How to Start GIMP for the First Time

Opening GIMP for the first time can feel like sitting in a cockpit. There are panels everywhere, the toolbox looks different from any other software you have used, and nothing seems obvious. That is completely normal. Give it ten minutes and it starts to make sense.

This guide walks you through everything you see when GIMP opens, so you know what each part does before you touch a single pixel.

Opening GIMP and Loading an Image

When you first launch GIMP, you will see the splash screen followed by the main window. On Windows and Linux, GIMP opens in multi-window mode by default - The toolbox, image canvas, and panels are separate floating windows. On Mac, everything is bundled in one window.

To switch to single-window mode (which most people prefer), go to Windows - Single-Window Mode. Everything docks into one tidy layout.

To open a photo or image:

1. 1
   Go to File - Open (or press Ctrl+O on Windows/Linux, Cmd+O on Mac)
2. 2
   Browse to your image file and click Open
3. 3
   Your image appears in the canvas area in the centre of the screen

You can also drag and drop an image file straight onto the GIMP window to open it.

Understanding the Interface

The GIMP interface has three main areas. Here is what each one does:

The most important panel on the right is the Layers panel. If you cannot see it, go to Windows - Dockable Dialogs - Layers. Every image in GIMP is made of layers stacked on top of each other - Understanding that early makes everything else click. The full layers guide goes deep on this if you want it.

The Most Useful Tools to Know First

You do not need to learn every tool on day one. These are the ones you will use in your first few sessions:

• Move tool (M) - Moves layers or selections around the canvas
• Crop tool (Shift+C) - Trims the edges of your image
• Paintbrush tool (P) - Paints with your foreground colour
• Eraser tool (Shift+E) - Erases to transparency (if the layer has an alpha channel)
• Text tool (T) - Adds text anywhere on the image
• Zoom tool (Z) - Zooms in and out. You can also use the scroll wheel while holding Ctrl

Making Your First Edit

The best way to get comfortable is to make one simple edit right away. Try brightening a photo:

1. 1
   Open a photo (File - Open)
2. 2
   Go to Colors - Brightness-Contrast
3. 3
   Drag the Brightness slider to the right. Watch the image update in real time
4. 4
   Click OK to apply
5. 5
   Go to File - Export As to save the result as a JPEG or PNG

How to Undo Mistakes

Press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo. GIMP keeps a long undo history, so you can step back many actions.

If you want to see every action you have taken and jump back to any point, go to Windows - Dockable Dialogs - Undo History. It shows the full list and lets you click on any step to go back to that moment.

Once you have the basics down, the complete GIMP beginner guide covers the toolbox in more depth, along with layers, selections, and saving - All the things that come up in your first few real projects.