2.2. New…

2.2. New…
	2. The “File” Menu

Using the “Create a New Image” dialog, you can create a new empty image and set its properties. The image is shown in a new image window. You may have more than one image on your screen at the same time.

2.2.1. Activating the Command

You can access this command from the main menu through File → New…,
or by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+N.

2.2.2. Options

Figure 16.3. The “Create a New Image” dialog

Template

Rather than entering all the values by hand, you can select some predefined values for your image from a menu of templates, which represent image types that are somewhat commonly useful. The templates set values for the size, resolution, comments, etc. If there is a particular image shape that you use often and it does not appear on the list, you can create a new template, using the Templates dialog.

Image Size

Here you set the Width and Height of the new image. The default units are pixels, but you can choose a different unit if you prefer, using the adjoining menu. If you do, note that the resulting pixel size is determined by the X and Y resolution (which you can change in the Advanced Options), and by setting “Dot for Dot” in the View menu.

If no image is open, the “New” image is opened in the empty image window, with the default size you have determined. If you open the “New”image when another is open (or has been), then it is opened in another window, with the same size as the first image.

Portrait/Landscape buttons

These buttons toggle between Portrait and Landscape mode. Their effect is to exchange the values for Width and Height. If the X and Y resolutions are different (in Advanced Options), then these values are also exchanged. On the right, image size, image resolution and color space are displayed.

2.2.2.1. Advanced Options

The Advanced Options are mostly of interest to more advanced GIMP users. You can display these options by clicking on the small triangle on the lower edge of the dialog window. Note that you will need to scroll down to see all the available options.

X and Y resolution

The values in the X resolution and Y resolution fields relate mainly to printing: they do not affect the size of the image in pixels, but they may determine its physical size when it is printed. The X and Y resolution values can determine how pixels are translated into other measurement units, such as millimeters or inches.

	Tip
	If you want to display the image on the screen at the correct dimensions, select View → Dot for Dot Set the zoom factor to 100% to see the image at its true screen size. The calibration of the screen size is normally done when GIMP is installed, but if the image does not display at the correct size, you may have to adjust the screen parameters in GIMP. You can do this in the Preferences dialog.

Color space

You can create the new image in different color modes, as either an RGB image or a grayscale image.

RGB color: The image is created in the Red, Green, Blue color system, which is the one used by your monitor or your television screen.
Greyscale: The image is created in black and white, with various shades of gray. Aside from your artistic interests, this type of image may be necessary for some plug-ins. Nevertheless, GIMP allows you to change an RGB image into grayscale, if you would like.

You cannot create an indexed image directly with this menu, but of course you can always convert the image to indexed mode after it has been created. To do that, use the Image → Mode → Indexed command.

Precision

This setting lets you define the encoding used to store pixel information. For more details, please see the Image Encoding section.

Five options are available:

8-bit integer
16-bit integer
32-bit integer
16-bit floating point
32-bit floating point

If you wonder what the difference is between integer and floating point (in the graphics area): If you have an image with 16-bit integer precision per channel, then you have 65,536 shades of different red, green and blue color tones – all of them equally stepped to each other (equal color distance). If you have it in floating point, then there are no equal-wide steps – so you can distribute the possible color values over selected ranges. For example: if you know that you have a very dark image with many shades of dark red color tones then you would benefit from floating point because you can decrease the importance of the brighter color tones and get most color detail out of only the darker reds.

Figure 16.4. Precision example

Left image is 8-bit, right is 32-bit. You can see that there are much more available colors between color transitions on the right image.

Gamma

Here you can choose the channel encoding for your image. Choices are Non-linear and Linear light. For 8-bit integer precision the default is Non-linear, and for 32-bit floating point precision it is Linear light. For more information see which precision options should you choose.

Color profile

Here you can choose a color profile to be used for your image. The default is GIMP's standard color profile based on Color space, Precision, and Gamma. If you prefer to use a different color profile you can select an ICC color profile file from a location on your computer by choosing Select color profile from disk….

Soft-proofing color profile

You can attach a CMYK color profile to the image with this option. This profile will be used to create a soft-proofed display of the image when the Proof Colors option is enabled in the View menu. As with the Color Profile, if you prefer to use a different color profile you can select an ICC color profile file from a location on your computer by choosing Select color profile from disk….

Soft-proofing rendering intent

This option lets you select the rendering intent that will be used to convert the colors from the soft-proofed image to your display device when View → Color Management → Proof Colors is enabled. The four intents are “Perceptual”, “Relative colorimetric”, “Saturation” and “Absolute colorimetric”. See Section 6.4, “Color Management” and Section 6.8, “ Color Management ” for more information.

Use Black Point Compensation

When enabled, the BPC algorithm attempts to adjust the display of darker areas in the image when the Proof Colors option is enabled in the View menu.

Fill with

Here, you specify the background color that is used for your new image. It is certainly possible to change the background of an image later, too. You can find more information about doing that in the Layers Dialog.

There are several choices:

Fill the image with the current Foreground color, shown in the Toolbox.

Note that you can change the foreground color while the “New Image” dialog window is open.
Fill the image with the current Background color, shown in the Toolbox. (You can change the background color too, while the dialog window is open.)
Fill the image with Middle Gray (CIELAB). This will create a layer with a gray color that is 50% of perceptual lightness in the selected color mode.
Fill the image with White.
Fill the image with Transparency. If you choose this option, the image is created with an alpha channel and the background is transparent. The transparent parts of the image are then displayed with a checkered pattern, to indicate the transparency.
Fill the image with a Pattern. If you choose this option, the image is filled with the currently active pattern (which you can change while this dialog is open).

Comment

You can write a descriptive comment here. The text is attached to the image as a parasite, and is saved with the image by some file formats (PNG, JPEG, GIF).

	Note
	You can view and edit this comment in the Image Properties dialog.