Customize the GIMP Toolbox | Single Column, Icon Colors, Grouped Tools

In this GIMP basics tutorial featuring GIMP, I show you how to customize your GIMP toolbox - starting with a single column toolbox set up. I also show you how to group or ungroup your tools (works only in GIMP 2.10.18 or newer) as well as how to change your icon colors. This is a great tutorial for beginner GIMP users wanting to customize the look and feel of their GIMP toolbox! It also takes care of one of the more common complaints about GIMP - that GIMP's user interface looks a bit cluttered. Clean up GIMP's UI with this tutorial!
0:00 - Intro & Resources
0:55 - Grouped Tools Explained & Resetting Your Toolbox
1:57 - Single Column Toolbox Set Up
4:08 - Disable Tool Groups
4:50 - Customize Tool Group Behavior & Appearance
5:39 - Customize Your Icon Theme (Style, Color & Size)
6:47 - Final Thoughts
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#GIMPToolbox #CustomizeGIMP #SingleRowToolbox

[@neessaagirl]

Thank you soooo much!!! I spend hours trying to reorganize the icons in a single column and it was so easy

[@petemiller519]

Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you for this video. I have been using GIMP for a while now, but was not aware of some of these features. Much appreciated. Cheers from Canada. One point of note, you have to save the toolbox icon and windows layout otherwise it will revert to original. From the main window go to Edit>Prefernces>Tool Options>Save Tool Options Now.

[@snowhunter7536]

I was thoroughly confused with the interface of GIMP, especially as a first-time user, until I saw this video of yours. A massive gratitude for you. I love it.

[@BlackFlux22]

Great video Davies, I spent nearly 2 hours doing what you showed me in 7 minutes. I now have a better looking and feeling and functioning Gimp. I liked how you delivered the content. Clean quick and enjoyable.

[@vincebaker3384]

Great Video I am new to Gimp & didn't know how to make these changes but realy wanted to make them once again thank you!!!

[@phaneserichthoneus8895]

Thank you so much. Ever since Photoshop arose to exceed my PC's stats a few months ago, I've been using Gimp. I miss a few things, such as adjustment layers and effects layers, but I"m getting around. Now that I can finally get rid of that rectangular toolbox that messes with my perception, I'm even happier. Thanks again!

[@curtzblues]

You changed my conglomeration of menus and frantic menu searches into an ordered array. I feel empowered! Thank you.

[@amandathompson4692]

Thank you so much! I couldn't figure out why I could no longer see the tools within the group and didn't realize the latest version of GIMP grouped them. I was having to use the drop down tabs in the top bar to change from each tool within a group which is very time consuming. Your tutorials are so easy to understand. I appreciate you explaining things in a simple way because GIMP is great, but not very intuitive for me.

[@katemccarthy2463]

Thank you so much. At last explained how to set up my toolbox how I want it.

[@PauloCrepaldi]

Finally I found the solution for a "bug" in this version (2.10.20) of Gimp. By default when you hover the mouse over the toolbox the group should expand but it doesn't in some linux distros. I use linux mint and I try installing flatpak version, appimage etc. Diging down the internet I found that if you turn off your "num lock" on the keyboard it magically starts working... That's fantastic. It helps a lot. Just wanted to share. Thank you for the tutorial.

[@larrysimmons7084]

Wish I had found this sooner. Soooo much more user friendly! THANK YOU!!!

[@OdetteML]

I really love your tutorials and how you go into details! However, this is my second day with Gimp and browsing through your playlist, it is quite confusing where to start as there are several "basic tutorials" and I spent more time browsing through the titles than watching them. But thank you for these free tutorials. Edit: Gimp 2.10 Tutorials with 173 videos, Gimp 101: Learning the Basics with 53 vids , Gimp Tutorials with 186 vids

[@vbywrde]

Thank you so much. This was simple, to the point and really helpful. Thanks!

[@Braveheart0484]

Thanks...you've been a great help for a few years.

[@TufdogsPlace]

Thank you, I found some things I didn't know about and what I was looking for.. Well done !,... Cheers

[@zugo-tg7125]

Thanks, I was able to cut out the fat of the program’s UI without much trouble & made a decent, intuitive setup that suits my needs & doesn’t contain any functions I don’t currently (or may never) use.

[@ramonbullock6630]

Hey! I love your material!!

[@lauraluchsinger5792]

Great video! Just as I was wondering how to get your layout (which I saw in other videos!) you came out with this one! Love it!

[@daisybrown7644]

So awesome. Thanks a bunch!

[@GixandOmi]

Thank you this video was very helpful ☺

[@MrJano2308]

Great Job, perfectly done Many thanks

[@mrmshifan]

Very useful. Thank you 👍

[@theovannunen]

Thanks all very clear.

[@sald1965]

Extremely helpful. Thanks.

[@DaviesMediaDesign]

Thanks for watching!

[@Fedetk]

I almost cried after seeing the legacy icons again. Thanks for this.

[@sepehr-by5ow]

Very good thanks💜💜

[@verajaouadi7869]

Thank you so much!

[@dhanyaar1097]

Thank you sooooo much sir 🙏🙏🙏

[@TechValueGR]

Thanks for the video :)

[@lambo485]

thx!!!!..so helpful:)

[@codehelmet5173]

Thank you so much !!!!!

[@thilinaalagiyawanna3680]

Thank you very much

[@ishitabansal5312]

Thanks dude :)

[@slid5299]

Thank u very much bro

[@sakvithiwickramasinghe1064]

thanks bro ❤❤

[@timetorelaxfocus9642]

Thanks

[@nondefan1232]

You sure have to hold your mouth right to get the tool options tab to stick to the dialogues at the right side of the window! Yeesh! It kept either creating its own tab dialogue box or jumping into the right-hand tab dialogue box. I finally got it, though!

[@Voartist]

I don't have all of the tools in my toolbox that you have showing such as "Fuzzy Select" or the bandage. They're not in the toolbox under preferences. Are they plugins you've added or should they be out of the box? How do I get them to show on my single column view if they're not available to select from preferences. Help! Thank you. I am learning a lot from your videos. Oops, I just found them. They're grouped. So can I drag them out of the group and move them into the single column as a stand-alone tool?

[@user-ce1vf1wu6z]

thanks

[@Ian0106Ian0106]

Thanks for making such a useful video. Here is an additional question: Is there any way to add a plug-in to the toolbox? I want to add "heal selection" since I use it frequently, but I can't. Currently, I'm using a customized hotkey, but I still prefer a button.

[@judybarrett2697]

I absolutely love this tutorial ❤️

[@newtalentnyc]

Great tutorial as always! Question about 2.10.20. In another video that I watched mentions that the scaling has a new algorithm that makes it work differently and faster. Is that correct? Thanks.

[@DaviesMediaDesign]

Not that I know of - they didn't mention it when they announced all the new features. Although it is still possible that they snuck this update in there but decided not to say anything publicly about it (though that is doubtful as this would be a major new feature). I could be wrong though.

[@DaviesMediaDesign]

I did some more research on this subject and it turns out that GEGL did update its Cubic Interpolation - making it "faster and softer." The full update from GEGL reads: "Changed cubic interpolation to be a bit softer, reducing induced moire seen in issue #167. Speeded up cubic sampler with custom inlinable fabsf." It's not a new algorithm - just a small update to the existing one.

[@newtalentnyc]

@@DaviesMediaDesign Ok. Thanks. I usually use the nohalo scaling. Two more things I've meaning to ask for a while. When you open an image and add a transparent layer on top, then use the paintbrush to add color on that top layer, is there's a layer behavior that allows you to pick the color from the bottom layer like in Photoshop? In Gimp for Windows, it would be Ctrl + right mouse click I believe. The other question. Can you move a marching ants selection to another section of the image like in Photoshop? Thank you! Keep up the fantastic work!

[@tfolz1351]

i can't enable drop shawdow

[@orestesdd]

How can I change the icons for "active foreground/background color" as mine look smaller than your in some of your video presentation? Thanks. 🤔

[@kenross4453]

Looking for a way to move the tools from the left side of the screen to the right side. Is this possible? (using 2.10.30 if that matters)

[@mahaminmondal6248]

Is there any way to do non destructive editing in GIMP? I know that GIMP doesn't support non destructive editing, but still if there's any way to do something like that.

[@patlab555]

*There are plenty of ways to work non destructive with GIMP* , for example: White balance, exposure, shadow recovery, contrast and so on and on... You will have a bunch of layers filled with gray/grey or opposite colors or whatever and different blending modes, but YES, you can work quickly in a non destructive way with GIMP (I do work like that some times when I feel that I will need to get back on some adjustment due to a _complicated_ exposure or whatever)

[@carolinagirl220]

How do you show the tools in color? Mine are all white. Thank you sir!

[@OlObuffalo]

Tried so hard but unable to drag those last three over (active background colour, active pattern & active image icons). When I'm doing it, the blue outline doesn't appear for thiese 3 items. I can only get down to a double coloumn toolbox. Advice anyone? It's driving me nuts Thanks,

[@OlObuffalo]

I figured this out. I had to disable their "view" setting in edit/preferences/toolbox/appearance

[@MarcMcRae]

Actually prefer the tool groups logic. Better workspace flow, esp. with Tool Options. All works beautifully on stnd Ubuntu & UbuntuBudgie 20.04 (flatpak from org.gimp.GIMP 2.10.22)

[@karolispaulauskas2337]

Hi there cannot find the foreground and background collor management tool how come this not appearing in menu?

[@DaviesMediaDesign]

Go to Edit>Preferences>Interface>Toolbox, and under "Appearance" make sure the "show background and foreground color" option is checked.

[@daisybrown7644]

for some reason when I click on a tool it doesn't pop up any options. how do i fix this

[@wasihe]

Hey I am new to GIMP. When I point the cursor to the tools, names are not displayed. how to get them displayed.

[@DaviesMediaDesign]

You simply need to click and hold your mouse on the tool/tool group. You can change this in your preferences (edit> preferences).

[@muhammaddanish3634]

2nd view, 2nd like and 1st comment...yaaaayy

[@jesse6327]

And we are all very impressed...

[@happystar1000]

You deserve a free download of Gimp for your catlike reflexes

[@nondefan1232]

Grouped-together tools are not good for those of us with Asperger syndrome!!! Bad GIMP coders! Bad, bad!!! (IOW, thank you for this tutorial, Mr. Davies!)

[@Pillzburidoeboi]

Your simply FUCKING dope

[@genmasaotome3503]

Just what I needed. I needed it to at least making it look more like photoshop.

[@trav17awesome92]

How do I get that blue line to light up or to dock when I release? It always adds a new window no matter where I move it to on either side on any line next to any tab. The blue will not light up and I have searched this for 2 days. Everywhere ignores the guy asking saying to not move the window bar when he even showed in a video that he is doing the exact same as you. Everything and I literally mean everything he did in his proof was the same as you but it just would NOT dock. It would keep putting it in a new window. Gimp is unusable in a decent speed way until I can get it to add stuff back instead of 100 windows for each tab. I have reset it a hundred times to temporarily fix it but it just slows everything down for a simple picture that should take 10 seconds to make. I just need it to dock to the side rather than if I click it, it makes a new window. I would be on a forum if they didn't say I was doing something that I have PROVEN I wasn't doing.

[@tigerbalm666]

wut the fuck d oI do withthe tools I moved?

[@VideoNash]

thanks