GIMP Review: The GIMP as a digital scrapbooking tool.

[SgD DESIGNS]

The GIMP as a digital scrapbooking tool. [Version 2.2]

For the purpose of this review, I would like to say that I am reviewing The GIMP as a Digital Scrapbooking Tool. The GIMP is an image editor tool and can be used for a variety of tasks, but this review will focus on its usage for digital scrapbooking.

The GIMP is a powerful and stable open source image editor tool that allows you to edit your images and create digital scrapbooks. You can even design your own digital scrapbook elements with it. It is very similar to PhotoShop on its capability and tools.

I had used The GIMP, PhotoShop, PhotoShop Elements, Paint Shop Pro, Paint.net and HP Creative, and other much simple scrapbooking Software like "Scrapbook Blow out", etc. I can honestly say that both The GIMP and PhotoShop have very similar functionality and capabilities and are very much different in price.

Yes. The GIMP is free, but just because something is free it doesn't mean is good or worthy to be stored on my machine for that matter. As a matter of fact, I had strictly prohibit my husband and my kids to download any "free" stuff on our computer while I remind them that "Nothing is for free" and that they are downloading "Free virus". Nevertheless, we had The GIMP and not only that, I keep on looking at the www.gimp.org to track the news on their latest gimp version.

The first thing that impressed me about the GIMP, after rejoicing at the fact that it was open source, was that it has layer capabilities. Its layer capabilities were what made me qualify it as a digital scrapbooking tool. Being able to keep each of the digital scrapbook elements on its own layers gives the scrappers the powerful advantage of manipulation. Each layer can be manipulated without affecting any of the other elements. This is the same control that you get in other advance image editor tools.
In addition, the digital scrapper can be delighted to know that with The GIMP:

• It can open and use PhotoShop Templates
• It can save its on digital scrapbook templates in XCF format
• It can save files as PNG, JPEG, XCF, etc, etc
• It can fix your photos
• It can modify their photos to black and white, sepia, and any other color.
• It can crop their digital papers, photos and layouts.
• It can resize any of their digital scrapbook elements, photos, and layouts
• It can add texture like canvas, etc, etc to their papers and photos
• It can use and create your brushes
• It can add additional fonts, brushes, and patterns
• It can resize their layouts for a web gallery or email.
• It can add shadows to their photos
• It can color "Color your own elements"
• It can create your own word art
• It can create text on path [version 2.4]
• It can transform (move, resize, etc) several layers at the same time.
• It can add, create and edit third party GIMP Scripts.
• It can apply special effects to their digital scrapbook elements and photos.

The Digital Scrapbooking Designer can be delighted to know that with The GIMP:

• It can create digital papers full of pattern and texture
• It can create its own blinks and avatars,
• It can create custom shapes using the pen tool
• It can create templates in XCF format and PhotoShop Format
• It can open, edit and save PhotoShop templates
• It can create its own brushes
• It can use PhotoShop brushes [version 2.4]
• It can create tags using custom shapes
• It can create your own word art
• It can create its own "Color Your Own" Elements
• It can add, create and edit third party GIMP Scripts.
• It can apply special effects create unique digital scrapbook papers and elements.

Although I am very impressed with The GIMP's layer capabilities compare to other Digital Scrapbooking tools, I have to admit that there are a few layer features that I would be delighted to see in The GIMP. For example, The GIMP layers style is not as fancy as the one in PhotoShop. Everything can be done in the GIMP, but each of these attributes ( e.g. the shadow, the blending mode, etc, etc) is added as its own layer and can't be copied to another element. If you want another element to have the same layer style, you need to redo all of the steps again for that element. This work can be tedious and inconsistent, so it would be great if in the future a new script or feature to copy layer style was created.

Another functionality that I would love to see in The GIMP, is ability to "drag-n-drop" several layers from one GIMP working window to another. This is a feature that as a digital scrapper, I tend to miss when I want to convert my 12x12 in. layouts to 8.5x11. As a work around, I just create a 8.5x11 paper inside my 12x12 layout and resize all of my layers at the same time to prevent changing the aspect ration between them.

The fact that The GIMP is a free, stable and advance Image editor program makes the GIMP the program of choice for the advance digital scrapper, beginning and intermediate level digital scrapbooker designers or simply for those who want to enter the digital scrapbooking world w/o the financial commitment.


Scrapbooks gone Digital!
Scrapbooks gone Digital! Digital Scrapbooking Tutorials

[jeninoregon]

Norma this is a wonderful snapshot of GIMP! Do you mind if I link to it from my blog? ~Jen

scrappygimp.blogspot.com

[SgD DESIGNS]

Not at all.... feel free!

[nifty]

Originally Posted by sgd

Although I am very impressed with The GIMP's layer capabilities compare to other Digital Scrapbooking tools, I have to admit that there are a few layer features that I would be delighted to see in The GIMP. For example, The GIMP layers style is not as fancy as the one in PhotoShop. Everything can be done in the GIMP, but each of these attributes ( e.g. the shadow, the blending mode, etc, etc) is added as its own layer and can't be copied to another element. If you want another element to have the same layer style, you need to redo all of the steps again for that element. This work can be tedious and inconsistent, so it would be great if in the future a new script or feature to copy layer style was created.

Another functionality that I would love to see in The GIMP, is ability to "drag-n-drop" several layers from one GIMP working window to another. This is a feature that as a digital scrapper, I tend to miss when I want to convert my 12x12 in. layouts to 8.5x11. As a work around, I just create a 8.5x11 paper inside my 12x12 layout and resize all of my layers at the same time to prevent changing the aspect ration between them.

I too wish we could select multiple layers to work on simultaneously. Obviously you need to able to do layers seperately as well because a 'thicker object' needs a deeper shadow. I have another software that allows me to alt-select several layers, an awesome feature.

As for drag-n-drop, you can drag-n-drop a file into the open document as a new layer without opening it. You can also drag-n-drop a layer from the layers pallete into another document.

[jeninoregon]

When an object is in front of multiple layers, but staggered, I create thicker shadows by using two drop-shadows then slightly nudging only one, and erasing where neccesary to get the right effect (ie. a thin shadow one one object then a thicker shadow on the background, to make it look further from the background). It takes a while, but it looks nice when it's done.