Any GIMP users here?

StarryPeach · 11-11-2008, 10:33 PM

So I know someone who uses the GIMP for making Livejournal icons. There are some GIMP-only blending modes on there and I would like to know what their Photoshop equivalents are so that I could utilize them.

**Valigarmander** · 11-12-2008, 12:36 AM

I've used both, but it's been a while since I've used GIMP.

Could you refresh me on what the blending modes are?

StarryPeach · 11-12-2008, 09:07 AM

Well, the ones in GIMP I'm interested in are Add, Subtract, Divide and Value.

Do you need to know what the blending modes in Photoshop are?

**Valigarmander** · 11-12-2008, 04:36 PM

What terrible timing, my computer crashed today so I'll have to reinstall both before I can give you an answer.

Spritedude · 11-12-2008, 06:50 PM

I use Gimp all the time, but I've never used Photoshop, so I wouldn't know what the differences are.

StarryPeach · 11-12-2008, 08:58 PM

Val: It's not terribly urgent, so I can wait. X)

***Cosmonautical*** · 11-13-2008, 12:15 AM

There are a lot of blending modes for photoshop. I've got CS 1, so let me fire that up.

Okay, your basic "Add" and "Subtract" alternatives are going to be "Lighten" and "Screen" as additive modes and "Darken" and "Multiply" for what should be subtractive modes.

You can get to these by selecting a layer from the list in PS and changing blending modes in the dropdown window that by default displays "Normal", or you can right-click the layer itself and press "Blending Options".

If you already knew about that, I can't recommend a place to download more modes/patches or anything like that. I don't know much about GIMP, but I can definitely tell you that Multiply uses the image as a subractive(darkening) filter and Screen uses the image as an additive(brightening) filter.

Darken and Lighten work similarily, but Darken will darken the layers beneath to the levels of the layer set to Darken - discluding the bright end of the spectrum and only using the darker tones - and only making the layers beneath the Darken layer as dark as the Darken layer. Lighten will do the exact opposite, only using the bright parts of the image to brighten the layers beneath, but only to the amount of lightness in the Lighten layer.

I use the words "additive" and "subtractive" in reference to RGB. If you are talking about medias like paints or inks, so on, "additive" and "subtractive" will have reversed meanings. Different medias actually have different qualities.

For instance, I would describe paint as being an additive medium - you can lighten and darken using paints, depending on which color you have, because it is a layered medium.

Graphite pencils, I would describe as purely subtractive - you can only darken the image with graphite pencils.

So basically, the words Add and Subtract can have a lot of meanings, but I think the Multiply and Screen blending modes would be most similar.

Divide and Value could be anything, honestly, but I think what you're looking for in those might be Difference/Exclusion and Hue/Saturation/Color/Luminosity modes, respectively.

StarryPeach · 11-13-2008, 08:24 PM

Oh I know about Photoshop layer blending modes. X) I just needed to know what the GIMP equivalents are--I read a tutorial for how to make an icon in a certain style, but it was for the GIMP and I wanted to figure out a way that I could translate that into Photoshop.

Thanks much for the info anyway, AI.

***Cosmonautical*** · 11-13-2008, 10:17 PM

Ha, I read that totally backwards, then.

I can't really help you with gimp, but you can just try out the different modes with a larger image to see what happens.

11-11-2008, 10:33 PM	#1
StarryPeach Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Somewhere Gender: Posts: 7,639 Thanks: 771 Thanked 343 Times in 296 Posts	Any GIMP users here? So I know someone who uses the GIMP for making Livejournal icons. There are some GIMP-only blending modes on there and I would like to know what their Photoshop equivalents are so that I could utilize them.

11-12-2008, 12:36 AM	#2
Valigarmander The Bee's Knees Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: The land of rain and trees (Oregon) Gender: Posts: 29,755 Thanks: 1,649 Thanked 5,700 Times in 2,580 Posts Blog Entries: 20	I've used both, but it's been a while since I've used GIMP. Could you refresh me on what the blending modes are?

11-12-2008, 09:07 AM	#3
StarryPeach Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Somewhere Gender: Posts: 7,639 Thanks: 771 Thanked 343 Times in 296 Posts	Well, the ones in GIMP I'm interested in are Add, Subtract, Divide and Value. Do you need to know what the blending modes in Photoshop are?

11-12-2008, 04:36 PM	#4
Valigarmander The Bee's Knees Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: The land of rain and trees (Oregon) Gender: Posts: 29,755 Thanks: 1,649 Thanked 5,700 Times in 2,580 Posts Blog Entries: 20	What terrible timing, my computer crashed today so I'll have to reinstall both before I can give you an answer.

11-12-2008, 06:50 PM	#5
Spritedude Calibrating... Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: The Centennial State Gender: Posts: 1,424 Thanks: 69 Thanked 84 Times in 51 Posts	I use Gimp all the time, but I've never used Photoshop, so I wouldn't know what the differences are.

11-12-2008, 08:58 PM	#6
StarryPeach Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Somewhere Gender: Posts: 7,639 Thanks: 771 Thanked 343 Times in 296 Posts	Val: It's not terribly urgent, so I can wait. X)

11-13-2008, 12:15 AM	#7
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,100 Thanks: 2,151 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	There are a lot of blending modes for photoshop. I've got CS 1, so let me fire that up. Okay, your basic "Add" and "Subtract" alternatives are going to be "Lighten" and "Screen" as additive modes and "Darken" and "Multiply" for what should be subtractive modes. You can get to these by selecting a layer from the list in PS and changing blending modes in the dropdown window that by default displays "Normal", or you can right-click the layer itself and press "Blending Options". If you already knew about that, I can't recommend a place to download more modes/patches or anything like that. I don't know much about GIMP, but I can definitely tell you that Multiply uses the image as a subractive(darkening) filter and Screen uses the image as an additive(brightening) filter. Darken and Lighten work similarily, but Darken will darken the layers beneath to the levels of the layer set to Darken - discluding the bright end of the spectrum and only using the darker tones - and only making the layers beneath the Darken layer as dark as the Darken layer. Lighten will do the exact opposite, only using the bright parts of the image to brighten the layers beneath, but only to the amount of lightness in the Lighten layer. I use the words "additive" and "subtractive" in reference to RGB. If you are talking about medias like paints or inks, so on, "additive" and "subtractive" will have reversed meanings. Different medias actually have different qualities. For instance, I would describe paint as being an additive medium - you can lighten and darken using paints, depending on which color you have, because it is a layered medium. Graphite pencils, I would describe as purely subtractive - you can only darken the image with graphite pencils. So basically, the words Add and Subtract can have a lot of meanings, but I think the Multiply and Screen blending modes would be most similar. Divide and Value could be anything, honestly, but I think what you're looking for in those might be Difference/Exclusion and Hue/Saturation/Color/Luminosity modes, respectively.

11-13-2008, 08:24 PM	#8
StarryPeach Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Somewhere Gender: Posts: 7,639 Thanks: 771 Thanked 343 Times in 296 Posts	Oh I know about Photoshop layer blending modes. X) I just needed to know what the GIMP equivalents are--I read a tutorial for how to make an icon in a certain style, but it was for the GIMP and I wanted to figure out a way that I could translate that into Photoshop. Thanks much for the info anyway, AI.

11-13-2008, 10:17 PM	#9
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,100 Thanks: 2,151 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	Ha, I read that totally backwards, then. I can't really help you with gimp, but you can just try out the different modes with a larger image to see what happens.