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The Toolbox
The main window of The GIMP, shown in
"The Main Window" on page
204, contains the main
controls of the application. Closing it exits the application. At the very top, the menu bar offers
access to file functions, extensions, and help. Below that, find icons for the various tools. Hover the
mouse over an icon to display information about it.
The Main Window
Figure 14-1
The current foreground and background color are shown in two overlapping boxes. The default
colors are black for the foreground and white for the background. Click the box to open a color
selection dialog. Swap the foreground and background color with the bent arrow symbol to the
upper right of the boxes. Use the black and white symbol to the lower left to reset the colors to the
default.
To the right, the current brush, pattern, and gradient are shown. Click the displayed one to access the
selection dialog. The lower portion of the window allows configuration of various options for the
current tool.
Under the toolbox, a dialog shows options for the currently selected tool. If it is not visible, open it
by double-clicking the tool's icon in the toolbox.
Layers, Channels, Paths, Undo
In the first section, use the drop-down box to select the image to which the tabs refer. By clicking
Auto, control whether the active image is chosen automatically. By default, Auto is enabled.
Layers shows the different layers in the current images and can be used to manipulate the layers.
Information is available in
"Layers" on page
211. Channels shows and can manipulate the color
channels of the image.
Paths are a vector-based method of selecting parts of an image. They can also be used for drawing.
Paths shows the paths available for an image and provides access to path functions. Undo shows a
limited history of modifications made to the current image. Its use is described in
"Undoing
Mistakes" on page
211.
14.3 Getting Started
Although The GIMP can be a bit overwhelming for new users, most quickly find it easy to use once
they work out a few basics. Crucial basic functions are creating, opening, and saving images.
14.3.1 Creating a New Image
To create a new image, select File > New or press Ctrl+N. This opens a dialog in which to make
settings for the new image. If desired, select a predefined setting called a Template. To create a
204 SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 SP1 GNOME User Guide
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Troubleshooting
