Want to make a flyer or a poster but do not have an expensive graphics program? Relax. GIMP is a free graphics tool that does a great deal and costs nothing. In this guide we will walk you through its most important features step by step, in plain language. No jargon, no scare tactics. By the end you will know what GIMP is good for, and what to watch out for when a file is heading to print.
- GIMP is a free graphics program - great to start with, no fees or licences.
- The key tools are layers, text, cropping, selection, scaling and export.
- GIMP is at its best with photos and pixel-based graphics (so-called raster).
- For print, remember the resolution of 300 dpi - the dot density that keeps an image sharp on paper.
What GIMP is and who it is for
GIMP is an image-editing program you download and use for free. The name sounds mysterious, but in practice it is simply an image editor. You open a photo, add a caption, fix the colours, put a flyer together - and you are done. It runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, so it will start on almost any computer.
Who is GIMP for? For anyone who wants to make graphics without spending money on pricey software. A small business owner, someone running a shop, a person assembling their own promotional flyers for a sale - everyone will find what they need here. At first the menu may look like a plane cockpit, but do not worry: learn a few tools and you will discover the rest over time.
Layers - the foundation of every project
Let us start with the most important thing: layers. Imagine your project as several transparent sheets stacked on top of one another. One holds the background, another the photo, a third the caption. You can move and change each sheet separately without touching the rest. Those are layers.
Why does it matter? Because when you keep the caption, the logo and the background on separate layers, fixing one element does not ruin the others. Want to move the title lower? You grab its layer and drag it. Want to change the background? You swap only its sheet. Without layers every small change would be a fight with the whole image at once.
Give your layers names - for example "background", "logo", "main caption". In a bigger project with a dozen layers you will find your way in seconds instead of clicking blindly.
Text, cropping and selection
Now three tools you will use in almost every project. Let us start with text. In GIMP you click the text tool (the icon with the letter A), draw a box and type. You can change the font, size and colour. Important: the text lands on its own layer, so you can move it whenever you like.
Cropping
Cropping means trimming the image down to a chosen part - like scissors for a photo. You mark the area that should stay and cut off the rest. It comes in handy when you want to keep only the useful piece of a photograph or to fit an image to the format of a promotional poster.
Selection
Selection means telling the program which part of the image a change applies to. Want to brighten only the sky and leave the rest? You select the sky and work on it alone. GIMP has several selection tools: rectangle, ellipse and the "magic wand", which picks out areas of similar colour on its own. To begin with, the rectangle is more than enough.
Scaling and export - the finishing line
Scaling means changing the size of the image - making it bigger or smaller. Here, though, a trap is hiding. Pixel-based graphics (that is photos and whatever you make in GIMP) can be safely made smaller, but forcing them larger makes the image blurry. It is a bit like stretching a small photo across a big screen - the more you pull, the worse it looks.
It is better to start from a large, good file and shrink it than to enlarge a small one - you cannot pour from an empty cup.
When the project is ready, it is time to export, that is to save the file in a format the print house or the internet will accept. GIMP saves its projects in the XCF format (with layers, for further work), but for sending out you choose "Export As" and save it as PDF, or if the print house prefers an image file, as TIFF or high-quality JPG. Always keep the XCF version aside - it is your original, the one you will come back to for every fix.
Before exporting, check the image resolution. For print set 300 dpi (that is the dot density per inch - the more, the sharper on paper). Graphics that look nice on screen at 72 dpi will come out soft and fuzzy in print.
What to watch out for in print
GIMP is great, but it has one limitation worth knowing about in advance. It is about colour. Screens glow in RGB mode (red, green, blue), while print works in CMYK mode (four inks: cyan, magenta, yellow and black). These are two different colour languages, which is why what you see on the monitor can look a little different on paper.
In its basic version GIMP supports CMYK to a limited degree - that is its weak spot for professional print. This does not mean you cannot prepare a good file in it. In many cases it is enough to save the project in high resolution and avoid extreme neons, then convert the file to CMYK in the Coated FOGRA39 profile before sending - an RGB file is converted automatically and the colours may shift. If you want to understand the topic more deeply, we have a separate overview of graphics programs that helps you choose a tool for your level and project.
And most important at the end: once the file is ready, it is worth checking it for print - bleeds, margins and format. We have gathered all of that in a practical guide on preparing a file for print step by step. It will help you avoid the most common slip-ups, so that your project from GIMP reaches the paper exactly as you planned.
GIMP is proof that you do not have to spend a fortune to make good graphics. Layers, text, cropping, selection, scaling and export - these six tools are enough to prepare most promotional materials. Remember the 300 dpi resolution and the fact that colours on screen and on paper are two different worlds. The rest will come with practice. Start with a small project, click around, play a little - you learn best simply by doing.
