Beginning GIMP: From Novice to Professional, Second Edition

Chapter 3. Introduction to Layers

Layers sound intimidating. When you start to use an image-editing program, your first impulse is to avoid them and just make all your changes directly to the image.

But multiple layers make almost every aspect of image editing easier. If you learn about them now, you'll save an amazing amount of time, and operations that previously would have been impossible become easy. This chapter will cover the following topics:

• What is a layer?

• Using layers to add text

• Using the Move tool

• Changing colors: GIMP's color chooser

• Simple effects using layers

• Linking layers together

• Performing operations on layers

• Using layers for copy and paste

• Aligning layers

• A tour of the Layers dialog

• Bonus project: Making simple GIF animations

What Is ...