128 PCWorld JANUARY 2020HERE’S HOW GIMP BASICS
Tools > Free Select) to
outline an existing object.
Next, choose Tools >
Transform Tools > Move.
The cursor changes into
the crosshairs symbol, but
before you can use it,
ensure that Move The
Active Layer is checked in
the Move panel on the left
side of the screen. Then
click and drag.
At this point, it’s just a
Floating object (notice the
description in the Layers
palette on the right side of
the screen. Right-click the
layer called Floating
Selection/Floated Layer in
the Layers palette, then
choose To New Layer from
the pop-up menu. Now
the object you created or
selected from the photo
resides in its own layer, so
you can change the color, resize it, add a filter,
or edit it in a hundred different ways. A lot
different from Photoshop, but not so
confusing once you’ve tried it a few times.TIP 5: REMOVING
BACKGROUNDS
It’s easy to remove the background if it’s a
single color and the foreground object isconsiderably lighter or darker than the
background color, or the foreground object’s
colors are fairly simple such as a yellow
sunflower, a red umbrella, or a blue wagon.
Of course, the colors in photographs are
rarely that basic. A sunflower can have nine
shades of yellow, and that’s okay, as long as
it doesn’t have any of the same colors used
in the background.Using the Selection and Transform tools.