[plug] anyone here REALLY good with GIMP?

[Alex Nordstrom]

On Sun, 8 May 2005 14:10, Senectus . wrote:
> On 5/8/05, Alex Nordstrom <lx at se.linux.org> wrote:
> > So do your work in a format suitable for editing and then export it
> > to a format suitable for distribution. That is, work with the
> > Gimp's own file format and keep text in its own layer so that it
> > can be edited, or use a vector graphics programme if appropriate.
> >
> Yeah I understand the why, it's just the how.. :-P
> I've never really understood how to use "layers" even though I wish I
> did because I understand enough about layers to know I'm crippling
> myself by not using the.

It's not that difficult really. Think of it as drawing on a set of 
transparencies rather than painting on canvas. You can see underlying 
layers except for where overlying layers are opaquely coloured. If you 
accidentally painted over something in a lower layer, rather than 
repainting the painted-over part (as you would have to when working in 
a single layer, or with oil on canvas) you simply erase it from the 
current layer. You can examine layers on their own and in any 
combination you like, or change the stacking order of your 
"transparencies".

Once you've wrapped your head around the concept of layers as 
transparencies, you might wish to explore the feature beyond the 
boundaries of that analogy. For example, playing with layer opacity and 
blend modes, in combination with Gaussian blur, you can do things like 
adding soft focus to highlights in portraits (see 
http://www.deviantart.com/view/10944343/ for an example).

> Of course it doesn't help that they only had the logo in .jpg the
> slogan was in .bmp and done in a custom font that they don't seem to
> have a copy of :-P

In that case, you're pretty screwed. You may still be able to vectorise 
it, but the effort involved and the quality of the result depend on the 
resolution and complexity of the original.

-- 
Alex Nordstrom
http://lx.n3.net/
Please do not CC me in followups; I am subscribed to plug.
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 189 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.plug.org.au/pipermail/plug/attachments/20050508/bec93709/attachment.pgp>