Tips and Tricks for Creating Images

These are tips I've either worked out myself or gathered from the discussions on the Gimp Mailing list. I've tried them out and made sure that something interesting is produced if you follow the steps. I didn't put up images for each of them because that would take up alot of disk space and my ISP charges a premium for disk space. But half the fun of the Gimp is experimenting. These little tips should be fun to reproduce.

Basic Text Tricks

Engraved Text

This process may be simpler with the new Engraved plug-in. I haven't tried that one yet. But if it doesn't, well this method is pretty simple to learn.

Image Number Steps on this image
Image 1 Create some text using text tool
Duplicate the image (filters/channel ops/duplicate)
Image 2 Apply a Gaussion Blur to it (filters/blur/Gaussian Blur)
  • pixel radius: 3
  • Horizontal: yes
  • Vertical: yes
Offset the blurred image (filters/channel ops/offset)
  • x: 3
  • y:3
  • wrap around off
Image 3 Invert the offset image (filters/effect/invert)
Add Image 3 to Image 1
Final Image Should be the Engraved Text. You can add color to this by running it through the BCG plug-in, if you like.

Neon Text

Image Number Steps on this image
Image 1 Use the text tool to create some ordinary text in a window.
Blur the image (Filters/Channel Ops/Blur)
Apply the Filter/Effects/Edge Detect plug-in.
Use the BCG plug-in with the following settings:
  • Auto-Apply off (this can be left on if you want)
  • Red Gamma: 10.0
  • Green Gamma: 0.1
  • Blue Gamma: 2.2
  • Bias Contrast on
  • Additive Brightness on
  • Brightness Adjustment: 46
  • Contrast Adjustment: 127
Final Image The outline of the text should glow a bit purplish or pinkish.

Glowing Text

Image Number Steps on this image
Image 1 Create some text using text tool
Duplicate the image (filters/channel ops/duplicate)
Image 2 Apply a Gaussion Blur to it (filters/blur/Gaussian Blur)
  • pixel radius: 3
  • Horizontal: yes
  • Vertical: yes
Offset the blurred image (filters/channel ops/offset)
  • x: 3
  • y:3
  • wrap around off
Image 3 Invert the offset image (filters/effect/invert)
Add Image 3 to Image 1
Image 4 Run this through the BCG filter
  • Auto Apply off (to do this all in one shot)
  • Stretch contrast: on
  • Red Gamma increased to 8.2
  • Select OK (ie you're done with this part)

Duplicate this image (filters/channel ops/duplicate)
Image 5 Apply a Gaussian Blur to this (filters/blur/Gaussian Blur)
  • pixel radius: 5 or 7
  • Horizontal: yes
  • Vertical: yes

Duplicate the image (filters/channel ops/duplicate)
Image 6 Run this through the BCG filter
  • auto apply off
  • Stretch contrast: on
  • Red Gamma increased to 8.2
  • Select OK

Invert the image (filters/effect/invert)
Subtract this image from the previous one (filters/channel ops/subtract)
  • image 1: Image 5
  • image 2: Image 6
Image 7 Subtract this image from the previous one (filters/channel ops/subtract)
  • image 1: Image 7
  • image 2: Image 6
Final Image Unlike the Neon text, this text should be glowing inside the text outline as well as along the outline,

Jelly Text

This process is an extension of the Glowing text. All the steps up to the very last one of the Glowing text are the same. The last step of the Glowing Text process is not done here, however, and there are 17 new steps added.
Image Number Steps on this image
Image 1 Create some text using text tool
Duplicate the image (filters/channel ops/duplicate)
Image 2 Apply a Gaussion Blur to it (filters/blur/Gaussian Blur)
  • pixel radius: 3
  • Horizontal: yes
  • Vertical: yes

Offset the blurred image (filters/channel ops/offset)
  • x: 3
  • y:3
  • wrap around off
Image 3 Invert the offset image (filters/effect/invert)
Add Image 3 to Image 1
Image 4 Run this through the BCG filter
  • Auto Apply off (to do this all in one shot)
  • Stretch contrast: on
  • Red Gamma increased to 8.2
  • Select OK (ie you're done with this part)

Duplicate this image (filters/channel ops/duplicate)
Image 5 Apply a Gaussian Blur to this (filters>blur>Gaussian Blur)
  • pixel radius: 5 or 7
  • Horizontal: yes
  • Vertical: yes

Duplicate the image (filters/channel ops/duplicate)
Image 6 Run this through the BCG filter
  • auto apply off
  • Stretch contrast: on
  • Red Gamma increased to 8.2
  • Select OK

Invert the image (filters/effect/invert)
Subtract this Image 6 from Image 5 (filters/channel ops/subtract)
  • image 1: Image 5
  • image 2: Image 6
Image 8 Subtract Image 2 from Image 7
Image 9 Invert Image 1
Subtract Image 1 from Image 7
Image 10 Composite Image 8 and Image 9, masked with Image 3
AutoStretch
Image 11 Add Image 10 and Image 8
Image 12 Multiply Image 9 by Image 10
Image 13 Run this through the Offset filter
  • X: -3
  • Y: -3
  • Wrap Around off
Image 14 Subtract Image 13 from Image 11
Image 15 Add Image 14 and Image 8
Image 16 Invert Image 7
Subtract Image 7 from Image 11
Image 17 Blend 90% of Image 16 with Image 8
Image 18 Subtract Image 8 from Image 17
Image 19 Add Image 10 and Image 18
Image 20 Use the Displace plugin on this image
  • Displace X on, amount = 5
  • Displace Y on, amount = 5
  • Smeared on
Multiply Image 16 or Image 17 by Image 20. By using either of these two you'll get either a lighter (Image 16) or darker (Image 17) image.
Image 21 Composite Image 20 and Image 16 or Image 17 using Image 21 as a mask
Final Image This image should resemble text carved out of a jello mold. Or perhaps like gummy-bear text (for those of you who know what gummy-bears are - they're a kind of candy here in the States).

Hot Text

Image Number Steps on this image
Images 1-21 Do all the same steps as you did for the Jelly Text
Image 22 Add Image 8 or Image 14 to Image 22 (Image 8 will be darker, Image 14 makes it brighter)
Final Image Autostretch the image
This text is similar to (but not exactly the same as) the Gimp logo used in An example logo using various plug-ins. The main difference is there is no glow around this image. The glowing effect is discussed on the Tips, Tricks, and More page.

Mosaics

3D Mosaic

Image Number Steps on this image
Image 1 Create a mosaic from some other image using the Mosaic plug-in
Image 2 Convert to grayscale using Filters/Conversions/To Greyscale
Image 3 Use the Threshold plug-in on this image until the tiles are white and the grouts are black.
Image 4 Blur the image using Filters/Channel Ops/Blur
Use this image as a bump map in the Lighting Effects plug-in
Final Image I'm not sure about this one yet. I don't have the mosaic plug-in for some reason (I thought I'd downloaded it, but I guess not).
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(clear space) Michael J. Hammel <mjhammel@csn.net>
(clear space) Created: June 16, 1996
Updated: June 16, 1996