Catalog / GIMP Cheat Sheet for Graphic Design
GIMP Cheat Sheet for Graphic Design
A comprehensive cheat sheet covering essential GIMP tools, techniques, and shortcuts for graphic design, image manipulation, and digital art.
Interface & Basic Operations
Core Interface Elements
Toolbox |
Contains tools for selection, painting, transforming, etc. |
Layers Panel |
Manages image layers, their order, and blending modes. |
Brushes/Patterns/Gradients Panel |
Provides options for brush types, patterns, and gradients. |
Image Window |
Displays the active image and allows direct manipulation. |
Menus |
File, Edit, Select, View, Image, Layer, Colors, Tools, Filters, Windows, Help |
Basic File Operations
New |
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Open |
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Save |
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Export |
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Close |
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Quit |
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Undo/Redo & History
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Edit > Undo History: Access the history panel for more advanced undo/redo options. |
Selection Tools
Selection Tool Overview
Rectangle Select Tool |
Selects a rectangular area of the image. |
Ellipse Select Tool |
Selects an elliptical or circular area. |
Free Select Tool (Lasso) |
Allows freehand selection. |
Fuzzy Select Tool (Magic Wand) |
Selects contiguous areas based on color similarity. |
Select By Color Tool |
Selects areas based on color. |
Scissors Select Tool (Intelligent Scissors) |
Selects objects by tracing their edges. |
Selection Modifiers
Add to Selection |
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Subtract from Selection |
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Intersect with Selection |
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Feather Edges |
Selection > Feather: Softens the edges of a selection. |
Invert Selection |
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None |
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Quick Mask
Toggles Quick Mask mode for refining selections with paint tools.
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Layers & Masks
Layer Operations
New Layer |
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Duplicate Layer |
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Delete Layer |
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Merge Down |
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Flatten Image |
Image > Flatten Image: Merges all layers into a single layer. |
Layer Visibility |
Click the eye icon next to a layer in the Layers panel to toggle its visibility. |
Blending Modes
Located in the Layers panel, blending modes control how a layer interacts with the layers below it. Common modes include:
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Layer Masks
Add Layer Mask |
Right-click layer > Add Layer Mask: Creates a mask that controls the layer’s transparency. White = Fully visible. |
Edit Layer Mask |
Click on the layer mask thumbnail in the Layers panel to edit it. Use paint tools (black/white/grayscale) to modify transparency. |
Disable/Enable Mask |
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Delete Layer Mask |
Right-click on layer mask > Delete Layer Mask. |
Color Correction & Filters
Color Tools
Levels |
Colors > Levels: Adjusts the tonal range of an image by setting black, white, and gray points. |
Curves |
Colors > Curves: Provides more precise control over tonal adjustments using curves. |
Color Balance |
Colors > Color Balance: Adjusts the balance of colors in shadows, midtones, and highlights. |
Hue-Saturation |
Colors > Hue-Saturation: Adjusts the hue, saturation, and lightness of specific color ranges or the entire image. |
Brightness-Contrast |
Colors > Brightness-Contrast: Adjusts the overall brightness and contrast of the image. |
Posterize |
Colors > Posterize: Reduces the number of colors in an image, creating a posterized effect. |
Common Filters
Blur |
Filters > Blur: Blurs the image or a selection. Gaussian Blur is a common option. |
Sharpen |
Filters > Enhance > Sharpen: Sharpens the image or a selection. |
Unsharp Mask |
Filters > Enhance > Unsharp Mask: A more advanced sharpening filter. |
Noise Reduction |
Filters > Enhance > Noise Reduction: Reduces noise in the image. |
Distorts |
Filters > Distorts: Apply various distortions effects to the image. |
Artistic |
Filters > Artistic: Apply artistic effects to the image. |
Filter Tips
Apply filters on a duplicate layer to preserve the original image. Use layer masks to selectively apply filters to specific areas. Experiment with different filter settings to achieve the desired effect. |