else moved that wasn’t your ribbon, then you probably have a different layer selected in the Layers window! Make sure that the layer you want to work with is highlighted!!

Okay, this is what your page should look like at this point:

Okay, let’s add more!! File+ Open As Layers and then add the ribbon labeled, “Green Ribbon”. This too, will come in a little too big and we will need to scale it down to the same size as the black ribbon. You will probably need to make your Work Space smaller in order to find the corners of the green ribbon, do this by tapping the minus (-) key until you are satisfied. Then, to make it bigger again, hold down shift and tap the plus sign (Shft+) Remember to try to only scale from the sides if you can so that we do not distort the ribbon. (if you can’t get these commands to work, click anywhere in the workspace and then try them again)

I noticed that I had to grab the ribbons a bit at the end of them to pull it to the edge of the paper. Do this if you need to! Tiny bits will not distort, but try dragging it like that across the entire Scrapbook Page and see what happens!

Okay, so right now, the green ribbon is on top, but we want to move it under the Black Ribbon. So, go to the layers window and highlight the Green Ribbon. Click and Drag so that the green ribbon is under the black ribbon! Don’t go too far or your ribbon will end up under your papers!

Now, it should look like this:

Okay, now you can’t see your green ribbon and that’s a problem. We could have just moved the green ribbon a bit above the black before we moved it down a layer, but since I want you to know how to get out of hard spots like this, we went ahead and did it the hard way! . So, your green ribbon is still selected, if it isn’t, select it now in the layers window and click somewhere in your workspace. Now, using the arrows on your keyboard, “Nudge” the green ribbon with the up arrow so that you can see it again! If you can see your ribbon, grab onto any part of it that you can see and drag it up.

Now we are going to adjust it so that it is part under the black ribbon and rotated a bit. Right Now, we are just going to rotate the ribbon and then we can move it under the black. New Command! Shift Key Plus R (Shft+R) Or, using your tools, hover over until you find the Rotate Tool. There will be two rectangles with curved arrows around them.

Click on the Ribbon and adjust it so that the end on the right is slightly slanted upward:

Now, Hit that “M” key on your Keyboard that we are becoming so familiar with (or again, use the toolbar) and move the green ribbon so that the left end is positioned under the black ribbon:

Okay, now let’s add one more Element! So, File+ Open As Layers and select the big green bow. If you are having trouble being able to preview what you are clicking on, click on the preview box and it will generate a preview for you.

It again, is a bit big so let’s scale it down. Then, we are going to move it to the ribbons and rotate it a bit so that it is sitting at an angle. It should look like this when you are done:

The steps are as Follows Using the Shortcut Keyboard Keys. If you prefer to use the tools remember every short cut is a tool in the toolbar!

Step 1:

Shft+T : Scale the Bow to make smaller

Step 2:

M: Move the Bow to the ribbons (If your bow goes under the ribbons, remember to move to the top in your layers window!)

Step 3:

Shft + R: Rotate the Bow so that it is sitting at an angle on the bows

Your Page should look Similar to this when you are done:

Step 7: Adding your Pictures

Now we are going to insert a photo! After all, isn’t that what a scrapbook is made of?!!

Again, File+ Open As Layers

Now, go to your pictures and select a photo of your choice. I am going to use a picture of my daughter Olivia.

Depending on your picture size, this could come in fairly large! If it does and you cannot see the edges, use the Minus Key (-) to make your workspace window smaller until you find them. Scale the image (Shft +T) and then you can zoom back in with Sfht+ .

BE VERY VERY CAREFUL WHEN SCALING YOUR PHOTOS!! GO SLOW!! DISTORTING YOUR PICTURES IS VERY EASY TO DO WITH GIMP!! PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! REMEMBER-YOU CAN ALWAYS CANCEL THE SCALE AND START OVER IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR PICTURE LOOKS FUNNY!

We want our Picture to go UNDER the ribbons. So, go over to your Layers Box and move the photo down until it is under both ribbons and the bow.

CONGRATS!! YOU JUST MADE YOUR FIRST VERY BASIC PAGE!! WE ARE GOING TO GO UP AND SAVE IT NOW, LATER WE WILL DISCUSS ADDING TITLES AND JOURNALING…ALSO USING DROP SHADOWS WHICH ARE GREAT ELEMENTS TO ANY PAGE!!

SO, GO UP TO YOUR FILE MENU AND CLICK ON FILE SAVE AS. MAKE A NEW FOLDER OR IF YOU ALREADY HAVE ONE, MAKE SURE YOU ARE IN YOUR FOLDER THAT YOU WANT YOUR NEW PAGES TO BE SAVED TO. NAME YOUR PAGE (AT THE TOP) AND AFTER IT PUT .XCF. FOR EXAMPLE, MY PAGE NAME IS GIMP TUTORIAL.XCF

CLICK SAVE. .XCF FILES ALLOW YOU TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AND MAKE CHANGES TO YOUR PROJECT ANYTIME YOU WANT! YOU WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO OPEN THESE IN GIMP.

NOW, WE ARE GOING TO GO BACK UP TO FILE AND SAVE AS. THIS TIME, WE ARE GOING TO SAVE OUR FILE NAME AS A .JPG. PUT IT IN THE SAME FOLDER AS YOUR .XCF FILES AND NAME IT THE SAME THING, JUST CHANGE THE .XCF TO .JPG AND CLICK SAVE. THIS ALLOWS YOU TO POST IT TO THE INTERNET AND ALSO PRINT OUT YOUR PAGES!

AFTER CLICKING SAVE A BOX POPPED UP THAT LOOKED LIKE THIS:

CLICK ON EXPORT. THIS WILL FLATTENYOUR IMAGE TO MAKE IT A PICTURE WITHOUT THE LAYERS.

NOW YOU WILL GET A BOX THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS:

THERE IS A QUALITY BAR AT THE TOP….ALWAYS SAVE AT AT- LEAST 95% SO THAT YOU WILL GET THE BEST QUALITY PRINTS AND UPLOADS! NOW CLICK SAVE AND YOU ARE DONE!! THERE YOU GO! BE BACK SOON FOR MORE TUTORIALS!!