How to Distort Text in GIMP

Use your mouse to generate creative text distortion effects.

While visiting a website or viewing a print ad, you may see text or images that appear distorted. Graphic artists often bend and shape objects to produce out-of-the-ordinary designs for their projects. By trying little-used techniques, designers may stumble upon text variations that draw attention to their creations. If you use the free GIMP image-editing program, you can apply distortion effects to your text using GIMP's Curve Bend distortion filter.

Instructions

1. Launch GIMP, and click "File" and then "New" to open the "Create a New Image" dialog window. Type "400" -- without the quotes -- in the "Width" and "Height" text boxes. Click "OK" to close the dialog window. A new drawing canvas appears in GIMP's main window.

2. Click the "Text" tool located in GIMP's Toolbox window. Click anywhere on the canvas. GIMP opens the "GIMP Text Editor" dialog window. Type a sentence in that window's text box, and click "Close" to close the dialog window. Your text appears on the canvas.

3. Click the "Filters" button, and then click "Distorts" to view a list of distortion options. Click "Curve Bend." GIMP opens the Curve Bend dialog window. A preview panel appears on the window's left side. A Modify Curves panel appears on the right. A horizontal line appears in this panel. This horizontal line represents the curvature of the text. Changing this line's shape changes the shape of the text.

4. Click the "Automatic Preview" check box to place a check mark there. This allows you to see how your changes affect the text in real-time.

5. Click the "Smooth" radio button to select it. Click anywhere on the horizontal line in the graph, hold down your left mouse button, and move your mouse in any direction. As you move, the line changes shape. The text in the preview panel also assumes the line's shape.

6. Click another point on the line and drag it to reshape the line. As you click points and drag them, a unique shape begins to form.

7. Click "OK" when you are satisfied with your shape. The "Curve Bend" window closes and reveals your distorted text on GIMP's canvas.

Tips & Warnings

• To start over after creating a new text distortion, click the "Reset" button in the "Curve Bend" dialog window.

References

• Gimp: 10.3. Curve Bend

Resources

• GIMP - Tutorials