UNABLE TO TYPE. Please help

RealWoman1 · **Joined:** Apr 29, 2015 **Posts:** 3

GIMP Version: 2.8.4
Operating System: Mac OS
OS Version: Yosemite
GIMP Experience: New User

List any relevant plug-ins or scripts:
none

Need help urgently. I've been having a ton of technical problems as of late. Namely after "upgrading" my poor Mac to Yosemite, I lost all my Adobe programs. I downloaded GIMP as alternative, and TYPE tool doesn't work at all.

When I click Text button, different random Tools get selected for each letter. (For example step 1 - I clicked on text tool, it appeared. step 2. I selected the text and size and color I want from the dialog box. step 3 (when trouble begins) - i start typing by pressing my keys on my laptop. step4. text tools DISAPPEARS immediately step 4. for each letter, different tool is selected at random.

PLEASE HELP.

Oregonian · **Posted:** Wed Apr 29, 2015 11:28 pm **(#2)**

I trust you have opened a new image.

After you've selected your font, etc, and clicked the Text tool icon, :text

, you need to click in the new image to type text. You can either start just typing or make a text box to type in by dragging the mouse horizontally and vertically while holding down the left mouse button.

Odinbc · **Posted:** Thu Apr 30, 2015 1:34 am **(#3)**

In the Text Options, check 'Use editor' and see if that method works better for you.

jontait2 · **Joined:** Dec 27, 2014 **Posts:** 508

I don't use Mac, but it sounds like Gimp is interpreting the keystrokes as keyboard shortcuts.
Try: Edit>Preferences>Environment>Reset Keyboard Shortcuts to Default Values. And make sure that the "Use dynamic keyboard shortcuts" option is unchecked (disabled).

Correction: the above should read:
Edit>Preferences>Interface>Reset Keyboard Shortcuts to Default Values

ofnuts · **Joined:** Oct 25, 2010 **Posts:** 4812

This is a known problem. Make sure you have the latest Gimp version (2.8.14) where it is fixed.

sallyanne · **Posted:** Thu Apr 30, 2015 7:25 am **(#6)**

I have 2.8.10 and also windows. But something that can affect any system is whether you have something else selected or not.
Make sure you have the text layer selected. I was having this problem yesterday and for some reason it kept selecting the background layer. It wasn't until I realized that I could type.
I am not having all the other problems you said you were having - best to take ofnuts advice for that.

RealWoman1 · **Joined:** Apr 29, 2015 **Posts:** 3

jontait2 wrote:

I don't use Mac, but it sounds like Gimp is interpreting the keystrokes as keyboard shortcuts.
Try: Edit>Preferences>Environment>Reset Keyboard Shortcuts to Default Values. And make sure that the "Use dynamic keyboard shortcuts" option is unchecked (disabled).

I tried looking at Edit menu. I don't have Preferences there. I looked for Environment also, WHERE IS IT? This seems to be the key to find these shortcuts.
I am going to search a Help file now.

Griatch · **Posted:** Thu Apr 30, 2015 3:52 pm **(#8)**

@RealWoman

The Preferences is found in the Edit menu since a very long time. If you don't have it, maybe there is something wrong with your install - it might be worth to reinstall GIMP and/or get the latest release (at least 2.8.10). Also, make sure to get GIMP from the official site: http://www.gimp.org/downloads/
.
Griatch

jontait2 · **Joined:** Dec 27, 2014 **Posts:** 508

Note: my previous post should have read:
Edit>Preferences>Interface>Reset Keyboard Shortcuts to Default Values

But, if you haven't even got a Preferences option under the Edit menu, it sounds like there is something badly wrong with the version of Gimp you've got - either it is very old or it is a "customized" version of Gimp from one of the unofficial sources or even a vendor.

Do yourself a big favour and get the latest stable version of Gimp (which is 2.8.14) and only download from the official source:
http://www.gimp.org/downloads/
Look under "Show other downloads" on that page, then "GIMP for Mac OS X".

GnuTux · **Posted:** Thu Apr 30, 2015 4:36 pm **(#10)**

RealWoman1 wrote:

I tried looking at Edit menu. I don't have Preferences there. I looked for Environment also, WHERE IS IT? This seems to be the key to find these shortcuts.
I am going to search a Help file now.

If you do end up re-installing, you might want to consider using the GIMP 2.8.14 MAC builds from Partha.

http://www.partha.com/

He is a trusted member here and his builds are reliable & well received.

2-ton · **Posted:** Thu Apr 30, 2015 10:42 pm **(#11)**

I have a mac with Yosemite and had this problem once and I disabled the keyboard shortcuts and all was fine. You can get preferences in a mac by clicking on Gimp up in the top menu when you are in Gimp, and preferences should come up. But I also agree that you should get Partha's McGimp, it always has worked great for me.

ofnuts · **Joined:** Oct 25, 2010 **Posts:** 4812

2-ton wrote:

I have a mac with Yosemite and had this problem once and I disabled the keyboard shortcuts and all was fine. You can get preferences in a mac by clicking on Gimp up in the top menu when you are in Gimp, and preferences should come up. But I also agree that you should get Partha's McGimp, it always has worked great for me.

Disabling the shortcuts what an interim measure while the root cause was fixed. and it is fixed in 2.8.14...

Diamond_6 · **Joined:** May 21, 2018 **Posts:** 1

I'm having the same issue!
My Mac recently crashed. Had to re-install the OS and all my apps.
Unfortunately GIMP is not working. :gaah

OS: High Sierra 10.13.4
GIMP 2.8.4

My Keyboard shortcuts are disabled.

Will attempt to uninstall this version of GIMP and go with the earlier version.

Lurifax73 · **Posted:** Mon May 21, 2018 4:09 pm **(#14)**

Only Gimp 2.8 download as working for me on my iMac 2017 High Sierra is Partha.