Gimp Tutorial 1: Making A Pro Banner

OK, it's time to make some banners to promote our sponsors, paysites, and AVS sites, that no-one out there on the web is going to have but us! This can be a major leap forward when you're trying to promote these kinds of sites. Text links are great but there's also a time when pictures can be used as eye-grabbers. And pictures paint a thousand words! Used together in the right way, ad-graphics and text links can make you a lot of money.

Download the free software 'The GIMP' here:
http://www.gimp.org/~tml/gimp/win32//downloads.html

We're gonna make a banner that suggests hardcore, but that's actually 100% softcore. We're gonna add text, fade an image half way, and we're going to add a gradient in the text from one color to another. The text will be anti aliased, and the finished banner will be PRO quality - or better.

Here is the finished article that you're going to achieve in 24 simple steps using the freeware GIMP...



1) First up, you'll need a picture to experiment with. Either download the one below, or use one that you have on your hard disk.

http://www.topniche.com/newbie-booster/resources/gimp/banner-1/start_picture.jpg

(Right click and choose 'SAVE AS' from the drop-down menu. Remember where you save it to. I've already set this image to be just about the right size. After the tutorial, you should be able to make banners from your own images providing that you can resize the image you're working from (roughly) yourself.

2) Set the foreground to black and white by left clicking here:



3) Go to FILE - NEW New image, and set the width to 468 and the height to 100. MAXIMISE this window.

4) Open picture start_picture.jpg (FILE - OPEN).

5) Press CTRL + A to select ALL!

6) CTRL + C to copy that.

7) CTRL + V on the banner 468 x 100 image.

8) Move that pasted section to the left of screen.




9) Pick the rectangular selection tool.



10) Draw box from top right to middle of image - as shown.

11) Right click on the image and choose - SELECT - FEATHER - 100, and OK that.

12) Select the paint bucket, and left click on the right side of the pic - the part you just selected.



13) Right click - SELECT - NONE.

14) Click on T (text) tool.

15) Left click on image - anywhere

16) Choose Arial Black or similar, size 40 and click OK.



17) Left click on the text and DRAG it to wherever you want it - for this tutorial - to here:



18) Double click on the foreground color and set it to a reddish color.

19) Double click on the background color and set it to a PINK...



20) Choose the GRADIENT TOOL...



21) And drag that vertically from the bottom of your text to the top:



22) Release and you should have this...



23) Repeat and add HARDCORE under the text.

24) Now, see if you can add some white text (alter the foreground color first!) under what we already have in a smaller font. Then, select the CROSS tool and left click on the image to flatten all of the layers and complete the work. Right click and save as. My advice is to save as a BMP and then use another compression program as this will make for better quality banners.

If you get stuck - HOLLER! And get ready for more tutorials with the GIMP!

Have a great day all!

TOM ^"^

ICQ 12616560
Email tom@tomsnewbiebooster.com

Enter TOM'S NEWBIE BOOSTER

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