Why Does My Drop Shadow Not Appear When I Save it out of GIMP?
The free graphics design program GIMP contains a Drop Shadow filter that produces an off-set shadow based on the perimeter of your image. You can insert the effect and save your file, but sometimes the drop shadow does not appear as desired in your saved version when viewed in a non-GIMP environment.
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Filter Settings
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If you unchecked Allow Resizing when implementing the drop shadow, and if the layer you are modifying is the exact size of the workbook at large, your shadow will be present in the workbook but not actually visible. Looking at the Layers dialog in GIMP, your shadow clearly exists on a layer of its own, but it will not be present within the saved picture file since the shadow layer is being entirely covered by your original layer. If you want to add a drop shadow to a layer that is the full size of your workbook, click to allow the resizing of your workbook so that your shadow will appear outside of GIMP as well.
Hidden Layer
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Look at the Layers dialog and check to see if the Eye icon is visible to the left of the layer that corresponds with your drop shadow. If the eye is visible, the layer will be merged together with other visible layers during the saving process into a standard picture file. If the eye is not visible, on the other hand, the shadow will be hidden during the saving process and your shadow will not appear in the end result.
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File Extension
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If your drop shadow fades into transparency as opposed to having a solid background behind your shadow layer, your problem may be the file extension you are using to save your image. A .jpg extension does not support transparency. Hence, if your Foreground color in GIMP is black and you save your workbook as a JPG, black fills any transparent sections that exist in the workbook. Your black drop shadow becomes seamlessly integrated into the black background and it appears as though your drop shadow is not present. Save your file using a .png extension instead.
File Size and Resolution
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As a last resort, click on the "Image" tab and select "Print Size." A pop-up box appears, letting you know what size and resolution your file has. If you have extremely low X and Y resolutions, your file may simply not be detailed enough to present the drop shadow as desired when you export the image out of GIMP and view it using a different program. If both the resolution and size of your file are too low quality, you may find you need to create a new file and begin the design process again.
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