The Blend filter is included with the GIMP package and it can make a color transition animation quickly and easily. This is a basic tutorial to get you started with using the filter. Create other variations after you get comfortable doing Blend animations.

First create the basic image. I used the KR Scribble Heart font for this one. You can get it here.

Start with a new, blank image. You can use a transparent background or fill it with the color of the background where you will be displaying the image. I chose white for the background here. The Blend filter uses the Background layer for the background of your finished animation.

Keep in mind, you MUST have a background layer, whether transparent or filled with color. If you don't the Blend filter will use the bottom layer for the background and you will lose one of your color transition images.

Use black for the foreground color and use the Text tool to type your text. After you have the first layer, duplicate it two times so that you have three text layers. You can see the layers in the image below.



Right-click the bottom text layer (not the Background layer) and choose Alpha to Selection in the drop down list, then Select > Shrink > and shrink the selection by 2 pixels. Fill the selection with the color of your choice - you can also use patterns or gradients, go to the next text layer and fill with another color, do the top text layer with another color.

Turn off the selection by using Ctrl + Shift + A, or Select > None.

Now you are ready to use the blend tool. You may want to crop your image first - click a text layer with the mouse, Image > Autocrop.

Filters > Animation > Blend

In the Blend filter dialog, the default is 3 Intermediate frames and I used the default for this demonstration. Keep in mind, more Intermediate frames makes more blending frames which makes the transitions longer and smoother. It also makes your file size larger.



Here is the finished animation. I used 160milliseconds per frame when I saved the animation rather than the default 100ms.



Here is a variation of using the Blend filter. Download the fall leaves brushes attached below.

Nice tutorial!!

That would make a cool script-fu script.

OK, Mr. Script Writer, you have your work cut out for you.

maybe Mr. Script Writer was also know as Gadget or Mr Gadget or something similar...?

You're very observant. Mr. Scipt Writer was also known as Gadget Wizard over in UFSC. Don't know if you forgot, PhotoComix, but you were also a member over there. You never posted anything but you were on the member list. UFSC is no longer.

i did post there...my compliments to Gadget Wizard for his cool Logo scripts
or anyway i did on some other side were he posted his script (ooppss ..my memory is not so good)

I have never used this filter until now!

Cool Rod

Hm, a 3-year-old tutorial that got resurrected. Works well with your ornament script, Graechan.