Piczo

For any comments on these stupidly boring and utterly simple tutorials, please refer to either the Feedback or the Contact Me page. Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention – I use GIMP 2.2.11, and you guys might have the more advanced versions of GIMP, so if you get confused – don't blame me.

Signature 1: Easy Does It – I love easy things, because they're so easy and simple. I do like a bit of a challenge, but not really.

Step 1: Okay, so first of all, open a new image 400 by 200 pixels:



Now go Filters > Render > Clouds > Plasma... and leave everything as it is – in case you don't have the default settings, here it is:

Random seed: 0
Turbulence: 1.0
Uncheck Randomize.

Click OK.



Step 2: Go Layer > Colors > Desaturate. You should end up with something like this:



Step 3: Create a new layer, and if you're stuck for names, then just call it Gradient. Now select the Gradient tool (the fading green to white square looking icon). Set the gradient (by clicking on the gradient) to something that you would like on your signature, colorwise. I chose Caribbean Blues. You should now have these settings:

Opacity: 100
Mode: Normal
Gradient: Whatever you chose. Make sure Reverse is unchecked!
Offset: 0.0
Shape: Linear
Repeat: None
Make sure Dithering is checked, and Adaptive supersampling is unchecked

Now make a gradient from the left to the right of your image on that new layer. On the layer tab/dialogue, you can set the layer mode to anything you want, really, but I like Hard Light and Grain Merge the best. I set mine to Grain Merge:



Step 4: Now you can just simple add the text! Since my picture is slightly dark, I'm going to choose a light color to right my text – Lime (98fd9f). I used Scriptina for my font. Click on the letter T to get the text. Use the move tool (the little four-pointed anchor-looking thing) to move the text to wherever you want:



Step 5: You're pretty much done, but if you really want to, you can add a border. To add a border, select the text tool, make sure your text layer is active (if not, click on it), and then click on your text once. If the text window appears, then just close it, and then go to your Text option tab. Click on the Create path from text button. Then do SHIFT + V, and a selection should appear around your text.

Step 6: Create a new layer, and if you're stuck for names, then just call it Border. Then pick another color that's dark/lighter (if your text is a dark color, make sure the border is a light color, and vice versa) and set it to your foreground color. I used dark green (0f9629).

Step 7: Go Select > Grow..., type in 1 in the box, and then hit OK.

Step 8: Fill the selection with the border color of your choice, and then go Select > Shrink...; type 1 in the box and make sure Shrink from image border is check. Then hit okay. Press SHIFT + K.



Step 9: This step is optional. On your Border layer, go Filters > Blue > Gaussian Blur...; set both the horizontal and vertical blur radius to 1.0px, and make sure the Blue Method is IIR. Then you can hit okay.



Step 10: This step, too, is optional; it's a drop shadow. Now, if you have your text/background gradient – that's your text, not the border – set to a bright color, then make sure your drop shadow color is dark, and vice versa.

Okay, firstly, select your text later, and then, if you have my version of GIMP (if not, then I presume you're doomed, unless you know what to do/where to go), then go Script-Fu > Shadow > Drop-Shadow...; set both your offsets to 8 and your blur radius to 15 (the default settings), the opacity to 80, uncheck allow resizing, and your drop shadow color is entirely up to you. I went with black. You should have a finished result like this (with different colors and such, of course):



To those that have anything to say about this horribly-written and utterly plain tutorial, please refer to the Contact Me page. I actually really want you guys to get familiar with GIMP, so that one day, you'll be able to create something like this:



Because I won't teach you how to make these... I'm just too lazy. I know; I'm just so mean, aren't I? And lazy, too, because I'm going to do the rest of the tutorials later... Perhaps maybe in a decade or so? Lol.