Never used a 'palette' before. Where is this dialog found? I've never even seen it.

Windows > dockable dialogs > palettes again

http://docs.gimp.org/en/gimp-concepts-palettes.html

Thanks. Now is there someplace I can go that explains (for dummies) how to use it?

Although I don't tend to paint much I've created lots of palettes, for instance and drac you'd find this handy, I created a palette for metal colours and I see in one of your tutorials a list of metal colours that you could add to a palette.

in 2.8 you can use your palettes to make gradients. i haven't yet tried the script since i don't have access to it on this computer, but one use i thought of immediately was to use it for creating palettes with matching gradients.

That sounds like a fantastic idea! I get tired of typing in my metallic colors all the time to set up FG color to use. I saw the screenshot and I now have a palettes tab in my dialog thingy with a lot of palettes. I picked a simple one and clicked on it.....now what do I do...in other words (as I said before) HOW do you use it? Do you grab a paint tool and set it up somehow to use the colors from the palette. I don't understand at all. Also, once I do understand the basics, how do I make a palette with my metallic colors?

Check palettes out in the gimp manual here.

Thanks, O. I'll check it out. I feel like I'm in first grade again.

Edit: I just read every (confusing) word there and it never did say anything in regard to "using" palettes or what to do with them. I now know what they are but still lost as to their utilization. Lets say I succeed in making a 'metal' palette with all my metallic colors, now what?

Most gimp users don't use palettes. I found out accidentally that palettes could be converted to gradients after you get all the colors into the palette. As far as using a palette as a repository of colors in an image, I've never done that.

draconian, with a palette saved, you have the colours easily accessible, that's all. you just click in the little squares to pick the colour you need. another use is to colour map a picture using colours-map-palette map - that will recolour a painting in the colours of your palette. and then of course you can run palette to gradient. i use palettes to remember exact shades i used in something, i use them to colour map, nd i use them to make gradients.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/palette
See definition 4.

Drac,

I didn't write any of these but they do give some good explantion on creating and how to use a palette.

How to create a Palette
How to find and use a Palette

The other place your selected palette will show is when you click on the foreground colour to change it and the colour editor appears, the last Icon will show the currently selected palette.

As to how or why use them, taking Drac as the example, he likes his metals and so creates his own palette of metal colours, keeps this selected then when he goes on gimp he doesn't have to type in or hunt round to find the code of the metal he would like to use as its already there in a palette

Or you just want to limit your design to a certain number of base colours, designing T-shirts to be printed sometimes only allow 5 colours, therefore you create a palette first of the five colours you wish to use.

Thank you very much he4rty. That was what I was looking for and was exactly what I asked. How to USE a palette. I have my Metallics palette and my basic colors palette made and have already started using them. It never occurred to me to dock the palette dialog like that. Just makes sense and sure saves time. Thanks again!

draconian, good to see you got your answers - enjoy your new friend the palette tool.

Thanks AnMal. I already started having fun using my 'Metallics' palette when I made my new Avatar. Don't ask how I made the abalone sig. I can't seem to reproduce the effect. I know it was several layers, some clouds, colors and somelayers set to difference but I can't remember what I did.

Here's the Metallics palette I made in case anyone else wants it.

i was just gonna say great job on the new avatar and sig, drac ! i grabbed your palette at once, never know when you need it!