What Is a Floating Selection in GIMP?

If you have ever copied and pasted something in GIMP, you probably noticed that the Layers panel showed something called a Floating Selection (Pasted Layer). It looks different from a regular layer, and if you try to do anything before dealing with it, GIMP sometimes blocks you. Here is exactly what it is and what to do with it.

What Is a Floating Selection?

A floating selection is a temporary layer that GIMP creates when you paste content - Either from copying part of an image, pasting from the clipboard, or using Edit - Paste. It floats above all your other layers and is not yet attached to anything permanent.

Think of it like holding a sticky note in the air above a desk. It is there, you can see it and move it, but it has not landed anywhere yet. Until you either anchor it to a layer or promote it to its own layer, GIMP treats it as incomplete and will not let you work on other layers.

Why GIMP blocks you: If you click on another layer while a floating selection is active, GIMP warns you that you cannot edit other layers until the floating selection is resolved. This protects you from accidentally losing the pasted content.

What to Do With a Floating Selection

You have two choices:

Anchor It

Merges the floating selection down into the layer that was active before you pasted. The pasted content becomes part of that layer permanently.

How: Layer - Anchor Layer or press Ctrl+H

Convert to a New Layer

Turns the floating selection into its own permanent layer that you can position, scale, and style independently.

How: Layer - New from Floating or press Shift+Ctrl+N

Which One Should You Choose?

If You Want To...	Choose...
Stamp the pasted content onto an existing layer and move on	Anchor
Keep the pasted content moveable and editable on its own	New Layer
Resize, rotate, or reposition the pasted content before committing	New Layer - Then do your adjustments

In most cases, New Layer is the safer choice. It keeps the pasted content flexible. You can always merge it down later by right-clicking the layer in the Layers panel and choosing Merge Down.

Floating selections are tied to how GIMP handles copy and paste. For a full picture of how layers work together - Including how to organise them, move them, and use blend modes - The layers guide covers it all from the ground up.