Gimp 4

This is another blog post in my series of tutorials using Gimp the open source photo editor and graphics software. In this lesson I am going to look at using filters and saving files. Most filters are under the filter tab. The unsharp filter both sharpens and unsharpens a photo depending on what settings are selected. You should always make sure preview is selected as when you are making adjustments it shows you the results. The sharpen filter sharpens the photo by a set amount although to a lesser extent there are some settings on it. You can also use it multiple times. The despeckled filter is used when dust or similar gets on the lens during photographing and has to be removed. There is also a despeckled mask to protect part of the photo whilst this filter is applied. Don't be afraid to experiment with these filters as there is always a load default option to restore the settings to there defaults. Another interesting filter is the cartoon filter ideal if you are doing an avatar and don't want to display a photo in case of identity theft. This as the name implies converts a photo into a cartoon. There are also various predefined logos you can use which are similar to filters. Usually there is a text box on your dialogue for you to enter the text and this is automatically transferred into the logo. As with the filters don't be afraid to experiment as there is a load defaults option to restore your settings. With saving your work if it's a photo you will usually save to jpeg, especially if it's going on the web. Gimp handles a huge amount of file types but maybe strangely not raw and many of these file types you probably will never use. Normally you will specify the file type in the file name you are saving to and it will be done automatically. If saving to png it will need to be exported to a 3 rd party program. Tomorrow I am doing the final part in this series. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it and doing the tutorial it's based on.