The following are step by step guides on how to use
Gimp
to make text gifs which have a transparent background and
where the text has a coloured outline.
This will produce gifs suitable for use in web pages.
These are not necessarily the best or only way to do this, however they work!
eg.,
Method 1
Start Gimp !
Create an empty canvas
In toolbar window
File:New
Width/Height suitable for required text,
eg., Browser (73x29), Continue (80x29)
Image Type = RGB
Fill Type = Transparent
Zoom in on the canvas
In toolbar window
Click on Zoom icon
In image window
Click until big enough to use
Set foreground colour
In toolbar window
Click on left colour, eg., RGB = 225, 100, 10 for red outline
Create text
In toolbar window
Click on text icon
In image window
Click on canvas
Font = Helvetica
Pixels = 20
Slant = o
Width = narrow
Border = 0
Enter required text
Move text so left edge is at start of third checked column,
and it is centered vertically
Anchor text
In image window
Right click - Dialogs:Layers & Chanels
In layers window
Click on anchor icon
Duplicate layers
In layers window
Click on Keep Transparent
Click on Duplicate icon 4 times (4 outlines, 1 inner)
Colour inner layer
In layers window
Click on top layer
In toolbar window
Click on left colour, eg., RGB = 255, 255, 200 for yellow inner
Click on fill icon
In image window
Right click - Select:All
Click on text
Create outlines
In layers window
Click on second layer
In image window
Right click - Image:Channel Ops:Offset
X = 1.5, Y = 1.5
In layers window
Click on third layer
In image window
Right click - Image:Channel Ops:Offset
X = 1.5, Y = -1.5
In layers window
Click on fourth layer
In image window
Right click - Image:Channel Ops:Offset
X = -1.5, Y = -1.5
In layers window
Click on fifth layer
In image window
Right click - Image:Channel Ops:Offset
X = -1.5, Y = 1.5
Save as a gif
In image window
Right click - Layers:Merge Visible Layers:Clipped to image
Right click - Image:Indexed
Right click - File:Save
Method 2
Start Gimp !
Create text
In toolbar window
Xtns:Script-Fu:Logos:Glowing Hot
In script window
Text String = "required string"
Font Size = 20
Font = "Helvetica"
Remove black background
In image window
Right click - Dialogs:Layers & Chanels
In layers window
Click on Background layer
Click on Delete layer icon
Save as a gif
In image window
Right click - Layers:Merge Visible Layers:Clipped to image
