How to Create Photo Montages of Joins (Using Gimp)

Summary

1. Choose Layer Order for Fragments
2. Create Empty Black Canvas onto Which to Fit Both Fragments
3. Load Images into GIMP
4. Crop Image of Background Fragment
5. Crop and Clip Image of Foreground Fragment
6. Copy Prepared Images and Paste Them onto Empty Canvas
7. Rearrange Fragments on Canvas
8. Add Description Label and Crop Photomontage

Detailed Instructions

1) Choose Layer Order for Fragments

• For a convincing photomontage of a join, you need to choose a suitable layer order for the two joining fragments:
• The foreground fragment should be the one with the clearer break edge, so that only the inscribed surface and no sub-surface parts of the foreground fragment will cover the background fragment:

foreground fragment	background fragment

2) Create Empty Black Canvas onto Which to Fit Both Fragments

• Click on [File] > [New...]
• In the dialog, choose approximate height and width of canvas so that it is big enough for both fragments
• Click on [+] to the left of Advanced Options
• Set Fill with: to Foreground colour (which by default is black)
• Confirm by clicking on [OK]

3) Load Images into GIMP

For both images do the following:

• Copy image to clipboard
• In GIMP, insert image into new canvas: [File] > [Create] > [From Clipboard]

4) Crop Image of Background Fragment

• Select Crop Tool by clicking on [] or by pressing [Shift] + [C]
• Drag a margin around the part of the image you want to use in the photomontage
• Confirm by hitting [Enter]

5) Crop and Clip Image of Foreground Fragment

• Switch to image of foreground fragment by clicking on the respective thumbnail image at the top margin of the window

• Again, select Crop Tool and crop image to the desired section. This time, it is important that your cropped image only leaves one side of the foreground fragment and has it completely surrounded by an even (black) background

correct cropping section	problematic cropping section

• Select Fuzzy Select Tool by clicking on [] or by pressing [U]
• Click anywhere in the even background. This will select everything but the fragment
• Now, invert this selection by pressing [CTRL] + [I]

6) Copy Prepared Images and Paste Them onto Empty Canvas

• Switch to background fragment and copy it to clipboard ([CTRL] + [C])
• Switch to empty canvas and paste as new layer ([Edit] > [Paste as] > [New Layer])
• Repeat with foreground fragment

7) Rearrange Fragments on Canvas

• Transform fragments to make them join neatly
• For this, select layer you would like to transform by clicking on the respective thumbnail image in the layer bar to the right of the window

• The main tools you will need to transform fragments are:
  • The Move Tool ([] or [M])
  • The Rotate Tool ([] or [Shift] + [R])
  • The Scale Tool ([] or [Shift] + [T]) - hold [Shift] to maintain aspect ratio

8) Add Description Label and Crop Photomontage

• You can add a description label to indicate which fragments you have joined
• For this, select Text Tool ([] or [T])
• Click where you want to add your label to the canvas
• Type in the information you would like to give
• Change font size and colour by first selecting what you have typed ([CTRL] + [A]) and then changing the necessary parameters in the menu above your text
• Remove any excess margins of the photomontage by cropping it with the Crop Tool