[Gimp-user] Best way to fix background pic so text is readable

[rich404 <forums gimpusers com>]

> I carefully copied all of the settings you had on the clone tool in
> your JPG. Also I have both #14 and #18 file versions and the same
> clone tool with the same settings works fine on #14 but not on #18.
>
> For a test I deleted all the layers so all I have is one pic and it's
> text and it still doesn't work. After deleting everything I still see
> a dotted line rectangle artifact.  I have a feeling the problem is
> this dotted line rectangle that was left after using the crop tool and
> scissors tool. I was trying to crop the bottom of a pic, the one on
> the top far right. The bottom of this pic was sticking out into the
> panel below it. When I cropped it, it left some garbage below, my
> sloppy cropping. So I used the scissors tool to remove it, but it left
> the doted line rectangle that I can't delete.
>
> I think at this point it may be simpler to let you download my files
> from MS onedrive, so you can see for yourself.
>
> https://onedrive.live.com/?id=C256E2DAE26B22A5%21105&cid=C256E2DAE26B22A5
>
> The files are 56 and 73 meg, so I assume those are too big to upload
> here. Let me know if I need to do this a different way

Great, your CD template is looking good.

On the #18 image, the way it opens is as the screenshots - First thing I see is
the active later is not visible.

see: https://i.imgur.com/YdUDr7Q.jpg

Guessing it is an "intermediate layer" and you need the one above. Keeping old
layers is good practice.

On the layer above, which is visible but you still can not edit because there is
an active selection elsewhere in the image. This is a common beginner problem.
Even a single pixel as an active selection prevents anything working outside the
selection. An active selection will show as 'crawling ants' however if you are
zoomed in to another part of the image you might not see it.

see: https://i.imgur.com/BfBQioz.jpg

Easy to check/fix. Go to *** Select -> None *** and click if it is not greyed
out to kill it. Guessing that is your "dotted line rectangle artefact" you
deleted.

What to do then. I cannot see anything there to clone. You can try lightening
under the text with a fuzzy brush and the dodge/burn tool. Go easy with that
one, not very nice. There are other ways, you can outline the text for example.

see: https://i.imgur.com/mgNJFqo.jpg

One thing I notice. In the template, Inside left page indicates it should be
flipped both vertical and horizontal. Check with your printer.

see: https://i.imgur.com/TCBlyiA.jpg

rich: www.gimp-forum.net

-- 
rich404 (via www.gimpusers.com/forums)