[Gimp-user] Text Characters

[gstalnaker <forums gimpusers com>]

Ouch -- GMail HTML formatting got lost in the translation to this Forum. Here is
my reply better formatted:

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Using Gimp 2.8.20 that exact set of steps from Owen will give you what you ask
for (I just did it). I've expanded the steps explanations a bit for you. Do this
on a new empty file:

1.  From the menu bar select File > New, OK
2.  Use color palette and select the two colors you want to use for foreground
(text) and background (I used white background and black foreground)
3.  From the menu bar select Edit > Fill with BG color
4.  From the menu bar select Tools > Text
5.  Click and drag with cursor to create text box, place cursor in font size
field (between Font name and "px" dropdown in Text properties overlay) and type
172; click in text box and type "Test":  you should now have a large "Test"
using the foreground color you selected in Step. 2; you'll have a new Layer in
the Layer palette with the word "Test" as its name.
6.  From menu bar select Layer->Text to Path
7.  CHANGE the foreground color to a different color (e.g., red)
8.  From the menu bar select Edit->Stroke path; Option Stroke Line will outline
each character of the Step 7 color, Line width is the width of the "outline
around each character" you mention; note options under Line Style, especially
Cap style: and Join style:
9.  You should now see your original background color (white), the text in your
original foreground color (black), and the text outlined with the second
foreground color you chose (red).
10.  One change here from the Owen's steps: From the menu bar select
Edit->Select by Path; you'll see a selection appear that covers the original
text and a bit of the second text; this overlap will reduce the size of the
outline, so plan your font size (in Step 5 and Line width in Step 8 accordingly)
11.  From the menu bar select Edit > Cut (or Ctrl + x) to delete the selected
path (which is the text entered from Step 6); you should see the background
color now show through with the second foreground color all that remains of the
text.
12.  To see that the transparency is real, select the original Background layer;
from the color palette select a new background color; from the Edit menu select
Fill with BG color and the first background color will be replaced with the new
one (see attached image)

Selecting anti-aliased text may cause artifacts to exist with curved shapes if
you use Select by Color in Step 10--you'll see this with the e and s of Test
(try it out). Also, experiment with Edit Stroke Path's Brushes options! You can
get some funky/fun results.

Hope this helps and thanks to Owen for the basic outline. This is a great way to
do this.

Attachments:
* http://www.gimpusers.com/system/attachments/498/original/example_transparent_text.png

-- 
gstalnaker (via www.gimpusers.com/forums)