On Thursday 12 April 2007 11:28, Andrew wrote:

Hi. I have just started using gimp, and mosly I am getting on ok with help files and google. However, one thing is driving me nuts. If I want to add a bit to a picture, I make it bigger, using Image Canvas Size, and then paste in the bit I want to add. It shows up when I paste it, in the middle, but when I drag it to the place I want to use it, in the new bit, it dissapears!? Is this a bug? Am I doing something wrong? Please enlighten me!

TIA

Andrew

If your image is only a single layer then after changing the canvas size, flatten the image before pasting in a new selection. I'm not sure of this but based on the behaviour it seems as if the canvas resize operation adds an alpha channel and sets the new border area around the old image to transparent.
Flattening the image will remove the alpha channel.

Paul

Paul Surgeon writes:

If your image is only a single layer then after changing the canvas size, flatten the image before pasting in a new selection. I'm not sure of this but based on the behaviour it seems as if the canvas resize operation adds an alpha channel and sets the new border area around the old image to transparent.
Flattening the image will remove the alpha channel.

The whole issue here is that increasing the canvas size doesn't make the background layer bigger. There are a couple of ways to work around that:

- after increasing the canvas size right-click on the background layer and choose "Layer to Image Size"

- after pasting the selection it will show up as "Floating Selection" in the Layers window. Right-click on it and select "New Layer". This makes the inserted bit a new layer that you can move around freely on the canvas. It has the advantage that you can always manipulate independently from the rest of the image.

Matthias

On Thursday 12 April 2007 04:28, Andrew wrote:

Hi. I have just started using gimp, and mosly I am getting on ok with help files and google. However, one thing is driving me nuts. If I want to add a bit to a picture, I make it bigger, using Image Canvas Size, and then paste in the bit I want to add. It shows up when I paste it, in the middle, but when I drag it to the place I want to use it, in the new bit, it dissapears!? Is this a bug? Am I doing something wrong? Please enlighten me!

I made the same mistake early on.

Just because the canvas is larger doesn't mean the available layer is the same size. After you expand the canvas, either add a layer, or expand the background layer to the size of the canvas (available from the layers menu). Then you can put the new part of the image where you want.