Who here uses GIMP for their photos?

I ran a search and didn't see an authoritative thread on this program so it is my hope that this one could blossom into something that could greatly help me and others.

I just downloaded it today. Read a little about it and messed with it. Some say it can do everything photoshop can. True or not, I don't know yet. I've watched some youtube tutorials which were helpful but didn't quite answer my questions. So far, I am pretty impressed with it for a free program. There are some pretty advanced tools if you want to take it that far.

But mainly for now, I'd just like to figure out how to do a 'circular' crop around a coin, reduce it down and fit it onto a background with it's reverse, and possibly add a grading label, like some do here. From there I figure I can expirement doing other things with it.

I've seen the elptical cutting tool, but even after deploying it, it only wants to crop in squares.

Anyway, if you have any neat tips, tricks, complaints or general info about the program, please share it here.

 

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I have but I don't much anymore. All I need is something simple for cropping and maybe a little brightness change. GIMP takes too long to do those, so I use photoscape. Photoscape is very quick and extremely user friendly.


Photo editing takes literally 2minutes from picture to final product with Photoscape for me.

 

Use photobucket.com, We are talking online images here Right??

 

no, photo editing software

 

I have used photobucket for years. I agree that it does very well editing and fixing pictures. But only single pictures at a time. There are no layers. You can't combine an obverse, reverse and label picture in on pic with photobucket.

Photoscape sounds promising. Maybe I'll have to try that too. I love that Lincoln.

 

I use GIMP. I would prefer photoshop elements, but I lost that when my computer died. I have not really found anything I could not do with GIMP, but the short cut keys were a lot easier on photoshop, IMO. Cannot complain about the price.

 

Just downloading Photoscape to give it a go :thumb:

 

I use http://www.irfanview.com/ because I wanted something easy to use and does pretty well if you asked me and doesnt take a lot of hard drive space.

GIMP is also a good choice.

-Shrek

 

All the above

I use All the above. GIMP/Photoshop & Irfanview.

GIMP will not do ALL that Photoshop can but very few folks NEED all that PS can do unless they make their living from it....plus it takes a lifetime to climb the learning curve.

GIMP is a wonderful tool and IrfanView can do things Photoshop can't.

 

Well, I downloaded Photoscape today and I'm very happy with it so far. It seems to be very user friendly. Here's the first pic I put together with it:




I tried adding the NGC label in the middle but it won't let me handle that third picture separately and let me put it where I want it. Does anybody know how to do it with Photoscape or if you can?

 

Great toning :thumb:

 

Thanks. It's from the Battle Creek hoard.

 

This is what I can do with Photoscape.







I see you have combined two photos, which is good. What you need to do now is go back to the combine option, and select the photo with the two coins, and also add the label. Select "down" and select the option about having it at the original size. This will put your label smack dab in the center but closer to the bottom of the photo. It just depends on the size of the photo, for your label. I've had to resize all the labels to get them how I want it.
Hope this helps

 

Also GIMP is a pain in the butt! Too many controls, and I have tried to learn the program and everything about it many times, and I can't.
Photoscape is the way to go if you don't have photoshop

 

Another great bit of info

Just downloaded photoscape...Great program...until now have been using paint to get my pics to size ..what a difference.thanks..

 

So how did you get the reflection template to work?

 

Okay - been playing with this. I can combine two photos, but how do you get the black background? Not sure I will ever worry about labels. Will have to play with this when I get more time.

 

You have to crop the photos you have. (Don't even really need to crop them)
Go to edit, select a photo, crop it, and select crop roundly, select the black background, stretch your crop tool as far as you need to, so it is perfectly on the edge. Do that with the obverse and reverse, then you can combine the photos. And bam, you have the obverse and reverse with a black background.
If anybody needs help or wants me to do a couple for you, just shoot me up with a PM and I'll give you my email address where you can send the photos.

 

While editing, if you click on the filters button, a list of options come up. It's toward the bottom of the options. Once you click on the reflection option, a new window pops up. There you can change how much of the image you want to reflect. For these pics, I had it set at 20%. You can also change the color of the reflection background.

Thanks for the help T money. If I can't get it, I'll send you a PM. :thumb:

 

Photoscape makes me want to try it out. Much better than Gimp/Iranfanview or even Photoshop?