GIMP 3.2 Orientation

• 01
  Enable Single-Window Mode

  By default GIMP may open in multi-window mode. Switch to single-window for a focused, consistent layout.

  Windows → Single-Window Mode
• 02
  Set the Theme and Icon Size

  Switch to a dark theme for reduced eye strain and set icons to a comfortable size. In Preferences, navigate to Interface → Theme and select "Dark". Under Icon Theme, choose "Symbolic" for clean, scalable icons.

  Edit → Preferences → Interface → Theme
• 03
  Configure the Toolbox

  Right-click on the toolbox area to customise which tools appear. Remove rarely-used tools to reduce clutter. The 12 tools we'll use in this course are: Move, Scale, Rectangle Select, Ellipse Select, Free Select, Fuzzy Select, Paths, Clone, Heal, Dodge/Burn, Curves (via Colors menu), and the Text tool.

  Right-click Toolbox → Add/Remove tools
• 04
  Dock the Layers Panel Permanently

  The Layers panel must always be visible. If it isn't docked on the right side, go to Windows → Dockable Dialogs → Layers, then drag the tab to dock it below the Tool Options panel on the right.

  Windows → Dockable Dialogs → Layers
• 05
  Set Default Image Resolution

  Prevent the "image will print at X inches" confusion. Set your default resolution based on your typical use: 72 PPI for screen work, 300 PPI for print. You can always change it per-project — this is just the starting point.

  Edit → Preferences → Default Image → Resolution
• 06
  Fix Colour Profile Warnings

  GIMP 3.2 uses GEGL and babl for its colour pipeline. When opening JPEGs with embedded profiles, you'll be asked to convert. Set the default to "Convert to built-in sRGB" to keep behaviour consistent across sessions.

  Edit → Preferences → Color Management → File Open behaviour
• 07
  Enable "Use Pointer Acceleration" Off

  For precision painting and retouching, pointer acceleration can cause inconsistent brush strokes. Turn it off in Input Devices preferences for tablet users.

  Edit → Preferences → Input Devices → Additional Input Controllers
• 08
  Save Preferences and Restart

  Click OK to apply all preferences. Quit GIMP completely and relaunch to ensure all settings are loaded from the new configuration file.

  Preferences → OK → File → Quit → Relaunch GIMP

Open any JPEG image and perform each of the following without looking at a menu — test whether the workspace is now intuitive. Aim to complete all steps within 10 minutes.

• A
  Open an Image

  Use File → Open to open any JPEG from your computer. Confirm that the colour profile dialog no longer appears (if it does, revisit Step 6 above).

• B
  Identify Every Panel

  Name each visible panel out loud: Toolbox (top-left), Tool Options (below toolbox), Layers (right), Channels, Paths. If any panel is missing, dock it via Windows → Dockable Dialogs.

• C
  Zoom In and Out

  Use the keyboard shortcuts: + to zoom in, - to zoom out, Shift+Ctrl+E (or Shift+Cmd+E on Mac) to fit the image to the window. Practice until it's fluid.

• D
  Check Image Properties

  Open Image → Canvas Size and note the dimensions and resolution. Open Image → Color Profile to confirm it shows sRGB. These two checks are part of every professional's opening workflow.

No step-by-step guidance for this one. Use what you've learned to complete the following:

• →
  Rearrange the dockable panels into a layout you prefer

  Try adding the Histogram dialog (Windows → Dockable Dialogs → Histogram) and docking it somewhere useful. The Histogram will be your constant companion from Session 7 onwards.

• →
  Explore Windows → Save Current Window Setup as Default

  Once your layout feels right, save it. This is GIMP's way of preserving the arrangement across restarts.