Unit 6: Information Technology

Learning Objectives
Learners will learn to:
 describe how analogue images are digitised

 identify the features of GIMP

 identify the GIMP window and its toolbox

 save an image in GIMP format

 identify the tools in the GIMP

 use the different selection tools to select parts of an image

 use paint tools to modify and enhance the image

 use transform tools to change the image

 export images in different formats

Vocabulary
pixel
colour depth
resolution
shear
perspective

Let Us Start

Yes, I have explored image editing

before. It can be a lot of fun and
transform your photos. There are some
great image editing software options
Hey, have you ever tried editing out there that can help you achieve
images? I have been wanting to your desired results.
enhance some of my pictures.

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Let Us Explore
Look at the given image. Identify the difference between the two images. How can

you enhance the first image to make it appear like the second one using an

application on your computer?

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Get, Set, Go
6.1 Digital images
Digital images are made up of a series of pixels, which are small dots in square or

circle shape arranged in a grid. Each pixel can be represented by a binary code, which

a computer processes.

 A black and white image requires only 1 bit per pixel. It means that each pixel

can be one of two colours, corresponding to either 0 or 1.

 If each pixel is represented by 2 bits, then each pixel can be one of four

colours, corresponding to 00, 01, 10 or 11.

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  If each pixel is represented by 3 bits, then each pixel can be one of eight

colours, corresponding to 000, 001, 010, 011, 100, 101, 110, 111.

Colour depth
The colour depth of an image refers to the number of bits used to represent each

colour. A higher colour depth means more colours can be represented, resulting in a

more realistic image, but it also requires more storage space. For example, an 8-bit

colour depth allows for 256 different colours to be represented, while a 24-bit colour

depth allows for over 16 million different colours to be represented.

Image resolution
The number of pixels is referred to as the image resolution. A higher resolution

image has more pixels and is sharper and more detailed but requires more storage

space.

The size of an image is measured by the number of pixels it is wide (width), by the

number of pixels it is tall (height). For example, an image described as 640 x 480

pixels would be 640 pixels wide and 480 pixels tall. Therefore, there would be a grid

of 480 rows of 640 pixels each - 307,200 pixels.

Images with different resolution

6.2 Editing digital images in GIMP

GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, a free and open-source image

editing application. It can be freely downloaded online and provides an alternative to

proprietary applications such as Photoshop. It can be used for the following tasks.

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• touching up photos

• resizing graphics

• scanning photos

• creating logos

• creating animated GIFs

• exporting graphics in web format

Downloading and installing GIMP

Step 1: Open the link given below: https://www.gimp.org/downloads/

Step 2: Select your operating system to download the latest version of GIMP

Step 3: Click the ‘Download GIMP directly’ button to download the GIMP setup file

You can then click on the downloaded file and follow the steps to install it on your

computer.

Step 1: Click on the downloaded file.

Step 2: Select the language and click OK.

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Step 3: Click the Install button. The installation process starts.

Step 4: A Setup window appears after installation is completed. Click Finish. The

application is installed on your computer.

GIMP Window
GIMP window can be viewed in single or multiple windows. By default, it opens in the

multiple window mode. In this mode, the various panels appear as floating windows

and are not fixed inside the main GIMP window. The single window mode fixes all

floating panels inside the main windows in the left and right panes.

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 Toolbox Layers, Channel, path, Undo
Image window and History dock

GIMP Multiple Window Mode

GIMP Single Window Mode

Switching Windows
To switch to the single mode, click the Windows 

Single Window Mode

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6.3 Opening an image
An image file must be opened before performing editing and adjustments.
Steps to open an image
Step 1: Select FileOpen. A dialog box appears where you can choose the file to

open.

Step 2; Locate your file and click the Open button.

Step 3: The selected file opens in GIMP

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Image information
In GIMP, you can find the details of the image, such as the image size (width and

height in pixels), resolution (dots per inch or pixels per inch), color mode (RGB,

grayscale, etc.), and file size (in kilobytes or

megabytes).
Steps to find information on an image
Step 1: Open an image in GIMP

Step 2: Click the Image menu, and select Image

Properties. This will open a dialog box displaying

various information about the image.

6.4 Saving an image

A file is saved in GIMP with the extension .xcf. This is GIMP's native file format. Saving

a file in this format allows you to open it later for editing in GIMP.
Steps to save a file
Step 1: Select FileSave. A Save Image dialog box appears.

Step 2: Once the dialog box opens, enter the image name.

Step 3: Click Save.

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Activity 1
Open an image in GIMP. Find the image information for the image.

6.5 Using GIMP Toolbox

The GIMP toolbox contains tools to perform tasks such as selecting parts of images

or drawing paths. These tools can be classified into

 Selection tools

 Paint tools

 Transform tools.

Using selection tools

Selection tools enable you to select the specific part of the image you want to work

with. These tools are commonly used for the following functions:

 Restricting the areas that you are editing or painting so that we can edit or paint

only the selected areas keeping the unselected area undisturbed.

 Applying filter effects exclusively to the selected area, such as blurring or

enhancing specific portions while preserving the rest of the image.

 Extracting selected portions of an image to transfer them to another picture that

enables the creation of collages or composite images.

 Creating and outlining geometric shapes

You can also activate the selection tools using keyboard shortcut keys.

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Rectangle select tool
This tool allows you to select a rectangular area of an image.
Steps to use the Rectangle Select tool
Step 1: Click the Rectangle Select tool from the toolbox or click Selection Tools

Rectangle Select from the Tools menu.

Step 2: Click and drag to enclose an area for selection.

Step 3: Release the mouse once your selected area is final. You now have a selection

in the shape of a rectangle.

Ellipse select tool

The Ellipse Select tool selects an

area with a circular or elliptical

shape. If you click the Ellipse

Select tool and perform the steps

similar to that of the Rectangular

Select Tool, you can select a part

of the image in a circular or

elliptical shape.

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Free select tool
The Free Select tool allows you to select areas in an irregular shape.
Steps to select the area in an irregular shape
Step 1: Select the Free Select tool.

Step 2: Click at various points on the boundary of the area that you want to select.

Close your selection by connecting the current pointer location to the start location

with a straight line.

Fuzzy select tool

Fuzzy Select tool, also known as Magic Wand, allows you to select contiguous areas

of a similar colour range.

Steps to use the Fuzzy Select tool
Step 1: Select Fuzzy Select tool and then click on a point with similar coloured areas

around it. The colour range is decided by the point you click on and a threshold

value.

Step 2: To add more parts to the selection, press Shift and click on the areas to be

added to the previous selection.

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By color select tool
The By Color Select tool allows you to select areas of an image within a similar colour

range. However, unlike the Fuzzy Select tool, it will select all areas within the colour

range regardless of their location on the image.

Steps to use the By Color Select tool
Step 1: Select Color Select tool.

Step 2: Click on areas with similar colours in the image.

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Intelligent scissors select tool
This tool selects a region defined by strong colour changes at the edges.
Steps to use the Intelligent Scissors Select Tool
Step 1: Select the Intelligent Scissors tool.

Step 2: Click at the edges of the region you have to select. This creates a set of

control nodes or anchors wherever you have clicked at the edges. A continuous curve

passes through these control nodes, following any high-contrast edges it can find.

Step 3: Click the centre of the area enclosed to activate the selection.

Activity 2
Find a similar image from the internet. Use the appropriate selection tool to select

honeybee from the image.

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Drawing shapes using the selection tool
Steps to draw a circle
Step 1: Navigate to FileNew. Select the height and width of your drawing canvas.

Step 2: Click the Ellipse Select Tool and draw a circular selection.

Step 3: Select the foreground colour in which you want the shape boundary.

Step 4: Select EditStroke Selection. Choose the type of stroke (outline) and click the

Stroke button. This will give an outline to the selection, making it look like a shape.

Activity 3
Draw a square using the appropriate selection tool in GIMP.

Using paint tools

The different Paint tools work together to

draw, paint, and modify an image.

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Bucket fill tool
This tool is used to fill a selection with the current foreground colour. Depending on

the settings of the Bucket Fill tool options, it will either fill the entire selection or only

those parts with colours similar to the point you click on.
Steps to fill a selection with the foreground or background colour
Step 1: Create a new file in GIMP by selecting FileNew option. Select a small image

size. A white canvas area will appear in the main dock window in your GIMP.

Step 2: Select the Bucket Fill tool and position the cursor on the white area.

Step 3: Click the white canvas. In this case, it gets filled with the foreground colour

(the front colour of a layer), orange.

Gradient tool
A gradient is a set of colours arranged in a linear order. The gradient tool allows

filling a gradient (mix) of two colours in an area. By default, the gradient starts from

the foreground colour to the background colour.

Steps to use the Gradient tool
Step 1: Select the foreground and

background colours for the gradient and

then click the Gradient option from the Paint

Tools.

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Step 2: Click and drag one end of the canvas along the direction you want the blend.

Step 3: Release the mouse button. The canvas gets filled with a blend of colours from

the starting point to the ending point.

Paintbrush tool
The Paintbrush tool paints fuzzy brush strokes. All strokes are rendered using the

currently selected brush type. You can choose the brush size, the brush stroke type,

and many other options from the tool options.

Normally, tool options are displayed in a window attached under the Toolbox as

soon as you activate a tool. If they are not, you can access them from the image

menu bar through Windows → Dockable Windows → Tool Options , which opens

the option window of the selected tool.

Pencil tool
The Pencil tool is used to draw freehand lines with a hard

edge. The Pencil and Paintbrush are similar tools. The main

difference between the two tools is that although both use the

same type of brush, the pencil tool will not produce fuzzy edges, even with a very

fuzzy brush.

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Eraser tool
The eraser removes areas of colour from an image or the selected part of an image.
Steps to use the Eraser tool
Step 1: Select the Eraser tool.

Step 2: Set the properties of the eraser in tool options as required.

Step 3: Drag on the parts required to be erased.

Airbrush tool
The Airbrush tool acts as a traditional airbrush. It is suitable for painting soft areas of

colour. It can be used to remove imperfections in a picture by painting over that area

with a colour of the adjacent area.

Steps to use the Airbrush tool
Step 1: Select the Airbrush tool.

Step 2: Then select the colour by clicking on the foreground

color.

Step 3: Set options such as brush type, size and rate in the

Airbrush tool options.

Step 4: Click to apply colour at one spot or drag to apply as a

brush stroke.

Ink tool
The Ink tool is similar to a calligraphic ink pen with a controllable nib for painting

solid brush strokes. The nib size, shape and angle can be

changed to produce different stroke styles.

Steps to use the Ink tool
Step 1: Select the Ink tool.

Step 2: Select the type of nib from the Ink tool options.

Step 3: Set the size, shape and angle of the nib.

Step 4: Drag on the canvas to draw.

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 Did You Know?
You can change the size of the paint tools such as Pencil, Brush, Ink, Airbrush and
Eraser by pressing the square brackets on the keyboard [ ].

Clone tool
It simply reproduces the selected portions in an image. It copies the pixels from the

selected part of an image which can then be pasted into any part of the image. The

clone tool has many uses. One of the main uses is to repair problem areas in digital

photos. This is done by “painting over” these areas with pixel data from other areas.
Steps to use the Clone tool
Step 1: Select the clone tool and press the Ctrl key to start the selection.

Step 2: Now, drag the cursor over the portions in the image you want to clone. Keep

the Ctrl key pressed until the selection is over.

Step 3: Now, leave the Ctrl key. Click the left mouse button and drag in the empty

place where you want to reproduce the part of the image selected. A Pointer

(crosshair) arises on the original portion of the image you selected; this pointer will

also move when you move the mouse.

Original image Cloned image

Heal tool
The Heal tool is a photo editing tool similar to Clone Tool, but it is smarter in

removing or cleaning out minor imperfections in images. It is typically used to

remove wrinkles, pimples or spots in photographs. The pixels are copied from source

to destination and the area around the destination is treated before cloning is

applied.

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Steps to use heal tool
Step 1: Select a brush size with a suitable size adapted to the defect.

Step 2: Click on the area that you want to reproduce with the Ctrl key pressed.

Step 3: Release the Ctrl key, drag the copied sample to the defect and click. If it is a

minor defect, it will be corrected in one click; otherwise, you may have to click

repeatedly until it is corrected.

Original image image after using heal tool

Blur/Sharpen tool
Enlarged images or shaky photos can look dull and blurry. The Sharpen tool can

help make images look sharper and more polished. Blurring can be useful if some

element of your image stands out too much and you want to soften it. Blurring the

background of an image can draw attention to a person or object in the foreground

of the photograph. Pressing the Ctrl key while using the Blur/Sharpen tool toggles

between Blur and Sharpen.

Steps to use the Blur/Sharpen tool
Step 1: Select the Blur tool.

Step 2: Change the tool option settings as required.

Step 3: With the left mouse button pressed, drag the mouse over the required parts

of the image repeatedly. The parts of the image on which you drag the tool will get

blurred or dim.

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 Original image image with blurred flower

Smudge tool
The Smudge tool is used to smudge colours on a selection. It takes the first colour

and mixes it with the next colours it meets while dragging. This tool pushes the pixels

in the same way an artist would smudge paint around on an actual canvas. Steps to

use the Smudge tool

Step 1: Select the Smudge tool and increase the rate (smudge options).

Step 2: Place the cursor over the area to be affected, hold down the left mouse

button and drag.

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Dodge/Burn tool
The Dodge or Burn tool is used to lighten or darken the colours of an image. The

Dodge tool is used to make the colours lighter, while the Burn tool is used to make

the colours darker.

Steps to use the Dodge/Burn tool
Step 1: Click the Dodge tool and change the tool option settings as required.

Step 2: Then, with the left mouse button pressed, drag the mouse over the required

parts of the image. The parts of the images on which you drag the tool will turn

darker or lighter as you drag the tool again and again.

original image lightened image

Activity 4
Collect old photographs of your family. Convert them to digital images. Use the different

paint tools and make the images better than the previous one.

Using transform tools

The Transform tools allow us to rotate, scale

down or scale up, stretch or skew, change the

perspective, create a mirror image, crop or cut

specific areas and move a selection or layer. The

options available are Rotate, Scale, Shear,

Perspective, Flip, Crop, Move etc.

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Cropping an image
Cropping of the image allows you to remove unwanted portions of an image to

focus on a specific area or to improve its composition.

Steps to crop an image
Step 1: Select the Crop tool.

Step 2: Drag the mouse to select the area to be removed.

Step 3: Press Enter key to crop the image.

Rotating an image
The Rotate tool turns an image clockwise or anti-clockwise by a particular angle.
Steps to rotate an image
Step 1: Select the Rotate tool and click on the image or selected area of the image.

The Rotate dialog box appears.

Step 2: Change the angle of rotation and click on Rotate when finalised. The selection

or image is rotated. Similarly, you can use other transform tools.

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Flipping an image
The Flip tool provides the ability to flip layers (like a stack of slides) or selections

either horizontally or vertically. When a selection is flipped, a new layer with a

floating selection is created. You can use this tool to create reflections.
Steps to flip an image
Step 1: Select the Flip tool and click on the image or selected area of the image.

Step 2: Click the image to change the direction.

Step 3: Select the direction from the Flip tool options.

original image flipped image

Shearing an image
Shearing means changing the shape of a 2D object along the X and Y axis. This tool

is used to shift one part of an image, a selection or a path to one direction and the

other part to the opposite direction. A horizontal shearing will shift the upper part to

the right and the lower part to the left. As a result, a rectangle can become a

diamond. So shearing is not the same as rotation; it is a tool that can distort the

image.

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Steps to shear an image
Step 1: Select the Shear tool.

Step 2: Drag the pointer according to the direction you want.

Step 3: Click the Shear button to apply the Shearing effect.

original image Sheared image

Changing the Perspective

The perspective tool changes the perspective (angle or direction in which you view

an object) of a selected content or a path. When you click on the image, a

rectangular frame or a grid pops up around the selection, with a handle on each of

the four corners. By moving these handles using click-and-drag, you can modify the

perspective.
Steps to change the perspective of an image
Step 1: Select the Perspective tool. The settings of the tools become visible.

Step 2: Drag one or more square handles that appear around the image to get the

required perspective.

Step 3: Click the Transform button to confirm the changes.

original image image with a changed perspective

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Activity 5
Open any image in GIMP. Use different transform tools and see the effects on the
image.

6.6 Exporting an image

GIMP uses the Save command only for saving images in its native XCF format. You

can use the Export command when you need your image in a different file format.
Steps to export the image in different file format
Step 1: Select FileExport As. An Export Image dialog box appears.

Step 2: Click on ‘Select file type by extension’.

Step 3: Select the required file format.

Step 4: Click on Export. This opens the Export Image dialog for the specified file

format. Change the quality of the export if required and click on Export.

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Unit Review
1. Digital images are made up of a series of pixels, which are small dots in square or

circle shape arranged in a grid.

2. The colour depth of an image refers to the number of bits used to represent each

colour.

3. The number of pixels is referred to as the image resolution.

4. GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, a free and open-source

image editing application. It can be freely downloaded from the internet.

5. GIMP window can be viewed in single or multiple windows. By default, it opens in

the multiple window mode.

6. A file is saved in GIMP with the extension .xcf. This is GIMP's native file format.

7. The GIMP toolbox can be classified into Selection, Paint, and Transform tools.

8. Selection tools enable you to select the specific part of the image you want to

work with.

9. Paint tools help you to draw, paint, and modify an image.

10. The Transform tools allow us to rotate, scale down or scale up, stretch or skew,

change the perspective, create a mirror image, crop or cut specific areas and

move a selection or layer.

11. The Export command is used to save your image in a different file format.

Check for Understanding

1. Select the correct option

1. Which of the following options correctly defines the smallest unit of information

in a digital image?

a. Resolution

b. Pixel

c. Colour depth

d. Bit

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2. Which of the following statements about colour depth is true?

a. A higher colour depth requires less storage space

b. A higher colour depth allows for fewer colours to be represented

c. An 8-bit colour depth allows for over 16 million colours to be represented

d. Colour depth and resolution are the same

3. Which of the following GIMP tools can be used to flip the image?

a. Selection tools

b. Paint tools

c. Transform tools

d. All of these

4. Which window mode fixes all floating panels inside the main windows in the left

and right panes?

a. Single window mode

b. Multiple window mode

c. Both a. and b.

d. None of the these

5. What is the file format in which an image is saved in GIMP?

a. .jpg

b. .png

c. .gif

d. .xcf

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 Lab Activity
1. Draw any two geometrical shapes using selection and paint tools.

 Use the gradient tool to fill the colour in the shapes

 Use the ink tool to write the name of the shape inside it

2. Take your family photo. Convert it to a digital image. Change the background

colour and clothes colour using selection and paint tools.

3. Download the image of a bird from the internet.

 Edit an image using various selection, paint and transform tools

 Save it in a format that can be used in a document, presentation or web page.

Resources Reference Material

https://www.gimp.org/tutorials/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0quo4S8Oqw

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