An Overview of GIMP 2.8 - Beginning Photo Retouching and Restoration Using GIMP - page 16

Other Tools
The remaining tools are the Path tool, Color Picker, Zoom tool, Measure tool, and the Text tool. Power GIMP
users employ all the tools in the Toolbox at one time or another, and the exercises in this topic will use most
of them at least once.
If you are accustomed to using Photoshop, the tools should seem somewhat familiar, but the names and
icons might differ slightly. Refer to Table 1-4 below to become familiar with the name, shortcut, and function
of each tool.

Table 1-4. Tool Shortcuts and Functions

Icon Name Shortcut Tool Function

Path B Creates and modifies paths

Color Picker O Selects colors from image pixels

Zoom Z Adjusts the magnification level of the image you are viewing

Measure Shift + M Shows distances and angles

Text T Creates or edits text layers

Working with Layers
Layers can be likened to sheets of clear acetate, each one with a graphical element stacked on top of another.
The sample illustration shown in Figure 1-15 demonstrates how the elements on each layer combine to
make a complete composite.

Figure 1-15. Separate layers form a complete picture