How to Use GIMP to Make Rainbows
Rainbows are often a rare occurrence in nature, making many people regard them with a sense of mystery. Rainbows also contain a spectrum of bright colors, which makes them popular for use in graphic design and web design. You can use the free GIMP software to create rainbows in many shapes and sizes that can then be used in your designs or as standalone images. The GIMP software even includes a rainbow gradient to make the process simple.
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Instructions
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Create a new document by clicking "File" then "New." Choose white as the background color and make the height and width dimensions the same number, creating a square document.
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Click "Layer," then "New Layer." In the "New Layer" window, click the "Transparency" button and click "OK." This will create a new transparent layer in your document.
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Click the rectangle tool and create a rectangle that goes from edge to edge horizontally and is around 80 pixels high.
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Click the gradient tool in the tools palette and click the box next to "Gradient" in the options window. Select the rainbow gradient.
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Hold the "Shift" key and click and drag the cursor from the top of the rectangle in the canvas to the bottom. Using the "Shift" key locks the cursor to a straight angle. The rectangle will now be filled with a rainbow pattern.
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Click the rectangle to select it, then click "Filters" in the toolbar at the top of the window, then "Distorts" and "Polar Coordinates."
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Change the "Circle depth in percent" field to "100" and the "Offset Angle" field to "180." Check the "Preview" and "To Polar" options but uncheck "Map backwards" and "Map from top," then click "OK." This will convert the rainbow to a circle.
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Click the crop tool and click and drag the cursor to select the bottom half of the circle, then press "Delete" on the keyboard. This will crop away the bottom half, leaving a rainbow.
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Tips & Warnings
You can use the rainbow gradient tool to fill any shape with a rainbow pattern.
References
- Photo Credit Ablestock.com/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
