A GIMP Tabs Tutorial

Gimp's "Toolbox" tab has the tools you'll likely use most, including the Paintbrush.

The free image manipulation program Gimp has several palettes of tools with which you can create and edit images. Gimp documentation calls these palettes "dialog boxes," "dockable dialogs" and "tabs." Gimp provides several utilities for managing these tabs, so you can hide the tabs you don't use and keep those you do use close at hand. You can find these utilities under the "Window" menu. Understanding how to use Gimp's tabs lets you organize your workspace, which promotes greater efficiency in editing and creating images.

Instructions

Open and Close a Tab

1. Click the "Windows" menu.

2. Click "Dockable Dialogs." Gimp displays a list of tabs for you to open.

3. Click any of the items in the list to open the corresponding dialog box. For example, clicking the "Layers" item opens the Layers dialog box.

4. Hover your mouse over at least one of the controls in the dialog box. For example, hover the mouse over the button with the trash can icon in the Layers dialog box. Gimp displays text describing the purpose of the control.

5. Click the small "x" in the upper-right corner of the dialog you just opened to close the dialog.

Add a Tab to an Existing Box

1. Click the "Window" menu, and then click the "Dockable Dialog" submenu.

2. Click any of the items you see in the list of dockable dialogs. Gimp displays the dialog you chose.

3. Click the small arrow in the upper-right corner of the dialog box. Gimp displays a menu of options, some of which include commands for managing tabs.

4. Click the "Add Tab" item. Gimp displays the same list of dockable dialogs you saw in step 1.

5. Click one of the dialogs. Gimp displays a new tab to the right of the one atop the dialog box you chose in step 1.

Remove a Tab From a Box

1. Click the "Windows" menu.

2. Click the "Recently Closed" item to display a list of dialog boxes.

3. Click an item that shows two or more different dialog box labels. Semicolons separate these labels. For example, click the item with the label "Layers; Channels; Paths."

4. Click one of the tabs at the top of the dialog box that appears, and continue to hold down the mouse button.

5. Drag the mouse away from the dialog box, and then release the mouse button. The dialog box you dragged the tab from no longer displays the tab.

References

• Gimp: The "Windows" Menu