If you are considering making the jump from Photoshop to Gimp, you need to understand a few basic concepts that will make your transition a bit less bumpy. If you dive into Gimp full of Photoshop shortcuts and methodology in your head, you are doomed.
Here are four killer tips to making the jump to Gimp.
1. Gimp is not Photoshop. Nope, it ain't Photoshop. It never will be. But is it as good? For most uses, especially web graphics, it will be as good. For print, Photoshop is better. The main point here is to go into Gimp like a newbie. Try to leave your Photoshop knowledge out and look at Gimp as a totally new program.
2. Read the manual. I tried for years to use Gimp, but couldn't, because I kept thinking it was, or should, be Photoshop. I complained that the keystrokes weren't the same, that the crop functionality was different, etc. When I finally broke out the Gimp manual and approached it from a newbie learning a new program, I saw the light.
3. Do a bunch of tutorials. There are a ton of excellent Gimp tutorials online. Google "gimp tutorial" and be enlightened. Remember when you first started to learn Photoshop? You did a bunch of tutorials and learned all sorts of shortcuts and tricks. That is how you need to learn Gimp. Take it slow. See how other people work with Gimp. Again, leave your Photoshop chops on the shelf and start over with Gimp.
4. Don't give up. Before I saw the light and actually read the Gimp manual and did a bunch of tutorials, I got frustrated every time I tried to use Gimp. It was maddening to do even the most simple things: make a header graphic, change font color, apply a drop shadow.
I gave up several times. In the end, my persistence paid off, and so will yours. Moving from Photoshop to Gimp is not easy, but once you settle in and treat it as a new program, read the manual, do some tutorials, you'll find moving around and getting real work done in Gimp is easy.
Here are four killer tips to making the jump to Gimp.
1. Gimp is not Photoshop. Nope, it ain't Photoshop. It never will be. But is it as good? For most uses, especially web graphics, it will be as good. For print, Photoshop is better. The main point here is to go into Gimp like a newbie. Try to leave your Photoshop knowledge out and look at Gimp as a totally new program.
2. Read the manual. I tried for years to use Gimp, but couldn't, because I kept thinking it was, or should, be Photoshop. I complained that the keystrokes weren't the same, that the crop functionality was different, etc. When I finally broke out the Gimp manual and approached it from a newbie learning a new program, I saw the light.
3. Do a bunch of tutorials. There are a ton of excellent Gimp tutorials online. Google "gimp tutorial" and be enlightened. Remember when you first started to learn Photoshop? You did a bunch of tutorials and learned all sorts of shortcuts and tricks. That is how you need to learn Gimp. Take it slow. See how other people work with Gimp. Again, leave your Photoshop chops on the shelf and start over with Gimp.
4. Don't give up. Before I saw the light and actually read the Gimp manual and did a bunch of tutorials, I got frustrated every time I tried to use Gimp. It was maddening to do even the most simple things: make a header graphic, change font color, apply a drop shadow.
I gave up several times. In the end, my persistence paid off, and so will yours. Moving from Photoshop to Gimp is not easy, but once you settle in and treat it as a new program, read the manual, do some tutorials, you'll find moving around and getting real work done in Gimp is easy.
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