Draw regular shapes using The GIMP

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

The GIMP - Rectangular Selection [Figure 1]

Figure 2 – Draw a rectangular region

[Figure 2]

Figure 3 – Stroke Selection

[Figure 3]

Figure 4 – Stroke Selection Dialog
[Figure 4]

Figure 5 – Hurray!

[Figure 5]

66 responses to “Draw regular shapes using The GIMP

  1. how to change the border color ?

  2. @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

  3. Pretty nifty tip, thanks! But getting to know GIMP is taking a long time. 😦

  4. @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.

  5. Thanks for providing this information, it was very helpful!

  6. @Jason, glad you found this post useful and thanks for the comment

  7. really nice, i had been searching this for a long time in Gimp.

    Now i got it, thanks

  8. @Prasanna, glad u found it useful.

  9. Pingback: Key Figures of this blog « B Space

  10. 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.

  11. @Merada, glad you found it useful and thanks for leaving a comment.

  12. Thanks for this tip. I’ve been wanting to know how to do that for ages.

  13. @David, Happy to hear that you found this post useful 🙂

  14. 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?

  15. Thanks. I could not work out how to do it.

  16. This is legend. Thanks!

  17. 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.

  18. How about drawing a rounded rect?

  19. It is helpful.

  20. Hey thanks for the quick and easy guide! There is a bit of a learning curve with GIMP.

  21. Wow, thanks alot! I’ve been trying to figure this out for awhile 🙂

  22. Thank you for this tip. It is very helpful.

  23. 1. Open image
    2. Filters >> rendering >> Gfigure

    Draw any figure that you need
    And thats all.

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