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Custom palettes in Gimp

The Gimp Tutorial best describes the framework for custom palettes. About.com is a critical reference as well. And Colorschemedesigner.com is the site to determine which range of colors suits your project.

While I've applied the hunt-n-peck method to color forever, it seems, I've recently rediscovered the advantages of the color wheel, a subject I must have slept through in art class. The Internet to the rescue, once again! With automated color wheels, even a primary guy like myself can appear wise in the ways of color.

At colorschemedesigner.com select Export > GPL (Gimp palette).
The resulting text must be copied to a text file and saved in Gimp's palettes folder, which is /usr/share/gimp/2.0/palettes/ on my computer.
Unnecessary gpl files can be removed.
Default.gpl can be replaced. Custom gpl files can be added here.
In Gimp, go to Windows > Dockable Dialogs > Palettes to find the Palette Dialog

After you've located all these pieces you'll create a custom palette of your own.

Loading and reusing color palettes takes a few steps. Import-Color-Scheme is one of the references used in this instruction.

  1. At Color Scheme Designer pick your palette.
  2. Click Export and select GPL (GIMP Palette), the page opens, select-all and copy.
  3. Save it with the '.gpl' extension using windows line endings.
  4. Go to GIMP at Windows > Dockable Dialogs > Palettes then right-click, select Import Palette, check Palette File and navigate to the '.gpl' file earlier saved.
  5. Still in the Palette Editor find the '.gpl' just imported and select it.
  6. Open the GIMP Color Selection Dialog which is easily seen in the Toolbox at the Foreground and Background Color select-and-swap area.
  7. In the upper left corner of Change Foreground Color dialog box see the GIMP fox icon. Right-click or change to the Palette and your new palette appears, ready to use.

Color palettes should be backed up. My '.gpl' files are saved in dtp/palettes. GIMP however automatically loads palettes from /usr/share/gimp/2.0/palettes/ and this is where the customized Red-Yellow-Blue.gpl is saved twice, the second time as Default.gpl.

Lasso

The lasso tool selects irregular shapes.

Despite what the prompts seem to explain, at the end, when the shape is fully selected, press the enter key to signal the completion of the action.

Transparent GIF

How to make a GIF image transparent:

  1. Change the image to RGB mode from Indexed mode.
  2. Add alpha channel with Layer > Transparency > Add Alpha Channel
  3. Select and delete the background color.
  4. Save as a GIF.