How to Put Shadows Behind the Text on GIMP

Adding a shadow behind text creates a 3-D illusion.

Add visual interest and depth to the textual elements of an image by placing a shadow behind them. The free, open-source image editing program GIMP includes the Drop Shadow effect, which puts a shadow behind any element, including text, of a GIMP image. The Drop Shadow filter allows you to configure the shadow’s position and color to meet your required specifications. The larger the text in the image, the more apparent the shadow effect will be.

Instructions

1. Launch GIMP and open the image to which you want to add the text. Click the “Text Tool” icon in the toolbox, then set the text size and font as desired, using the controls in the bottom section of the toolbox.

2. Click inside the image at the point where you want to insert the text. The GIMP Text Editor window appears. Type the text into the image. Click the “Close” button when you’re finished.

3. Open the “Filters” menu and select “Light and Shadow.” Click “Drop Shadow.” The Drop Shadow dialog box opens.

4. Click the “Color” button, and select the color you want to use for the shadow. Adjust the “Offset X” and “Offset Y” fields, to determine how far behind the text the shadow appears. Increase “Blur Radius,” to reduce the definition of the shadow’s edges; decrease the blur radius for a sharper shadow.

5. Click and drag the “Opacity” slider to adjust the shadow’s transparency level. Click “OK” to apply the shadow effect. The newly created shadow appears behind the text you added to the image.

References

• GIMP: Drop Shadow
• GIMP Plugin Registry: Layer Effects

Resources

• GIMP