OUR EXPERT
Karsten Günther is not only a master of using layers and masks to edit photos, but he also finds them useful to keep warm and incognito.
Besides selections, layers are one of the most important elements when creating complex B images. GIMP is no different. Being familiar with layers also helps if there seems to be an error – often a different layer is active from the intended one.
Normally, we can think of layers as transparencies, slides or printouts stacked on top of each other. The viewer looks at the stack from above and sees what is still visible after covering it. In fact, layers are much more complex objects, as will become apparent.
The Layer Dock represents this stack of layers in a list. All layers present in an image appear there with their name – for transparent layers it is displayed in normal font, for opaque ones it’s in bold – in the current order. All text layers, for example, are transparent, but other layers can be given this property by adding an alpha channel. If the eraser or cutting or deleting removes image material from such a layer, these areas become transparent. With non-transparent layers, the current background colour appears. Transparent layers do not necessarily need to have transparent areas.
GIMP uses layers for various purposes. Special parts of an image, such as text, are automatically created on a separate layer. It is still common practice to duplicate layers before editing, such as blurring – as a backup – in order to be able to access
