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Changes can also be undone and redone with the Edit menu. Alternatively, use the
shortcuts Ctrl + Z and Ctrl + Y .
18.5.6 Layers
Layers are a very important aspect of The GIMP. By drawing parts of your image on
separate layers, change, move, or delete those parts without damaging the rest of the
image. To understand how layers work, imagine an image created from a stack of
transparent sheets. Different parts of the image are drawn on different sheets. The stack
can be rearranged, changing which parts are on top. Individual layers or groups of layers
can shift position, moving sections of the image to other locations. New sheets can be
added and others set aside.
Use the Layers dialog to view the available layers of an image. The text tool automati-
cally creates special text layers when used. The active layer is highlighted. The buttons
at the bottom of the dialog offer a number of functions. More are available in the menu
opened when a layer is right-clicked in the dialog. The two icon spaces before the image
name are used for toggling image visibility (eye icon when visible) and for linking
layers. Linked layers are marked with the chain icon and moved as a group.
Only layers with transparency (an alpha channel) can be placed above other layers in
a stack. To add this to a layer, right-click and select it from the menu.
18.5.7 Image Modes
The GIMP has three image modes—RGB, Grayscale, and Indexed. RGB is a normal
color mode and is the best mode for editing most images. Grayscale is used for black-
and-white images. Indexed limits the colors in the image to a set number. It is mainly
used for GIF images. If you need an indexed image, it is normally best to edit the image
in RGB then convert to indexed right before saving. If you save to a format that requires
an indexed image, The GIMP offers to index the image when saving.
18.5.8 Special Effects
The GIMP includes a wide range of filters and scripts for enhancing images, adding
special effects to them or making artistic manipulations. They are available in Filters
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KDE User Guide
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Troubleshooting
