How to Draw a Rectangle in GIMP

Like circles, rectangles in GIMP are drawn using a selection tool and then filled or stroked. The Rectangle Select tool gives you precise control over dimensions, and the process only takes about ten seconds once you know the steps.

Drawing a Filled Rectangle

1. Create a new transparent layer: Layer > New Layer, Fill Type: Transparency.
2. Press R to activate the Rectangle Select tool.
3. Click and drag to draw the rectangle.
4. Set your foreground color to the fill color you want.
5. Press Shift+Backspace to fill.
6. Press Ctrl+Shift+A to deselect.

The filled rectangle sits on its own transparent layer. Use the Move tool to position it, or the Scale tool to resize it without redrawing.

Drawing an Outlined Rectangle

1. Create a new transparent layer.
2. Use Rectangle Select to draw the shape.
3. Go to Edit > Stroke Selection.
4. Set the line width and color in the dialog, then click Stroke.
5. Deselect with Ctrl+Shift+A.

The stroke is drawn on the center of the selection boundary. A 4px stroke will extend 2px inside and 2px outside the selection edge. This can slightly affect exact dimension alignment - keep this in mind for pixel-perfect layouts.

Exact Pixel Dimensions

In Tool Options for the Rectangle Select tool, check Fixed and choose Size. Enter exact width and height values. Every rectangle you draw will be precisely that size.

Alternatively, after drawing a freehand rectangle, you can see and adjust the exact dimensions in Tool Options. The "Position" and "Size" fields at the bottom of the Tool Options panel show the current selection dimensions and let you type exact values.

For web design work where buttons, banners, or icons must be exactly 300x100px, this exact size mode is the fastest approach.

Rounded Corners

The Rectangle Select tool has a built-in rounded corners option:

1. In Tool Options, check Rounded corners.
2. Adjust the Radius value (in pixels or percent) to control how rounded the corners are.
3. Draw the rectangle as normal and fill or stroke it.

Higher radius values create softer, more pill-shaped corners. A radius of 10-20px is typical for UI buttons and cards. This is the same rounded corner effect used in the logo creation guide for box elements in logo designs.

Drawing a Perfect Square

Hold Shift while dragging with the Rectangle Select tool to constrain the selection to a perfect square. Release the mouse before releasing Shift.

Or use the Fixed size option in Tool Options: set width and height to the same value, and every drag will create a perfect square.