[Gimp-user] Help with Selection Tools Issue

[rich404 <forums gimpusers com>]

> I am a beginner to GIMP but I've done some stuff in PSE. 
> ....I tried to use the "magic wand" / fuzzy select tool,  but

A few issues there. I know what you want to do but not sure how you are going
about it.

First general issues. Forget what you have done before in PS, Gimp works in its
own way, it has a steep learning curve, it is not PS.

Windows users for some reason fall back on re-installing when they think the
application is broken. That is very-very rarely necessary. More usually it is
the Gimp profile C:\Users\your-name\.gimp-2.8 that has been screwed up. Rename
that to back it up in case you ever need it again. Start up Gimp and a new
default profile is created.

Deleting the background.

"quote - I tried to use the "magic wand" / fuzzy select tool, but instead of
activating the section I clicked, the entire image began to fill"

That is the bit I can not understand, what do you mean by activating? A
selection is normally indicated by a dotted line 'marquee' - sometimes called
crawling ants.

Removing a background this way requires

1. Add an alpha channel - screenshot 1

2. Using the fuzzy select tool, click in the background.

3. Cut the selection, Edit -> Cut or ctrl-x screenshot 2

Note: Not all is selected, you can add / subtract from an initial selection by
changing the fuzzy tool mode.

The gimp docs are:

Chapter 14 starting https://docs.gimp.org/en/gimp-tools-selection.html

Chapter 7 starting https://docs.gimp.org/en/gimp-using-selections.html

and a short video (7 minutes) just describing them: https://youtu.be/m-Y4G8_murs

A more usual way which you can try is, Colors -> Color-to-alpha. Default is
white. Sometimes those types of clip art become semi-transparent, so it is
try-and-see.

rich: www.gimp-forum.net

Attachments:
* http://www.gimpusers.com/system/attachments/839/original/01-fuzzy.jpg
* http://www.gimpusers.com/system/attachments/840/original/02-fuzzy.jpg

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