GIMP Version: 2.8.14
Operating System: Windows
GIMP Experience: Intermediate Level

List any ERROR messages you received:
selected source contains no colors
no palette to import

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I viewed several palette tutorials and read a couple on how to use palettes and import and export.

-There is no .gpl export or save palette option?
-when I export as .css .py .txt .java .php it won't allow me to import them later?
I gives me an error message.
selected source contains no colors
no palette to import

So whats the point of exporting them if you can't reload them or save them to use next time you start Gimp?

Thanks.

If you import a palette successfully it will be saved automatically in your palettes folder. Refresh palettes after import and you'll see it appear in your user/palettes/ folder in the .gpl format. Then you can export it to another format.
But why export the palette to non-native format if you're using it in Gimp?

Here is a screenshot of the palette editor. It has no save option? only edit?

I went back in and selected the swatches but still No save option appeared?
It looked exactly like screenshot I just posted?

According to
https://docs.gimp.org/en/gimp-concepts-palettes.html

"When you create palettes using the Palette Editor, they are automatically saved as soon as you exit GIMP, in the palettes folder of your personal GIMP directory. Any palette files in this directory, or in the system palettes directory created when GIMP is installed, are automatically loaded and shown in the Palettes dialog the next time you start GIMP."

No this does not happen, it doesn't save any palettes, you have to recreate them every time you reload Gimp.

I had to click on a color swatch about 15 times before a seperate palette editor opened up.
At the top of the selection bar, it says palette editor? Then clicking on a swatch opens a second palette editor? Gimp can be
very convaluted.



Anyways, the second seperate palette editor opened up but it didn't have any Save option? only edit?

Hi Brock. Can you confirm a couple of things? Can you go to Help>About to confirm what version you're running? Your screenshots don't seem to be from 2.8. That help page you linked to would apply to 2.10 since they seem to have removed the Save icon from the bottom of the palette editor. Why? Who knows? Could you also give the location of the folder you're checking for the palettes? I don't know what it should be for Windows. I can tell you the information on that help page worked for me. Click on Create New Palette at the bottom of the Palettes tab, add colors to the palette in the Palette Editor, name it, and restart Gimp. The palette should be in your user folder.

@ brock
Lets go back to the essentials from your first post.



I agree that there is no 'Save' button but the Gimp docs are correct. The palette is saved in your Gimp profile when you exit Gimp.

For an existing something.gpl Import is an unfortunate choice of terminology. Adding is better. Put
something.gpl in your Gimp profile palettes folder, refresh the palettes and that is all. Lots of palettes to swap in and out? There is a resources manager plugin that lets you do that on the fly, but that is another topic.

Importing. You can import from the active image (or gradient). It is saved when you close Gimp. Same with editing.

Your forum profile says Gimp 2.8 but your screenshot looks like Gimp 2.10 so a short video on the above using Gimp 2.10. Not too arduous, duration 3 minutes.

https://youtu.be/zYfoyo8bKmY

When I created some pallettes earlier this year they saved immediately in 2.10. No need to 'save' or restart. If you want just press the refresh button

My first post says Gimp 2.10.14. Actually its 2.10.12.

I can't find any way to select my Gimp version in my user control panel.

Anyways I retried to save a palette about ten times to no avail. Then I watched your video on palettes.
Your method was completely different from the palettes youtube video by Davesmediadesign.
He showed to create a palette you have to go to image-->mode-->indexed-->generate palette.
When I kept doing it by his method, it wouldn't save any palettes.

Then I tried your method to click on a palette in the palette editor, then Select Import from Image.
Then I it autosaved as gpl in my folder upon exiting. So apparently the Davesmediadesign method
doesn't work unless Gimp somehow changed the palette auto save to import now?

There is still no save option, but atleast it autosaves now.

Thanks guys for all the help, now onto learning how to use palettes, whew!

image-->mode-->indexed-->generate palette has nothing to do with creating palettes.
It converts your current opened image from RGB mode to indexed mode, using a chosen palette.

Hence the confusion


You should be careful with those videos, Really a PS user, who makes money from all the adverts that come with the video. Equally bad, a lot of the advice is poor, even wrong.


That creates an indexed image (a gif sometimes a png) colormap, not the same as a palette. The colormap is a look-up table stored in the image. Any indexed image pixel is assigned a colour from those available in the colormap.
Once in indexed mode then go and import a palette from that image.




It is in the Gimp 2.10 docs.