Hi all,
I am new here, and new to GIMP....learning GIMP 2.6, but having lots of trouble finding the correct method to create a certain type of text.

I want to take a text font, make it gradient in color (or whatever) and then "text to path" it, along a nice curved path that I've created with the path tool.

I have only been able to make a straight text sample into gradient colors. I've been able to make the text to path happen. I cannot make the gradient text to path happen ! I've tried about 20 suggested methods and none of them work, I suspect they are for older versions of GIMP. I love the possibilities that GIMP seems to offer, but simply cannot accomplish this simple task.

Thanks for helping a newbie here, I really appreciate it
~diane

Hi Diane. to Gimp Chat.

You can make your text, put it along a path, and then fill it with a gradient. The text becomes a path when you do that. You need to make a new layer, then do Select > To Path for the text selection to activate.

If none of this is clear, please post back. It's hard to be new at GIMP plus I don't know how much you know.

Here is the original (black) text, plus the text on a path and colored with a gradient.


I've also attached the xcf file so you can look at the layers and the paths. I left a white background layer so things would be easier to see.

I will try this, thank you so much, the xcf file was good to see too....
What I was not doing (I think) was making a new layer, so I will see if it works and let you know....thanks again....yes, it's hard being new at GIMP....I know perhaps 40% of the basics of it, but, it's hard when you read tutorials and don't know if they are version 2.6, and don't know if your own download of GIMP has a bug or something corrupted in the process....lol....but, I will get there, I want to be a "wizard" at GIMP.....I see the amazing potential here....I also realized that script-fu doesn't work on the 2.6 version, it simply would not function for me...oh well....:/
~diane

No luck, I tried.....perhaps if you listed the steps in order, I can try it that way....doing a new layer did nothing for me....geeez. What I did was create the new page, do the line of text, make that text gradient using the "select by color" tool, then clicking on the text with it, then switching to the gradient tool and making it the gradient colors I wanted. When I first made the text, I click on "text to path" in the toolbox. Okay, I now have my gradient text in a line there. I tried to make it run on the curved path, it wouldn't respond. I deleted that text layer, made a new one without adding the gradient treatment. It was plain solid text.

Then I again did the bezier curve path I wanted (had started all over again). I then went to the layers menu, and selected the line of text, right-clicked selecting "text along path" and it linked to the curve. But, after that I could not make the text gradient shaded, the little "select by color" tool wouldn't work.

I just don't know what I am doing wrong....whether it's not right clicking when I should, or the sequence I am using.....it's so frustrating my eyes are bleeding at this point lol ....I don't know if the program is buggy, so I actually re-downloaded the 2.6, and I still have the same problem.....

So, any advice (other than "hang it up girl" ) would be appreciated ....thanks much.
~diane

Are you wanting the gradient to follow the curve of your text as it moves along the path (however its shaped)?

To Mahvin,

yes, that would be good too.....thanks

Guys this is exactly the type of thing that should be copied or transferred to the Tutorial forum. It is this type of basic tutorial with written text and pics that makes a good tutuorial. I know that Youtube tut's are all the go but really nothing beats this type of instructional pictorial step by step stuff. Well done. Especially the bits with paths, text and new layers is very confusing if you are told and only see the steps for a second or two in a video.




Edit spelling mistake

Good point wbool63. Tuts like these get lost in regular posts. I'll move both to the tutorial section.

Diane, I moved the two tutorials to the Tutorial forum. You can find them here.

http://gimpchat.com/viewtopic.php?p=12924#p12924