Has anyone put together a GIMP tutorial for labels?

I realize that a lot of people use GIMP for labels and I've looked through the GIMP tutorials and there is SO much info, that it's overwhelming.

I'm wondering if anyone has created a GIMP beer label type tutorial ( ya know, discussing dimensions for labels, just the basic photo editing and text that you would want to create decent labels).

Anything like that out there? If not, of the many GIMP tutorials, which one did you find to be the most pertinent for label making??

i would start with the tutorials provided on gimps website

GIMP - Tutorials

they seem to be pretty good. i think it might be tough to find a tutorial specifically for making labels. as far as dimensions go, I cut out some sample label sizes and put them on my bottles to determine what size i wanted to go with.

the rest of the skills needed you can piece together from those tutorials.

Gimp can be very useful on it's own, but is most useful in conjunction with a vector-based graphics editor. Inkscape is a great free one, Adobe Illustrator is a commercial example. These let you have the elements of your graphic (text, different pictures, background, etc) as seperate objects and adjust their positions and relationships much the same way as you do on a powerpoint slide. Typically I end up creating specific elements of my graphics on the raster side (in GIMP) and then combining them in inkscape.

I don't have time right now to answer your Gimp questions but the truth is that the only way to learn that stuff is to hunt around the web and play with the software, and in the end it's creative use of the tools that makes great graphics (not the tools themselves). Maybe later or tomorrow I can try to post some basic info.

goplayoutside said:

Gimp can be very useful on it's own, but is most useful in conjunction with a vector-based graphics editor. Inkscape is a great free one, Adobe Illustrator is a commercial example. These let you have the elements of your graphic (text, different pictures, background, etc) as seperate objects and adjust their positions and relationships much the same way as you do on a powerpoint slide. Typically I end up creating specific elements of my graphics on the raster side (in GIMP) and then combining them in inkscape.

I don't have time right now to answer your Gimp questions but the truth is that the only way to learn that stuff is to hunt around the web and play with the software, and in the end it's creative use of the tools that makes great graphics (not the tools themselves). Maybe later or tomorrow I can try to post some basic info.

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That would be sweet. Thanks.

goplayoutside said:

Gimp can be very useful on it's own, but is most useful in conjunction with a vector-based graphics editor. Inkscape is a great free one, Adobe Illustrator is a commercial example. These let you have the elements of your graphic (text, different pictures, background, etc) as seperate objects and adjust their positions and relationships much the same way as you do on a powerpoint slide. Typically I end up creating specific elements of my graphics on the raster side (in GIMP) and then combining them in inkscape.

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Just to clarify, the reason for using vector graphics is because you can scale them to infinite sizes. Raster graphics on the other hand are stuck at the size you originally create them. Thus moving a raster image into a vector editor does not add any value. Raster editors such as GIMP and Photoshop are perfectly capable of editing multiple layers (which you seem to believe can only be done in a vector editor).

i just make the photo with gimp......then i open microsoft word and insert the photo. Resize to fit 3-4 on the page and print. when i print with gimp the images always come out way to large.

I've been using Photoshop Elements on my Windows machine coupled with MS Word to print to Avery shipping labels. PS Elements doesn't have the right label template to print to, so I just copy/paste the final image to Word. So far, things have worked out well, although I haven't done very much label making since I went to kegs.

holden said:

Just to clarify, the reason for using vector graphics is because you can scale them to infinite sizes. Raster graphics on the other hand are stuck at the size you originally create them. Thus moving a raster image into a vector editor does not add any value. Raster editors such as GIMP and Photoshop are perfectly capable of editing multiple layers (which you seem to believe can only be done in a vector editor).

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True. That said, I prefer the object-based approach that inkscape uses and to the layer-based one that gimp uses because I find it to be more intuitive.

To the OP:

What specifically are you trying to do in Gimp? It might be easiest to get to know the software by focussing on specific tasks.

+1 for Inkscape I have used it for all of my labels in conjunction with Gimp. While you can make labels in Gimp it's pretty hard and you are limited, Inkscape will allow you to wrap text, make shapes, and scale things very well while Gimp..not so much.

goplayoutside said:

To the OP:

What specifically are you trying to do in Gimp? It might be easiest to get to know the software by focussing on specific tasks.

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Just trying to have a basic format for labels. Ya know, a main area on the label, two sides to insert text or little logos and creating overlapping shapes or pictures. I've messed with gimp and it is a bit overwhelming. Maybe I'll try inkscape.

Is that free?

I found Inkscape to be a bit clunky, that said I have used Photoshop/Pagemaker, and now Gimp (nobody is paying for Photoshop now)for about 15 years, so I'm pretty comfortable with the layout.

I tend to just wing it, and throw things together, so I'm not sure how to go about coming up with a tutorial...

One important function is that you can import graphics as a layer; once you have the various elements of your label as layers, you can go to the layer applet, and choose to do things like overlay, and screen (layers)elements. This allows you to "combine" certain elements more completely.

This might be old news, but I find that it can be invaluable for putting things together.

farmbrewernw said:

+1 for Inkscape I have used it for all of my labels in conjunction with Gimp. While you can make labels in Gimp it's pretty hard and you are limited, Inkscape will allow you to wrap text, make shapes, and scale things very well while Gimp..not so much.

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It seems to me like GIMP is more of a program to edit photos and images than it is a "drawing" program. I would like if there were simple square circle and line tools. The text takes some time to learn with curving it. But it's like every program, you have to learn it. I will have to try inkscape and see whats its like.

IrregularPulse said:

It seems to me like GIMP is more of a program to edit photos and images than it is a "drawing" program. I would like if there were simple square circle and line tools. The text takes some time to learn with curving it. But it's like every program, you have to learn it. I will have to try inkscape and see whats its like.

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If you're familiar with adobe software gimp is similar to photoshop and inkscape is sort of a primitive illustrator. There's a lot of overlap, but generally it's best to use the appropriate tool. When making line drawings or vectors, inkscape or illustrator is much easier once you get the hang of it.

exactly there is no one program that can do it all but if you use a photo editing and a vector graphics program together you should be able to make some sweet labels.

I agree with what's being said on this thread-- gimp is powerful but most powerful in conjunction with a vector editor like inkscape, and that for basic drawing inkscape is probably easiest.

To the OP: I recommend coming up with a basic design concept on paper. Figure out what elements you can break down into simple shapes (borders, banners, text areas, etc) and draw them in inkscape. The tutorials included in inkscape (under the help menu) are a good place to start for making shapes and using gradients etc. Once you have the basic elements you want, I'd save each as a .png and import them into Gimp as seperate layers and get them all set up the way you want. Then if you want to insert some photo or image or other art, whether it's your own or from the web or whatever, you can move forward. Google a lot and start a bookmarks folder for Gimp and inkscape tutorials, before you know it the things they are suggesting will not sound so opaque and you'll be off and running.

Penguin said:

i just make the photo with gimp......then i open microsoft word and insert the photo. Resize to fit 3-4 on the page and print. when i print with gimp the images always come out way to large.

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I've got my label ready, but can't figure out how to insert it into word to print them?

smellysell said:

I've got my label ready, but can't figure out how to insert it into word to print them?

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I used word for my first set then put them on a thumb drive and carried it up to the folks who do my printing. Once there they guy recommended me using
Microsoft Publisher. I now use it all the time over Word.

smellysell said:

I've got my label ready, but can't figure out how to insert it into word to print them?

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Can't you just make it into a PDF then print. Microsoft Word is a word processor. Its not necessarily good for typesetting, just word processing.

Edit:
Oh, I just did some looking around. I forgot that since its freeware, it doesn't have the ability to write PDF files.

You can't really ask for a tutorial on making a label. You'll get a
cookie cutter template idea, and all of your labels will look exactly
the same.

You'd be best off looking up tutorials on making ribbons, making
bent text, creating boxes as frame, gradients, etc. Then come up
with the individual concept for the label using the little things you
learned.

There really are a bazillion great tutorials, and this type of work
will require you to read, practice and learn techniques.

You will also get 100,000 answers on Vector VS Raster. The simple
fact is that while you can use any program you like, Raster programs
are built from the ground up to handle pixel manipulation like photo
retouching, etc. On the other hand, vector based programs are
built from the ground up to handle layer based illustrations the likes
of logos, labels, banners, etc.

I use both, and I would recommend all Vector over all Raster for
this type of work, but either will get it done if you have the
appropriate amount of knowledge.

Inkscape is good for text effects and creating shapes. I made my logo in Inkscape, and being that it is a vector I can size it to however big or small I need it. I export it as a PNG to use in the GIMP to add to my taphandle label designs. GIMP is more for a photo-editing use and I ususally use that to make the label itself and then just add the logo.