Re: [Gimp-user] Enhancing text

[Steve Kinney <admin pilobilus net>]

On 04/26/2014 06:18 PM, Conbagui wrote:
> > This is a general thing about doing text and perhaps doing it better.
> > I'm not really after glamorous or super way out stuff. Just simple but
> > good looking text that is both readable and easy on the eye. So, after
> > using PS CS4 for 3 years and recently losing my hard drive, I had to
> > and I'm glad by the way I did, down load Gimp. But here is the thing,
> > not matter what I try I simply cannot achieve something that looks
> > nice. The first attachment is my 4th attempt with gimp. The ones after
> > that are some I did in PS so you can see what I mean.
> >
> > The procedure I normally did after writing the text was to go to
> > Layer/Style and then you would have several options, like drop shadow,
> > etc etc. I did find drop shadow with the Gimp but it didn't seem to
> > work.
>
>
> Try LayerFX.py from
> http://gimpscripts.com/2011/10/gimp-layer-effects/#wpfb-file-35 Download the one
> in the mirror. After opening the zip, place the file in your plugins folder:
> user/.gimp-2.8/plugins. Have a good day

Simple text effects done by hand:

To make a drop shadow under text, duplicate your text layer and 
change the color of the lower copy to the color you want your shadow 
to be - drag and drop from the Foreground / Background color tool. 
Activate the Move tool and use the arrow keys to move the lower 
layer into view as the shadow.  For a more realistic blurry shadow, 
right click on the shadow layer's thumbnail in the layers dialog and 
select 'discard text information', then use Filters > Blur > 
Gaussian Blur.

To put a clean, hard outline around text, duplicate your text layer 
and select the lower copy.  Right click on the lower layer's 
thumbnail in the layers dialog and select 'alpha to selection.'  In 
the Paths dialog, use the button for 'selection to path.'  Go to the 
image window and do 'Select > None.'  Back in the paths dialog, use 
the Stroke Path tool to draw your outline; tweak the thickness and 
style of the line as required in the Stroke Path dialog.

There's also a bunch of automagic Script Fu effects for text, i.e. 
Filters > Alpha To Logo. 
http://docs.gimp.org/en/filters-alpha-to-logo.html

:o)

Steve