First Label, with no idea how to use GIMP

I am sure there are similar threads, and I apologize for it if its a repost. But I just got GIMP and would love to try to make some labels. I have a pic I would love to use, but I also like the oval shield style label.

So, do you create the shields and banner designs, or are they available online somewhere? Any suggestions and tutorials you guys could point me too would be great.

Here's what I have so far.

I would like to add a title, its a spiced cider bordering on wine in abv. Also, wanted to add Bent Pines Brewery and est. 2007 in there somewhere. Also don't know what else to put on the bottle.

Well, I can't help you, but the picture looks great.

Rick

it took me a good 3-4 hours of playing around and looking at tutorials to figure out even the simple things in gimp. or at least to learn enough to get me what i wanted.
so all i can suggest is play around with it some and google up some gimp tutorials.

GIMP is a great FREE software, but it is not for the faint of heart. It tends to be different in use than the others, but it does tons of stuff and cost 0.

I'm not sure if it is capable of really doing "banners" and such. I think it's an image editing software, rather than a drawing package. I'd hit the help, and google for tutorials and whatnot. It's pretty popular with Linux users, and cheapskates, and I dont' know how much help there is for it, but I know if image editing is what you want, it will probably do it, if you can figure out how to run it!

I'd also keep my eyes open for a copy of Photoshop, maybe on ebay or something. The lower-end versions still do plenty, and arent' that expensive for home use. Photoshop is the defacto standard for image editing software.

dude get a crack-..-- cough cough i mean legit copy of photoshop

I hate using Photoshop. Gimp isn't quite up to PS level in its capabilities, but after using it for years PS's interface gives me a headache.

Another program to look at is Inkscape to use in conjunction with the Gimp. It's a vector drawing program, but you can export stuff as raster graphics from it in PNG format, which Gimp can open. It'll also import raster graphics, which can be useful since its text handling is far superior to the Gimp's. My logo (see my avatar) was done using both - I used basic Gimp tools and Gfig (a figure drawing tool in Gimp) to make the gear, imported that into Inkscape where I converted it to a vector, and added the text in Inkscape. To use it on labels I export it at whatever size necessary from Inkscape and incorporate it into a label design in Gimp.

Glad to help



No thanks necessary.

Buford is right in saying to use InkScape but since you were having trouble with GIMP I am just going to explain in a little plainer terms why. If you already know the difference feel free to ignore the following.

GIMP and Photoshop are image manipulation tools. Think of them as digital darkrooms. They are good for changing the color of an existing picture that you got from the web, your camera, a magazine. They are also good for manipulating the tonal range of the image. Or for selecting a part of the image and manipulating just that part, say turn the background B&W while leaving the foreground in color.

Now just like you wouldn't bring a typewriter into a photo darkroom you don't want to work with text in either GIMP or Photoshop. The programs simply aren't made for that kind of work. Programs like Illustrator, InskScape or Freehand are made for this. Create your label in them and then import your images that you manipulated in GIMP.

Or if you can figure it out do it all in GIMP do so, so long as your happy with the outcome it doesn't really matter. But I believe you'll find it easier if you start off with the right tools for the job.

I hate GIMP. It's im-fecking-possible. Ya gotta be some kind of computer genius to use it. Which I am not. Are there no labeling programs out there that aren't a zillion dollars and are usable by a regular person?????

Rant over.

Thanks for all the responses, I will look into some of those other programs.

Give inkscape a try I think it's a little easier for graphic arts types of things, I love the Gimp but it doesn't do drawing all that well.