Create an Outline Using Brush Strokes in GIMP

Preview:

This guide will walk you through the process of designing your own custom Brushes and demonstrate their usage around an object.
Basic knowledge of Gimp is helpful, but I’ll provide clear, beginner-friendly instructions.

Step 1

Start by opening a new 300×150 image.

Step 2

Select the Text-tool and add your text. I used the word “Effect” and chose a suitable font.

Step 3

In the Layer dialog, select the ‘Keep Transparency’ option. Ensure the text layer is active (Press CTRL+L to open the Layer dialog).

Step 4

Add color to your text using the ‘Fill with Gradient tool’. Choose the FG to BG (RGB) Gradient and press (CTRL+H) to access the Gradient Dialog-window.

Step 5

Modify the FG color to ff0000 and the BG to ffffff. Apply the color by dragging the fill tool from the bottom to the top.

Now your image should look like this.

Step 6

In the Layers Dialog-window, right-click on the text layer and select ‘Alpha to Selection’ to select the text.

Step 7

Create a new layer and name it ‘Outline’.

Step 8

Access the Brushes-dialog window by navigating to Dialogs > Brushes.

Now, we will create our own brush for a 2px outline around the text.

Step 9

In the Brushes Dialog, click on the icon for creating a new Brush, located at the bottom of the window.

Set the following parameters for your brush:

  • Name the brush ’rounded 2px’
  • Choose the circle shape
  • Set Radius to 2.0
  • Spike count: 2
  • Hardness: 1.00
  • Aspect ratio: 1.0
  • Angle: 0.0
  • Spacing: 1.0

Remember to save these Brush settings.

Step 10

Set the foreground color back to black using the mini black and white squares in the color selector for a black outline.

Step 11

Ensure your new brush is selected, then navigate to Edit > Stroke Selection and choose ‘Stroke with a paint tool’.

Congratulations, you’ve completed the tutorial!

This method may not be the best for creating text outlines due to potential rough edges.

If you need assistance, feel free to leave a message and I’ll do my best to help out 🙂

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