GIMP -- open source version of Photoshop

[dolfan]

Anybody have any experience with this software? We're going to create customer loyalty cards and employee ID cards (we've already bought equipment from eBay) on PVC cards. Just trying to get into it without further costs. I downloaded GIMP, but I have no idea what to do with it. I've also tried setting up a sample on IDcreator dot net, but that site is not processing what I uploaded as a sample, so I'm kind of not sure what to do next.

[macgulley]

GIMP is great for photo editing. Very powerful and similar to Photoshop although not quite as user friendly. I'm not quite sure what your question is, though. What exactly are you trying to do?

[dolfan]

One thing is to create employee ID badges for the family's convenience store. One with their photos on it. Just for show, truthfully. Another is to create customer VIP cards with customer photos. After meeting with a national customer loyalty program a few weeks ago and figuring out that the only winners in the deal would be them (they contract with the gasoline brand we carry, but we're not required to be part of it), we also decided that we could do our own thing on a limited scale. But, we want it to look good.

Recently acquired (assuming the printer arrived today): an Epson R280 printer, inkjet printable PVC credit card blanks, a custom-made tray for such cards on said printer. This is the recommended set up by several businesses on eBay that sell this stuff. And, after watching some YouTube videos of how to print the cards, it seems a no-brainer. BUT, there's the design side.

Not wanting to spend money on software for a low-budget dip in the waters of this thing, I downloaded the GIMP software. I am lost, truthfully, on it. We're not looking for complicated, just clear and decent looking ID cards. I don't know how to create a template for the various cards. I don't know how to design them, really. So, there's a learning curve I need to scale, but it ought to be a small one because I just don't need that much of it.

We'll also create some price cards to clip onto our new gondola shelves for promo items. We've recently installed a large LED scrolling marquis sign outdoors and a smaller one indoors. With about 800 Facebook friends in our little community, we are simply looking for ways to do more. We're installing soft-serve yogurt later this spring and we've already acquired granita machines that we'll use to dispense granita-formulated milk shakes with. No one else anywhere close to us -- like, within 50 miles or more -- is doing anything like this that we know of. With a combination of VIP cards, Facebook, Twitter and the LEDs, we figure we can do a lot of promotional things we haven't been able to do well in the past.

[Billy n NC]

Gimp does about 90% that Photoshop does for the AVERAGE user. For the Photoshop PRO. Not so much.

I have both. or say had.. But it was over my head. My daughter is a wiz at photoshop.. easier to call her.

There are a lot of video tutorials etc on Gimp online.

I watched several of them but not my cup of tea.

My favorite alltime software package.. MS Publisher.. I know I know.

But there are a lot of templates available. I have quite a few.

What other software do you have? do you have MS Publisher.?

[paul]

I use gimp for photo editing. Especially the majis sissors. Generally able to lift out the object cleanly. took a while to figure it out but now is fairly easy. The Majis sissors would be good to lift out photos for the id badges. Also has many features.

[macgulley]

Sounds like GIMP is way more than you need for ID cards or price cards. Powerpoint would do exactly what you want with crisper text and easier editing. Create a document with the dimensions of your card. Type up the text and paste in a picture. You're ready to go. My idea would be something like this:

[dolfan]

Love it. That is great. The guy who sold me the cards and tray on eBay also provided a template in Word. I like the PowerPoint idea better. Will experiment and let you know. Thanks!!

[macgulley]

I tried to do one in Word but couldn't figure out how to have the photo as an object rather than text. Powerpoint makes that very simple. There are also countless backgrounds and borders available to fancy it up.