The wacky world of GIF, patent licensing, and creative workarounds
Note on the GIF format: due to patent issues in the United States with the LZW (Lempel-Ziv-Welch) compression algorithm, GIF format is not included in the installer for Windows (why this does not apply to the Linux version is admittedly beyond my understanding).

Without the missing GIF format file, you will be able to open and view GIF images but not be able to save them. Links are provided to download the file for non-US users, otherwise you will need a license from Unisys. Of course, if you're the type who's fond of using peer-to-peer services, you've probably already downloaded and unzipped the file. Regardless, once downloaded it's just a matter of unzipping the file and placing the enclosed .exe file in the Plugins folder under your GIMP root directory.

Again, because of patent and DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) issues, please don't come to me or the Connected Photographer editors for the GIF file. Just spend a little time in Google. After all, what's a little creative search-engine work when you're saving hundreds of dollars using a free program?

Starting the GIMP for the first time
Regardless of platform, when you first fire up the GIMP it will take you through the process of setting it up for your individual needs. Primarily, this involves designating folders for your images and custom tools, memory performance tuning, and customizing monitor resolution. Based on your system setup, the GIMP will suggest defaults for all, and they probably won't need to be adjusted except for special situations.

A GIMP Tip of the Day will welcome you to the GIMP itself, and you will have the option of disabling these in the future. I suggest you leave them on, at least for a while, as new users will pick up some cool information and Photoshop users may find subtle differences (i.e., keystrokes or tool usage) between Photoshop and the GIMP.

Referring back to Figure A, the first thing Windows users will notice is that the GIMP tool boxes are not confined to a one larger window; instead, each is its own, free-floating window complete with its own tab in the toolbar. In Windows XP, these will be grouped under one tab labeled the GIMP in case of clutter, just as Internet Explorer does when you have several windows open.

Photoshop users should find the main toolbar familiar, as shown in Figure B.

FIGURE B

The GIMP toolbar. Oooohhhh. Aaaaaahhhh. Click picture for a larger image.

All of your basic tools are there, from brushes and rulers to selection tools and color controls. The brush selection is very extensive, as shown in Figure C, including pre-defined styles with different textures and gradients.

FIGURE C

Brush up on your brushes. Click picture for a larger image.

Brush spacing is adjustable with a simple slider. If you're into creating your own brushes for design work, this feature is supported as well. Finally, no real image editor would be complete without a Layers dialog, as shown in Figure D.