I have been a user of GIMP for a while now. While I was able to do whatever change to existing images, today I was faced with a new challenge. Well, how do I draw a simple non-filled rectangle? I could not find any tool in GIMP which would help me create a simple rectangle. A decent image editor should provide an easy way to draw regular shapes right?
After a bit of searching I found a way to draw a simple rectangle. Here it is for all of you who may need it.
Step 1: Open GIMP
Step 2: Create a new Image by clicking on File > New and selecting the image size from the dialog that pops up
Step 3: Click on the Select Rectangular Regions tool. [Figure 1]
Step 4: Draw a rectangular selection on the image. [Figure 2]
Step 5: From the menu choose Edit > Stroke Selection. [Figure 3]
Step 6: In the Stroke Selection dialog, select the line width of the rectangle you wish to draw, the type of line, the pattern and other desirable attributes. [Figure 4]
Step 7: Click on the Stroke button
Step 8: The rectangle is now drawn and selected [Figure 5]
List of Figures
Figure 1 – The GIMP – Rectangular Selection
Figure 2 – Draw a rectangular region
Figure 3 – Stroke Selection
Figure 4 – Stroke Selection Dialog
Figure 5 – Hurray!
how to change the border color ?
@rio2000, first select the color from the palette and then make your selection. Once you click Stroke Selection, the selected color will be used to draw the shape.
~B
Pretty nifty tip, thanks! But getting to know GIMP is taking a long time. 😦
@Harsh, thanks for leaving a comment. It takes a while and that too if you use it on Windows it is pretty difficult to adjust to the way the controls look/respond/work.
Thanks for providing this information, it was very helpful!
@Jason, glad you found this post useful and thanks for the comment
really nice, i had been searching this for a long time in Gimp.
Now i got it, thanks
@Prasanna, glad u found it useful.
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I was doing a cd booklet with Scribus but could not
find out how to draw boarders for cutting. Your tip
was really pretty handy.
Thank you so much.
@Merada, glad you found it useful and thanks for leaving a comment.
Thanks for this tip. I’ve been wanting to know how to do that for ages.
@David, Happy to hear that you found this post useful 🙂
Its gettin difficult to other shapes. I am tryin to draw a diamond shape, n I tried by drawing rectangle and rotating it 45 degrees, no use. its getting aliased. 😦
I even experimented with Map Objects, its workin and I am getting a filled diamond but I want an empty one with just borders.
Any suggestions?
@nasheeda, You can try using the Perspective tool before making the stroke. Please see this illustration. You might be able to get one half of a diamond and then duplicate it for the other side.
Thanks. I could not work out how to do it.
You are welcome
~B
This is legend. Thanks!
Glad it worked for you
Yesterday I was disappointed because my mom wanted to boot into windoz to use Paint so I thought I give her a brief GIMP tutorial. It’s the first time I realized there is no rectangle/circle drawing tool!!!
Quite amazed… How am I to explain to a newbie that you need 5 or so steps to draw a simple shape…
Gimp developers, get yourselves together!
Yes, you are right, it is something very basic and would be expected in a piece of software that would want to be known as the substitute of Adobe Photoshop.
Unfortunately, in the several editions that had come out after I had written this post, this has not changed.
How about drawing a rounded rect?
Make a rectangular selection and then do a Select > Rounded Rectangle. In the popup select the desired radius
It is helpful.
Thanks for the comment, Ravi!
Hey thanks for the quick and easy guide! There is a bit of a learning curve with GIMP.
You are welcome. Agreed, there is a bit of a learning curve.
Wow, thanks alot! I’ve been trying to figure this out for awhile 🙂
You are welcome, CaseCrash
Thank you for this tip. It is very helpful.
1. Open image
2. Filters >> rendering >> Gfigure
Draw any figure that you need
And thats all.
That was one super cool tip. Worked Great. Thanks 🙂
superb
Helped me in this picture http://techspalace.blogspot.com/2009/11/use-ssh-tunnel-for-internet-browsing.html
Thanks for your comment and the link 🙂