In the Layers pane we need to right-click on the layer we have coloured blue and select ‘Add Layer Mask’, stick with the default settings and choose a small, soft-edged Paintbrush.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET 2. Layer masks Layer masks are as essential as layers in GIMP. With layer masks, you can selectively modify the opacity/transparency of a layer.

GIMP’s “Cut and Float” option is almost the same thing, with the keyboard Control-Shift-L. This command results with the selection duplicated onto a “floating”, i.e. temporary, layer.

GIMP is a free, feature-packed image editor with Photoshop-style functionality such as layers, filters, and masking, but it requires patience to master. GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is ...

GIMP is a free, feature-packed image editor with Photoshop-style functionality such as layers, filters, and masking, but it requires patience to master. GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is ...

You can also use the GIMP to export any of its other supported image formats to PDF and the export settings let you maintain any layer masks you used in the original image.

Retouching, editing, adding effects—some image editing programs can easily rival Photoshop. Best of all, they’re completely ...