How to Make White Backgrounds Glow With Gimp

Use GIMP to make the background behind a subject seem to glow.

An important part of creating signs, posters or book covers is to make sure they are eye-catching, since getting the attention of a passerby can make the difference in getting a sale. One effect you often see added to images is a glow effect from a white background, in which the glow seems to partly surround people in the foreground. This works well for fantasy or sci-fi images. If you have the free graphics application GIMP, this effect is easy to do.

Instructions

1. Load the image that you want to add the effect to on your computer.

2. Start the GIMP application. Select "File" from the menu and choose "Open." In the dialog that appears, locate and open the image you loaded.

3. Select the "Brush" tool from the toolbar. In the tool options, set the brush to "Fuzzy 19." Make the "Scale" about 10 to 20, although for larger images you may need to make it larger.

4. Click on the "Foreground" color and the bottom of the toolbar and, in the dialog that pops up, change the color to white. Use the brush to paint along the edge of the person in the image. Save your work.

References

• GIMP: GIMP Manual