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I found a great new tool for authors who want to publish eBooks and need to create cover art. It called "Gimp"
Using Gimp, I turned this:
A file I found at Free Digital Photo contributed by Phaitoon, into this:
The original was inserted into Word, using behind the text option and the author's name and book title created over it. Then it was saved as PDF file and picked up by Gimp where it was scaled to the pixel size that Smashwords and Kindle want, exported to the jpg file that you see and walla an eBook cover. Now if on the work I've created if for was a big enough work to expect anyone to buy it.
Free Digital Photos is a great site where you can get royalty free pictures of just about anything. All that's necessary is crediting the site and contributor. If you don't want to do that, you can buy the non-exclusive rights to the photo for a small fee. The best part is with Gimp, there's no need to buy the high-res version. The free is just fine, Gimp is capable of turning it into high-res. What I like about Gimp is it's free.
No, I don't get anything from Gimp or Free Digital Photos. Just passing on what I think are some great resources.
Comments
GIMP Alternative?
As an experienced Photographer and Professional Software Developer I find that the User Interface to GIMP leaves a lot to be desired. They are working on it but it is not there yet.
So what is the alternative?
Well, it might be worth taking a look at Lightzone (not Lightroom!).
http://www.lightzoneproject.org/
It has editing functions and a lot more besides. The UI is more intuitive to my mind.
It is free but requires registration to download.
Oh, and GIMP is not new. Nowhere near it. I first used it at least 10 years ago.
OK
OK, so Gimp is only new to me. I'm not sure how I stumbled on it, but on a whim I downloaded it and as you say, I was overwhelmed by the UI. I have found out how to do most of what I know about it by trial and error. The UI is lacking. It doesn't have a searchable index nor does it refer to what it does listed by any kind of novice terminology so you need to be a picture editor geek to see how to do anything.
I'll take a look at your lightzoneproject. I don't mind registering for it. I have three anonymous emails I can use to insulate myself from any unwanted spam.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Latest Gimp
For the latest gimp, you may want to go to this site...
http://www.gimp.org/
I've ditched Gimp2
While it is a great tool, it's not too user friendly and I could never really do everything I wanted, The need to use Word to get the text onto the photo was cumbersome. It took a couple of hours, swapping the file back and forth between three formats to get the finished product.
These days I use Pixlr E. It does everything that Gimp2 could do except pick up a PDX file, and it allows me to add the text right there in the editing process. I just redid the picture from One Dozen Roses to become the cover for when it is donated to Erin for publication through Doppler press on Kindle. The rework only took about a half an hour. It's a very user friendly program and is totally based in the cloud. The only thing you need to have on your computer it the finished product.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt