Filling text with an image (or images) is a powerful graphic effect that will really make your work pop. This tutorial will take you through every step of the process.
1.) First, let’s open a blank canvas. Go to File > New or Press Ctrl+N.
A pop-up box will open. You can set the size of your canvas depending on your preferences. Also, you can change the unit system (into inches, mm, cm, etc.) if you’re not comfortable with the default setting. When you’re happy with everything, click OK.
2.) Choose a picture from your computer or from the internet. Copy it by Right Clicking > Copy/Copy Image or Press Ctrl+C.
Go back to the Gimpshop canvas and paste your image. Right Click > Edit > Paste or Press Ctrl+V. The picture you copied will appear on the canvas.
Afterwards, click the New Layer icon on the lower left corner of the Layer Dialog Box. If you can’t locate the Layer Dialog Box, go to Windows > Dockable Dialogs > Layers or simply Press Ctrl + L.
If you want to add more pictures, repeat the process until you’re happy.
You can also use the Move tool to adjust the image/s. Click the 4-sided arrow icon in the Toolbox or press M.
Then click and drag a picture to change its position.
3.) Now, let’s add text. Click the A icon in the Toolbox or Press T.
In the Tool Options, you can edit the font and font size. I chose a really bold font and a large font size so you can see the images clearly later.
When you’re happy with your settings, click anywhere in the canvas. The text editor will open. It’s a pop-up box where you can type your text.
You’ll see that anything you type in the text editor will appear in your canvas. Feel free to use the Move tool if you’re not happy with the text position.
4.) Next, click the layer directly under the Text layer and add a New Layer.
A pop-up box will open. Set the fill type to white then click Ok.
Now, only the text should be visible.
5.) Next Right Click on the Text Layer and Click Text to Selection.
Next, hide the text layer by clicking on the eye icon beside it.
You’ll notice that the text isn’t visible on the canvas anymore.
6.) Click on the white layer (a.k.a. “New Layer”) in the Layer Dialog Box.
Right Click on the canvas > Edit > Clear or Press delete.
Now you’ll notice the images inside your text.
Use the Move tool to reposition the images.
You’ll notice there’s white space on the right that doesn’t completely fill up the text. You can add another picture to fill that up. Copy another image and paste it in on the canvas. The image won’t appear right away. Add a new layer to make it visible.
You’ll notice that the new image is outside the boundaries of the text. To fix this, click and drag the Pasted Layer under the white layer (a.k.a. New Layer).
After you’ve done this, the image will now be inside the text.
Use the Move tool to reposition the images.
Some of the layers are overlapping with each other. To fix this, first select the overlapping layer in the Layer Dialog Box. When you select a layer, a dashed rectangular box will appear around the image that’s on the layer. This is how you’ll find out which layer to edit.
After clicking on the layer, click the Eraser tool in the Toolbox or press Shift+E. Afterwards, in the Tool Options, click the area specified below to edit the brush texture.
A drop-down menu will appear. Select a soft brush (the circles with blurred edges).
On your canvas, erase the areas which overlap. You’ll notice a smoother transition from one image to another. This is how a soft brush works as compared to a hard brush.
You can continue to erase the edges of the other images to create a really smooth, seamless effect. (Remember to select the layer that contains the image first! Otherwise, you won’t be able to edit it.) Feel free to reposition the images as well. Erase and adjust until you’re satisfied.
7.) Lastly, if you want to create a more 3-D effect to your text, Click on the white layer a.k.a. New Layer in the Layer Dialog Box.
Go to Filters> Light and Shadow > Drop Shadow.
A pop-up box will appear. Edit the X-offset to adjust the shadows created along the horizontal axis. Meanwhile, the Y-offset adjusts the vertical shadows, and the blur radius corresponds to the overall area that the shadow will cover. Deselect Allow Resizing to avoid any unwanted changes to the image. Afterwards, click OK.
Here’s how the final product should look like.
Great job! You just learned how to place images inside text using Gimpshop. You can apply this newfound knowledge to create beautiful typography created from a collage of pictures. Check out the links below for more Gimpshop tutorials!