Adding text to an image - Graphics

On 2005-11-03, John Oliver <joliver@john-oliver.net> wrote:
> I know absolutely nothing about image manipulation. That being said...
>
> I need to add some text to an image. Specifically, a map... I want to
> add labels. Now, don't laugh... I was in Paint (yeah, yeah, yeah... :-)
> ), and when I went to add text, it always added this text box that was
> too big and it wiped out part of my image. So, I opened an old eval
> copy of LView Pro. I add text with it, and the letters are white (I
> want black) and I can't see any color controls.
>
> What I'd really like to do is be able to print out my text somewhere and
> be able to drag it around and place it on the image where I want it.
> I'd like to be able to maybe angle it, or even drag the letters around
> so they aren't in a straight line (to stay within boundaries on the
> map).
>
> I downloaded the installer for The Gimp, but since I've never used it or
> Photoshop, I know it's a maze of weird little functions that I have no
> clue about. I'm perfectly willing to download something else that might
> be easier to do what I want with. This is a one-time thing, so any
> suggestions should be free or trialware.

For this, gimp is not the best. It handles the text as images (bitmaps)
of letters and you will have to use a very large file or your text
will be a bit jagged.

There are many programmes that let you put text boxes on an image (gimp
would be great for manipulating the image itself and can add text).

PrintShop, PrintMaster, MS Word, OpenOffice - any programme designed
(such as PS or PM) or able to create posters. I would probably load
the image into open office and add text boxes over it where I wanted
text. In gimp, you would load the image, use the text tool (which is
not so good as that in Open Office - in vers. 2.x of GIMP you get
the text in layers you can move around, you can choose the font and
colour - but if you want to add one word in a different font, you
have to leave a blank space, create a new layer with that word and
carefully put them together - it is a lot easier to use something which
is designed with more powerful text capabilities, such as PrintMaster
or Open Office (Draw) where you can change one word to italics,
change the font in the middle of the text, change the colour of part
of the text, etc.).

So, I would go for a programme more geared to posters/text and images
(with the concentration on the text - you already have the image! - anything
that lets you add text boxes with good text formatting therein, move them
around, set the box background to transparent and allows for rotation).

On 2005-11-03, John Oliver <joliver@john-oliver.net> wrote:
> I know absolutely nothing about image manipulation. That being said...
>
> I need to add some text to an image. Specifically, a map... I want to
> add labels. Now, don't laugh... I was in Paint (yeah, yeah, yeah... :-)
> ), and when I went to add text, it always added this text box that was
> too big and it wiped out part of my image. So, I opened an old eval
> copy of LView Pro. I add text with it, and the letters are white (I
> want black) and I can't see any color controls.
>
> What I'd really like to do is be able to print out my text somewhere and
> be able to drag it around and place it on the image where I want it.
> I'd like to be able to maybe angle it, or even drag the letters around
> so they aren't in a straight line (to stay within boundaries on the
> map).
>
> I downloaded the installer for The Gimp, but since I've never used it or
> Photoshop, I know it's a maze of weird little functions that I have no
> clue about. I'm perfectly willing to download something else that might
> be easier to do what I want with. This is a one-time thing, so any
> suggestions should be free or trialware.

For this, gimp is not the best. It handles the text as images (bitmaps)
of letters and you will have to use a very large file or your text
will be a bit jagged.

There are many programmes that let you put text boxes on an image (gimp
would be great for manipulating the image itself and can add text).

PrintShop, PrintMaster, MS Word, OpenOffice - any programme designed
(such as PS or PM) or able to create posters. I would probably load
the image into open office and add text boxes over it where I wanted
text. In gimp, you would load the image, use the text tool (which is
not so good as that in Open Office - in vers. 2.x of GIMP you get
the text in layers you can move around, you can choose the font and
colour - but if you want to add one word in a different font, you
have to leave a blank space, create a new layer with that word and
carefully put them together - it is a lot easier to use something which
is designed with more powerful text capabilities, such as PrintMaster
or Open Office (Draw) where you can change one word to italics,
change the font in the middle of the text, change the colour of part
of the text, etc.).

So, I would go for a programme more geared to posters/text and images
(with the concentration on the text - you already have the image! - anything
that lets you add text boxes with good text formatting therein, move them
around, set the box background to transparent and allows for rotation).

__/ [John Oliver] on Thursday 03 November 2005 03:25 \__

> I know absolutely nothing about image manipulation. That being said...
>
> I need to add some text to an image. Specifically, a map... I want to
> add labels. Now, don't laugh... I was in Paint (yeah, yeah, yeah... :-)
> ), and when I went to add text, it always added this text box that was
> too big and it wiped out part of my image. So, I opened an old eval
> copy of LView Pro. I add text with it, and the letters are white (I
> want black) and I can't see any color controls.
>
> What I'd really like to do is be able to print out my text somewhere and
> be able to drag it around and place it on the image where I want it.
> I'd like to be able to maybe angle it, or even drag the letters around
> so they aren't in a straight line (to stay within boundaries on the
> map).
>
> I downloaded the installer for The Gimp, but since I've never used it or
> Photoshop, I know it's a maze of weird little functions that I have no
> clue about. I'm perfectly willing to download something else that might
> be easier to do what I want with. This is a one-time thing, so any
> suggestions should be free or trialware.
>
> Thank you! :-)

This is a simple question, in fact.

* Open the GIMP

* Pick the text tool which has the icon that's a capital 'T'

* Open the map

* Mouse-press the map at the region where you want text added

* Type in some text in the box (by default it will be black, in older version
of the GIMP you may need to select font first)

* When you have completed entering the text and can view it in the image,
then you can also move it around to reach an optimal position (assuming your
initial placement with the mouse was not satisfactory)

Hope it helps,

Roy

--
Roy S. Schestowitz | SuSE, Mandriva, Fedora - Gotta love them girls
http://Schestowitz.com | SuSE Linux | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
3:00pm up 10:58, 3 users, load average: 0.11, 0.36, 0.47
http://iuron.com - next generation of search paradigms

__/ [John Oliver] on Thursday 03 November 2005 03:25 \__

> I know absolutely nothing about image manipulation. That being said...
>
> I need to add some text to an image. Specifically, a map... I want to
> add labels. Now, don't laugh... I was in Paint (yeah, yeah, yeah... :-)
> ), and when I went to add text, it always added this text box that was
> too big and it wiped out part of my image. So, I opened an old eval
> copy of LView Pro. I add text with it, and the letters are white (I
> want black) and I can't see any color controls.
>
> What I'd really like to do is be able to print out my text somewhere and
> be able to drag it around and place it on the image where I want it.
> I'd like to be able to maybe angle it, or even drag the letters around
> so they aren't in a straight line (to stay within boundaries on the
> map).
>
> I downloaded the installer for The Gimp, but since I've never used it or
> Photoshop, I know it's a maze of weird little functions that I have no
> clue about. I'm perfectly willing to download something else that might
> be easier to do what I want with. This is a one-time thing, so any
> suggestions should be free or trialware.
>
> Thank you! :-)

This is a simple question, in fact.

* Open the GIMP

* Pick the text tool which has the icon that's a capital 'T'

* Open the map

* Mouse-press the map at the region where you want text added

* Type in some text in the box (by default it will be black, in older version
of the GIMP you may need to select font first)

* When you have completed entering the text and can view it in the image,
then you can also move it around to reach an optimal position (assuming your
initial placement with the mouse was not satisfactory)

Hope it helps,

Roy

--
Roy S. Schestowitz | SuSE, Mandriva, Fedora - Gotta love them girls
http://Schestowitz.com | SuSE Linux | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
3:00pm up 10:58, 3 users, load average: 0.11, 0.36, 0.47
http://iuron.com - next generation of search paradigms

On Thu, 03 Nov 2005 03:59:11 GMT, Spamless wrote:
> PrintShop, PrintMaster, MS Word, OpenOffice - any programme designed
> (such as PS or PM) or able to create posters. I would probably load
> the image into open office and add text boxes over it where I wanted
> text.

I can't find the T button in Draw. If I go to View, Toolbars, Customize
I can see that there's supposed to be a Text toolbar, but Text doesn't
show up under View, Toolbars

And is adding a text box going to make that text box delete everything
under it? That's the problem I had with Paint... the box was way to big
and I couldn't Undo it... I had to close without saving, then reopen and
try again.

--
* John Oliver http://www.john-oliver.net/ *
* Reform California gun laws - http://www.reformcagunlaws.com/ *
* http://www.gunownersca.com - http://www.crpa.org/ *
* San Diego shooters come to http://shooting.forsandiego.com/ *

On Thu, 03 Nov 2005 03:59:11 GMT, Spamless wrote:
> PrintShop, PrintMaster, MS Word, OpenOffice - any programme designed
> (such as PS or PM) or able to create posters. I would probably load
> the image into open office and add text boxes over it where I wanted
> text.

I can't find the T button in Draw. If I go to View, Toolbars, Customize
I can see that there's supposed to be a Text toolbar, but Text doesn't
show up under View, Toolbars

And is adding a text box going to make that text box delete everything
under it? That's the problem I had with Paint... the box was way to big
and I couldn't Undo it... I had to close without saving, then reopen and
try again.

--
* John Oliver http://www.john-oliver.net/ *
* Reform California gun laws - http://www.reformcagunlaws.com/ *
* http://www.gunownersca.com - http://www.crpa.org/ *
* San Diego shooters come to http://shooting.forsandiego.com/ *

In comp.graphics.misc Spamless <Spamless@nil.nil> wrote:
> For this, gimp is not the best. It handles the text as images (bitmaps)
> of letters and

Actually, unless you alter the layer containing the text, it remains
as text, and you can edit it later. (Change what it says, alter the font,
justification, color, antialiasing, etc.)


> you will have to use a very large file or your text will be a bit jagged.

Not if it's antialiased!

Here's a map I made entirely in Gimp, quite a while ago:

http://www.lugod.org/meeting/library/lib-map.png


--
-bill!
bill@newbreedsoftware.com
http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/

In comp.graphics.misc Spamless <Spamless@nil.nil> wrote:
> For this, gimp is not the best. It handles the text as images (bitmaps)
> of letters and

Actually, unless you alter the layer containing the text, it remains
as text, and you can edit it later. (Change what it says, alter the font,
justification, color, antialiasing, etc.)


> you will have to use a very large file or your text will be a bit jagged.

Not if it's antialiased!

Here's a map I made entirely in Gimp, quite a while ago:

http://www.lugod.org/meeting/library/lib-map.png


--
-bill!
bill@newbreedsoftware.com
http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/

William Kendrick wrote:

> In comp.graphics.misc Spamless <Spamless@nil.nil> wrote:
>
>>For this, gimp is not the best. It handles the text as images (bitmaps)
>>of letters and
>
>
> Actually, unless you alter the layer containing the text, it remains
> as text, and you can edit it later. (Change what it says, alter the font,
> justification, color, antialiasing, etc.)
>
>
>
>>you will have to use a very large file or your text will be a bit jagged.
>
>
> Not if it's antialiased!
>
> Here's a map I made entirely in Gimp, quite a while ago:
>
> http://www.lugod.org/meeting/library/lib-map.png
>
>

Good reply Wendrick! People have a tendency to mislead. If the person
was seeking a reply on "how to use text in GIMP" there shouldn't have
been a reply that "Hey you should use MS Word." Give the OP a break! He
came because he wanted assistance with GIMP. I made many figures for my
research presentations and GIMP text works just fine!

A few tips for OP:
=================

* There is a "shortcut key" for invoking the text editor. Just press "T"
on keyboard. Then click where you want to type the text (don't worry it
can be moved later). Type your text in the box and press escape to
finish it.
* Use "Ctrl + Tab" keys or the "layer dialogue GUI" to get back on the
main image layer to add another text box. Repeat till you have all the
text in place.
* For moving text, select the appropriate text layer (using layer GUI).
Press "M" shortcut key or "move" on GUI to move that layer to your
favorite position.
Pressing shift key helps you move the layer without hovering precisely
over text. (see another thread named "moving text" on this Newsgroup).
* Important: Save your file as ".xcf" so that all the layers are preserved.
* When you are happy with your XCF file result, duplicate the file using
Ctrl-D or Image -> Duplicate. Use the duplicated image and save it as
PNG or GIF or your favorite format. You may want to experiment here to
get good results.

Let us know if you found this helpful,
Best regards,
Animesh