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Use a Drop Shadow Effect on Images in the GIMP App

Edited by Freya, VisiHow, Eng, Visihow Admin

3 Parts:

Steps

Video: Use a Drop Shadow Effect on Images in the GIMP App

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You're watching VisiHow. In this tutorial, we're going to show you how to add a "Drop Shadow" effect to an image in GIMP in Windows 7.

Apply a drop shadow to an image on GIMP.mp4-canvas89 261216.jpg

Steps

1
You should have GIMP open and an image ready to use
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For more information, refer to our tutorials on how to open GIMP and how to open existing documents in GIMP.

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2
First, click "Filters"
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It's in the horizontal menu at the top of the window.

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3
Next, move the cursor to "Light and Shadow" in the menu
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4
In the expanded menu that appears, click "Drop Shadow..."
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A dialogue box will appear.

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5
You can change the "Offset X" and "Offset Y" values
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Change these offsets by typing numbers or by clicking the arrows to make adjustments. For this tutorial, let's leave both values on the default settings.
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6
You can change the "Blur Radius" value in the same way
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You can change it by typing a number into the text box or by clicking the arrows to make adjustments.

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7
You can double-click the box to the right of "Color"
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This will allow you to select the color of the drop shadow. The default color will typically be black.
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8
Change the "Opacity" value
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You can do it by clicking and dragging the scroller to the right or left. You can also type a number into the text box or click the up and down arrows to make adjustments. It's recommended to leave the "Opacity" value at around 70 % - 80 % if you want the image to look more realistic.

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9
You can click "Reset" if you would like to return to the default settings
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10
If you are satisfied with the settings, click "OK" to apply your changes to the image
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A green bar will run across the bottom of the window to show that your changes are being applied. In this video, the shadow will be around the edge of the image, and the effect will reveal the layer underneath.
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This is a VisiHow tutorial, and we've just shown you how to apply a "Drop Shadow" filter to an image in GIMP in Windows 7. If you have any questions or comments regarding this tutorial or the program used, just add them to the section below. Thank you for choosing VisiHow!