How to Add Text in GIMP

Adding text to an image is one of the first things most people want to do in GIMP - Whether it is a caption on a photo, a title on a poster, or a label on a design. The Text tool makes it simple, and once you know how it works, you have full control over font, size, colour, and placement.

Using the Text Tool

1. 1
   Activate the Text tool - Press T or click the A icon in the Toolbox.
2. 2
   Click on the canvas - Click where you want the text to appear. A text entry box opens.
3. 3
   Type your text - Just start typing. The text appears on the canvas in real time.
4. 4
   Click outside or press Enter - When you are done typing, click somewhere else on the canvas to close the text editor. The text becomes a text layer in the Layers panel.

Changing Font, Size, and Colour

The Tool Options panel (below the Toolbox, or go to Windows - Dockable Dialogs - Tool Options) controls how your text looks:

Moving Text After You Type It

After finishing typing, switch to the Move tool by pressing M. Click on the text and drag it to any position. The text is on its own layer, so it moves independently of the background.

If you need to centre the text precisely, the guide on centring text in GIMP covers how to use the Align tool to snap it exactly to the middle of the canvas or any layer.

Text Always Gets Its Own Layer

Every time you click and type with the Text tool, GIMP creates a new text layer automatically. You can see it in the Layers panel with a T icon. This is useful because it means your text is non-destructive - It sits above the image and can be repositioned, restyled, or deleted without affecting the photo underneath.

From here, you can add effects like drop shadows, outlines, and glow. Those are separate techniques, but they all start with a text layer like the one you just created. GIMP also supports adding custom fonts - The font installation guide shows exactly where to put them on Windows, Mac, and Linux.