This article is part of a how-to GIMP guide series that shows readers how to use certain functions or tools on the GIMP app. In today’s article, you will discover how to access GIMP brush spacing and other tools within the brush dialogue.
Table of Contents
The Brushes Dialogue
Before highlighting how to space the brush on gimp, let’s quickly go over what the Brushes dialogue is.
This section of GIMP is used to pick a brush for use with painting tools. The Brushes dialogue provides you with access to various functions, all of which can be used to manipulate the brushes.
A brush can be selected by simply clicking on any brush icon on the list. The brush will be shown on the Gradient/ Pattern/ Brush section of the toolbox. There are 56 brush preset options in GIMP to choose from, each having a ratio, angle, and brush size.
Every brush is customizable. Custom brushes can even be created by saving images in the unique brush file format or using the Brush Editor and brush settings.
How to Activate the Brushes Dialog
The Brushes dialog can be accessed from the following locations:
From the Toolbox
This can be done by selecting the brush symbol located in the Gradient/ Pattern/ Brush section.
From the Image Menu
Click the Windows tab, select Dockable Dialogs, and click the Brushes option in the submenu.
From the Tab Menu
This method lets you select any dockable dialogue by clicking the options icon and choosing Add Tab, and then Brushes.
Gimp Brush Spacing: How to Access it
The first way you can access Gimp Brush Spacing is from the Brush Editor. The Brush Editor enables users to check the parameters of a specific brush preset. You should note that these parameters cannot be changed.
However, you can create a bespoke brush by selecting the New Brush button. The New Brush button activates the brush editor, where you can pick a geometrical shape, diamond, circle, or square. The editor comes with various elements:
- The title bar, which lets you name your brush
- The dialogue bar has a small triangle icon. The small triangle has a menu that lets you pick certain aspects of the Brush Editor
- The preview area lets you make brush changes in real-time
With the settings tab, you can select shapes such as a diamond, square, and circle. With those shapes, you can make modifications using the following settings:
Spikes
This parameter can be used only for the diamond and square shapes. With the diamond, you can create a star. You can create a polygon if you choose a square shape.
Radius
This parameter refers to the distance between the brush edge and the center, particularly the width direction. For example, a square that has a radius of 10 pixels will have a 20-pixel side.
Hardness
The hardness parameter controls the feathering on the border of the brush.
Aspect Ratio
The aspect ratio parameter controls the brush height to width ratio. For example, a diamond with a 5-pixel radius and an aspect ratio of 2 will become flattened with a 5 pixels height and a width of 10 pixels, which equals 1.0 to 20.0.
Spacing
When a brush draws a line, the brush icon is repeatedly stamped. When the brush stamps are extremely close, it creates an impression that a solid line is being created. This provides a Spacing of 1, which is 1.00 to 200.0.
Angle
This parameter has to do with the angle between the typical horizontal width direction of the brush and the counter-clockwise horizontal direction. When the value is increased, the width of the brush turns counter-clockwise (0° to 180°).
How to Access Brush Spacing in GIMP
As stated earlier, there are various ways to access GIMP Brush Spacing. Remember, you can only alter the brush spacing of customized brushes. The default brushes cannot be altered.
To change the GIMP brush spacing:
- Create a new brush
- Go to the Shape menu, locate the Spacing parameter, and alter it
The second way to alter the brush spacing is from the side menu. Here you can select the brush icon and then make your way down to the spacing parameter. These settings are an effective way to get more detailed control of your brush spacing.
Conclusion
With the GNU Image Manipulation Program (or GIMP), it is a lot easier and affordable to develop high-quality logos and attractive thumbnails.
Considering that the program is an open-source image editor, it is free to use and that it makes a great alternative to the likes of Adobe Photoshop and other paid image editors.
As you can see from the steps in this article, GIMP is extremely user-friendly. Moreover, it has an extremely thriving community where users can access tricks and tips discovered by other users like them and advanced image designers to create the revisions and alterations required by an image.
With plenty of resources and tools to transform just about any image, users can create their own personal and unique style and give any image or picture a professional look.
GIMP is great for amateur photographers, graphic artists, and individuals involved in web design, as it is a wonderful program that can seamlessly accommodate any image-enhancing needs a user might require.
Due to its ease of use, GIMP is also a great tool for those just learning the ropes of image manipulation.