Good tutorials:
http://www.xach.com/gimp/tutorials

Kai's Power Tips for Adobe Photoshop is also very useful.

For a text with a shadow follow these steps:
-Have a Background layer.
-Create a new layer for text -- type your text
-Duplicate this layer and gaussian Blur it. -> Use channel ops--> 
 and offset this image to 2x, 2y. 

Bump Map is a cool thing-- could give a engraved on some stone--
kind of look given an image.


How to add a new font?
/usr/openwin/lib/X11/fonts/Type1 --> copy a newfile.pfb to this
dir. Run mkfontdir; xset fp rehash; you are set to go.
cdrom.com has lot of type1 fonts available.

http://youtube.com/user/malgalin nice videos on path tool.


Highlights of Path tool:
   - Use selection tool and draw an ellipse/circle. Then convert
     the selection to PATH using path layer. Then stroke the path to
     draw your shape. It is much easier than trying to draw ellipse
     using purely PATH tool (beiser curve).

Ctrl - substracts selection.

When you Move ==> You can move Layer, Selection and/or Path.

Toolbox provides fixed set of shapes for selection. But if you have
more "brushes" you can use that brush for drawing shape, use for
selection, use as a mask, etc.

(Blend operation) Stroke selection with Gradient provides nice effect !!!
   Where is custom gradient plugins ???

You can create your own gradients.
You may want to download some readymade pallets!!!

Also Tools==>Colors=>Color curves ==> Nicely customizes the gradient
                                      distribution !!!


Nice Tutorial on how to twist the text along arbitrary path and 
then apply gradient on it:
   http://gimp-tutorials.net/gimp-text-to-path-tutorial


Alpha to Selection ==> means Select the Alphabhets (text) 

Lock alpha channel ==> The layer itself won't move while you move objs.??
                       Alpha channel records the 'transparancy' of the image

Note: There is 'Create PATH from Text' option available from text layer.


A pattern is an image, usually small, used for filling regions by tiling.


Import PATH dialog used to create new PATH from an SVG file.

Inkspace color picker sucks.
Inkspace 'growing' path: 
   Ctrol ) : Creates inset PATH from the object (if its not already path)
   Ctrl  ( : Creates outset PATH

Object is converted to PATH :  Shift + Ctrl +C

 Break Path at node :   Shft B
 Duplicate nodes: Shift D

 Join 2 end nodes in one path: Shft J
 Node is cusp : Shft C (2 handles)
 Node is Smooth : shft S (2 handles are colinear)
 Node is symmetric : shft Y (smooth and handles are same length)
 
 Path can have more than one subpath. 
 Create compound Paths: Ctrl + K
 Break compound paths: Shft + Ctrl + K
 


 

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For creating general purpose diagrams, See these other tools,
which are also SVG vector graphics capable:

   - Open office
   - Microsoft Visio (Best for flow chart, modelling, etc)
   - Adobe Illustrator (for most complicated drawings)
   - Google Sketchup
   - Inkscape  <========== Great and simple tool.

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