25 Best GIMP Tutorials for Total Beginners Starting Out in 2023

by | Jul 29, 2023 | Best of GIMP, GIMP Basics, GIMP Customization, GIMP Help, GIMP News, GIMP Photo Editing, GIMP Photo Manipulation, GIMP Tutorials, GIMP vs. Photoshop

25 Best GIMP Tutorials for Beginners in 2023

In this list, I lay out the 25 best GIMP tutorials for total beginners when beginning your journey in this amazing free photo editor! GIMP is a great Photoshop alternative that requires NO subscription and NO privacy concessions. It has tons of great photo editing and graphic design features, and is perfect for users of all levels.

Let’s dive in to the best video tutorials for GIMP in 2023!

Table of Contents

1. 5 Minute Intro to GIMP: a Powerful Photo Editing Software

This quick and concise video provides an introduction to GIMP – the free photo editor. You’ll learn where to download GIMP (it’s always available for free from GIMP.org), plus learn some of the useful features you can use in your photo editing projects. This video is a perfect place to start on your GIMP journey!

2. Quickly Learn the Free Photo Editor GIMP – 10 Tips for Beginners

Now that you’ve been introduced to GIMP, it’s time to dive deeper into getting started with this video containing 10 step-by-step tutorials for setting up GIMP and starting your first compositions. I show you important tasks like opening images, creating new documents, setting up the GIMP UI (User Interface) and layout, plus show you how to work with common dialogues and menus.

3. 10 Step Process for Editing Photos in GIMP

GIMP is primarily a photo editor, which means you’ll want to get acquainted with all the tools available for getting the most out of your images. This tutorial shows you my 10 step process for editing photos from start to finish using GIMP’s built-in tools.

4. How to Resize an Image in GIMP | Scale Images for Beginners

Want to increase or decrease the size of your image? GIMP has the tools for that! Plus, with this video, I discuss the logic behind choosing the right settings to get the best quality out of your scaled photo.

5. GIMP Layers and Layer Masks Explained | In-Depth GIMP Basics Tutorial

GIMP uses a “layers” system that allows you to create complex compositions and add effects. Combine that with “layer masks,” and the sky is the limit as to what you can create. I also discuss this topic in-depth in my GIMP Book of Layers.

6. Remove Backgrounds in GIMP and Retain Hair Detail BETTER

One of the most popular tasks beginners want to perform in GIMP is removing an image background. I show you a simple technique for accomplishing this goal while also retaining more of your subject’s hair detail.

7. Surprisingly Easy Methods for Creating Center Guides in GIMP (2 Methods)

This video discusses adding guides to the horizontal and vertical center of your image. Having center guides helps make it easy to keep your designs centered on the page while you work.

8. Straighten Crooked Photos with GIMP’s Straighten Feature

Does your horizon look a little bit… off? Perhaps your crooked photo could use a quick straighten. You’re in luck! GIMP has a built-in straighten feature for fixing crooked photos.

9. 10 Things That Annoy GIMP Beginners (And How to Fix Them)

Why can’t I select this layer?? How do I export to a JPEG?? By this point, you may have already encountered some GIMP idiosyncrasies that require an explanation. In this video, I highlight 10 common issues GIMP beginners face and how to remove these roadblocks to improve your experience (and feel less annoyed).

10. How to Create a Transparent Gradient in GIMP

In this video, I show you how to have your images fade out to transparency using gradients and layer masks!

11. GIMP’s New Non-Destructive Crop Tool

The Crop Tool is a great way to remove unwanted areas of your image. It also allows you to change your image’s aspect ratio to better fit upload requirements for websites or social media. In this tutorial, I cover the non-destructive Crop Tool in GIMP.

12. How to Crop a Single Layer in GIMP

Cropping a layer in GIMP is slightly different than cropping the full photo. I discuss how to crop a single layer of your composition in GIMP.

13. How to Center Align Layers in GIMP for Beginners

Are your layers all out of whack? I show you how to use GIMP’s “Align” tool to center align the layers on your composition. This includes how to align smaller and larger layers, plus other layer types you may come across.

14. How to Create a Circle in GIMP

When working in GIMP, you’ll likely draw circles often for various projects. In this tutorial, I show you how to use the Ellipse tool to draw perfect circles on your document or image.

15. How to Draw a Rectangle and Square in GIMP

Another common shape you’ll want to draw in GIMP is a square. In this tutorial, I show you how to easily draw rectangles and squares in GIMP.

16. How to Stroke Shapes in GIMP

Now that you know how to draw basic shapes, it’s time to take your knowledge a step further. In this video, I show you how to add some design flair by adding a stroke around your shapes in GIMP.

17. GIMP Basics: Text Tool In-Depth Tutorial

Text has a variety of uses in different images and documents. In this GIMP tutorial, I take an in-depth look at the commonly-used Text Tool.

18. Top 5 Text Effects in GIMP

Want to make that basic text in your image stand out? This tutorial showcases some of the awesome tools available in GIMP for making your text POP on the page. From 3D text to drop shadows, GIMP has lots of interesting ways to spice things up.

19. How to Easily Create Curved Text in GIMP | GIMP Basics Tutorial

Curved text is popular in all sorts of design compositions in 2023. In this tutorial, I show you how to use GIMP to place text on a curve.

20. How to Design a YouTube Thumbnail with GIMP

GIMP can easily combine images, text, and graphics to create professional looking YouTube thumbnails. Use this tutorial to help your videos stand out and get more views!

21. 9 Best GIMP Plugins and Add-Ons RIGHT NOW

While GIMP has some amazing built-in tools, filters, and features, it also has tons of third-party plugins and add-ons. This tutorial outlines my 9 favorite plugins to install for GIMP to make the free photo editor even better.

22. Download and Install GIMP Resynthesizer Plugin for Windows

One of the most popular plugins for GIMP is the Resynthesizer plugin, and for good reason. This plugin allows you to erase objects in photos, plus intelligently fill in selection areas or areas of transparency (similar to Photoshop’s Generative Fill). This video provides step-by-step instructions and a demo of the plugin in action.

23. How to Update GIMP to the Latest Version

GIMP is constantly under development by the free software community. As a result, it releases new versions often that include exciting new features. In this tutorial, I show you how to make sure you’re always using the latest version of GIMP.

24. 10 Time Saving Tips for GIMP | Speed Up Your Photo Editing and Design Workflow!

Now that you’re starting to feel comfortable in GIMP, this video shows you 10 shortcuts and tips to help speed up your workflow.

25. GIMP vs. Photoshop: a Complete Comparison

Want to see how GIMP stacks up to Photoshop – the world’s most popular photo editor? This video gives a complete comparison between two juggernauts in the photo editing software world.

That’s it for this list! If you want to learn even MORE about the GNU Image Manipulation Program, I recommend enrolling in my GIMP 2.10 Masterclass on Udemy. You can also check out other GIMP video tutorials and help articles on my site.

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