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How to Remove a Color in GIMP

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How to Remove a Color in GIMP

In the present circumstances, Photo editing is an indispensable part of our life. Almost everyone edits pictures before uploading them to the online platform. It acts like a magical touch that transforms a simple faulty image into a stunning perfect one. Using photoshop, you can edit several photos at a time using an action panel. Where Is the Action Panel in Photoshop

Suppose you have captured a photo, but unfortunately, some unwanted colours demolish your picture’s beauty. Are you thinking about removing the paint? 

Color builds up the photo. To remove the undesirable color from the image, you can use GIMP, an open-source application that executes like Paint Shop. GIMP has a bunch of features to control the colour. Though it is effortless to install on a computer, you may struggle to use GIMP whether you utilize it for professional or hobby purposes. 

Are you looking for a thoroughgoing direction on How to Remove a Color in GIMP? Then, you are on the right site to learn the details. So, keep reading. 

What Is GIMP

Photography is an art where photo editing adds its beauty with multiple executions. Moreover, photo editing itself is something with a photo editing tool. The designer uses various categories of photo editing tools to fine-tune a photo. GIMP is one of the tools that a designer uses for Image post-production.  

GIMP is the concise form of the GNU Image Manipulation Program. 

It is free of cost and open-source software for photo retouching, composition, and image manipulation. It is a colour controller software containing multiple color features. Let’s have an overview of those: 

  • Complete set of artwork including Brush, Airbrush, Pencil, etc.
  • Incredibly robust slope editor and blend tool. 
  • Sustains patronage brushes and designs.
  • Effectively opens multiple photos at a time. 
  • It completely supports the Alpha channel. 
  • Contains a good range of Transformation and Selection tools.
  • Quick mask options for paintings are available.  
  • A structured Database for reaching internal GIMP operations from external programs.
  • Load and save animations in a suitable configuration, like layer format.

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How to Remove a Color in GIMP

GIMP is a free tool that became available many moons ago. Besides, it has an extensive list of features to make your ideas blossom. You can edit simple to complex photos with this tool. You are knowledgeable with Photoshop to do Color Correction. But maybe you are not aware of GIMP for doing the same. Let’s know step by step all the methods of How to Remove a Color in GIMP: 

Method 01: Using the Fuzzy Selection Tool

This is the fastest way to remove colour in GIMP, where you can withdraw a solid background and keep the environment transparent with sound opaque. The steps are given below: 

  1. The first step is to create an Alpha Channel. For that, move to Layer from the top menu and choose Transparency. Here you will get multiple options but select the Add Alpha Channel.
  2. Depending on the type of picture, select the Fuzzy Select tool and set the Threshold that reveals the color range of pixels.
  3. After selecting the colour you want to remove, you can now remove it. Push the Delete key (PC) to extract the color. The delete option won’t work for Mac or other devices, and there is an alternative way too. Move to the Edit menu and pick the Clear option. As a result, the selected portion will contain a checkerboard pattern instead of the color since the color is removed. If you don’t find the same effect, restart from step. 
  4. Now you can pick a different colour as the background or keep it as it is. If you want to add colour, you can use the Bucket Fill tool.
  5. Remember to save the final work.

Method 02: Using Hue/Saturation

In the previous method, we had to select the portion to delete. However, since we are not deleting now, we won’t choose any part. Let know the process most easily: 

  1. Open the photo in GIMP and get to the Colors menu. 
  2. From the available option, click Hue/Saturation.
  3. From the color cycle, pick the correct colour to adjust. 
  4. Push Hue/Saturation to the maximum value to experiment with the complex color. After that, click on the appropriate colour range. 
  5. Now you have to adjust the Hue/Saturation. Do it until you acquire the anticipated result.
  6. Check it from the image since it will change in real time. You can also split the changing and original parts to determine the difference. 
  7. Continue until the final result appears and save it.

Method 03: Using the Foreground Selection Tool

This method works well for the photo where the object and the line have a clear line to differentiate them. Let’s know the process step by step: 

  1. Open the photo in GIMP. 
  2. Right-click on the Layer icon, and there will be a checklist of choices.
  3. From the available list, pick the Add Alpha Channel. 
  4. Now click on the foreground selection tool.  
  5. Now, outline the object, including a few portions of the foreground, and press the Enter keyboard. 
  6. Pick a brush size to paint the foreground object. Try to keep the color matching the photo and press Enter on the keyboard. 
  7. The consequence of step 6 will be like Photoshop Image masking because it will protect the main object and fix only the picture background.
  8. Take the free selection tool to draw a line around the object. 
  9. To add or delete parts of the photo, set the Mode Add to or Subtract from.  
  10. Press Delete on the keyboard to clear the present background.
  11. Beneath the foreground, count a new layer. 
  12. Remember to save the final piece. 

Method 04: Using the Scissors Selection Tool

There are several methods to remove color in GIMP. If the photo contains an inappropriate color background, you can remove Background from Images using GIMP. You can practice any of the procedures explained aloft or apply the method I will describe now. 

Instead of beating about the bush, let’s go into the details: 

  1. Go to the Layer menu to select the add Alpha channel for the photo. 
  2. Choose the Scissors select tool and checkmark the box of Interactive boundary. 
  3. Outline the object with anchor points. It is a simple clicking and discharging process but make sure to do it carefully to select appropriately. 
  4. Try to use as many anchors as possible to construct a line aligning the object correctly. Remember, the less gap between anchors, the more well-aligned line completes around the thing.
  5. After outlining suitably, press enter. 
  6. Inverse the background by pressing CTRL and I on the keyboard simultaneously (CTRL + I). As a result, the environment will be removed or deleted. 
  7. Finally, save the file in your preferred format. 

Method 05: Employing Paths Tool

This is the most accessible and suitable process for removing color in GIMP. You can apply it to almost every category’s photos. So, let’s know it: 

  1. Open the photo in GIMP. 
  2. Press E on the keyboard or select the path tool from the panel. 
  3. Now, start the ball rolling to form paths surrounding the object. If needed, press Z on the keyboard to zoom in. 
  4.  After completing the path creation, right-click to get the ‘Select’ option. Then choose ‘From Path’ to convert the outlined path into a selection. As a shortcut, you can press Shift+V to do the exact conversion. 
  5. Go to the ‘Select’ menu and click ‘Invert’ to switch the considerable part to the background. You can press Ctrl+I as a shortcut. 
  6. Then press Delete on the keyboard, and it will appear with a chessboard look. 
  7. Fill the background with a new colour if you need it. Then save the file.

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Boon and Bane of GIMP

GIMP is freely available photo editing software created in 1996, and still, it has persisted in being updated. New beginners who can not afford the cost of Photoshop or small business utilizes GIMP for initial photo editing. Reasons for using GIMP are as below: 

  • Free of cost software.
  • Suitable for Linux operating system. 
  • GIMP allows you to accomplish genuine editing work like cropping, adjusting brightness, colour-changing, background removal, etc. 
  • GIMP is easily accessible, portable, and shareable to anyone anywhere.
  • You can operate with GIMP on any device, like a desktop or laptop. 

Let’s know some godsends of using GIMP: 

  • The first and foremost benefit of GIMP is that it is free, and many beginners love to use it. 
  • The users don’t need much space in the device to use GIMP because they can run it anywhere, like the cloud, folder, or an external drive. Here it isn’t mandatory to install it on the computer. 
  • It incorporates all avant-garde features like paths and layers.
  • It can benefit you by removing the background or changing the environment. You also can make the background transparent using GIMP. 
  • You can apply the brushes and patterns of Photoshop in GIMP. 
  • It possesses a stylish menu bar. 
  • It is a piece of cake for novices.
  • If you have started photo editing, you already know how long photographers take to edit photos. However, you can save time using GIMP for small images. 

Let’s know some drawbacks of using GIMP: 

  • You can not choose multiple layers at a time. 
  • You can not even take the same font style call into play for multiple text layers. 
  • You can’t apply any effects or animation to any text.
  • You can’t export optimized web photos. 
  • Since it is open-source, it has bug issues or crashes sometimes. 
  • You can’t group numerous layers. 
  • Employing GIMP, you may face tribulation in creating arch shapes. 
  • It is free of cost, so it offers fewer features than Photoshop. 

GIMP Versus Photoshop

Photo editing is common nowadays. Many people utilize it to make their memorable photos lovely. Some others also execute it professionally to meet their bread and butter. Designs Spy. is one of them that professionally provides image post-production services and Simple One Line Face Drawing services worldwide. Visual artists, photographers, and innovative experts use different photo editing tools. Among them, GIMP and Photoshop are well-known. Though they perform identical objectives, they are different from chalk and cheese. Let’s know the details of their difference: 

  • GIMP is free, open-source software, whereas Photoshop is a monthly or annually paid software. 
  • GIMP is perfect for beginners to do basic photo editing, whereas Photoshop is excellent for professional photo retouching. 
  • GIMP is a trustworthy option for photo editing, but Photoshop is more potent since it benefits from a more helpful interface and a complete set of practical features. 
  • A global passionate developers team runs the plugins of GIMP with a passion, whereas Adobe runs Photoshop for corporate purposes. 
  • GIMP is a better option for those who can’t afford the cost of photoshop, whereas Photoshop is a better option for professionals who desire to edit non-destructively. 
  • The newbie needs initial training to know about GIMP since its usability is difficult, whereas Photoshop is comfortable to utilize even for newcomers.

I have discussed all the details of GIMP, including How to Remove a Color in GIMP. All the methods about How to Remove a Color in GIMP I discussed before are effective enough to inform you with detailed directions. Now you can remove the color from a photo using GIMP. Let me know which method about How to Remove a Color in GIMP you like most.  

However, there is no doubt that GIMP is an excellent alternative to Photoshop, but you must seek professional touch to meet your professional expectations. Finally, I would like to thanks for reading this post about How to Remove a Color in GIMP. I hope you like my How to Remove a Color in GIMP post.

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