Drawing a Perfect Circle in GIMP: A Step-by-Step Guide

PDF download Download Article
Easily create crisp, clean circles in GIMP using this quick tutorial
PDF download Download Article

Are you wondering how to create a circle in GIMP? Although there is no way to quickly create a circle shape, you can use the selection tool to make one instead. Read on to learn how to create a circle in GIMP using the Ellipse Select Tool.

Quick Steps

  1. Create an alpha channel.
  2. Draw a circle with the ellipse select tool and use the ratio terms to make it the right shape/size.
  3. Invert your selection.
  4. Erase everything else.
  5. Save your circle file.
Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Creating a Circle with the Ellipse Selection Tool

PDF download Download Article
  1. Once you have a blank canvas, go to Layer > Transparency > Add alpha channel . If the option is greyed out, you already have an alpha channel in your layer.
    • If you don't have a canvas already available, go to File > New and create the canvas for your GIMP project.
  2. It's an option in the 2nd box next to the "Move" tool; you can press E to quickly select the ellipse tool so you can use it.
    • Click and drag your mouse on the canvas to create an ellipse selection.
    Advertisement
  3. In the "Tool options" dialog window under "Ellipse Select," select "Fixed/Aspect Ratio" and make sure the text field below says "1:1" for a true circle.
    • If you don't see the "Tool options" window, go to Windows > Dockable Dialogs > Tool Options .
    • Move the selection around if it isn't in an area you like.
  4. This selects everything except your circle.
    • Invert your selection by going to Select > Invert .
    • Alternatively, press Ctrl/Cmd + I .
  5. Go to Edit > Clear or press Delete on your keyboard to delete everything except your circle.
    • You might see a checkerboard background if you don't have background layers. But don't panic! That pattern will not appear in the final product, but instead acts as a placeholder for transparent areas.
    • If you want, you can go to Image > Zealous Crop to auto-crop the image to a smaller size.
  6. Save your file as a PNG to keep the transparent nature of your image or save it as an XCF if you plan to continue editing it in GIMP. [1]
    • Press Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + A or go to Select > None to deselect the area.
    7. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Creating a Bordered Circle with the Select Tool

PDF download Download Article
  1. You'll find this in the upper-left corner of the Toolbox window. The button has an oval with a dotted border. [2]
  2. You can click and drag it to another location or press and hold Shift to make another circle and add it to your previous one.
  3. Click the Select tab and choose Border ' A new menu will appear which allows you to select the selection you just created, essentially allowing you to create an outline. [3]
  4. For a thin border, enter "1" for a single-pixel border. Larger numbers will add that number of pixels to each side of the selection. For example, entering "2" will result in a border that is four pixels wide. [4]
    • You can change the unit of measurement if you prefer working with different units.
    • Click OK to close the "Border Selection" window and continue.
  5. Click the foreground color in the Toolbox and use the color picker to choose the color you want to use for the circle's border.
  6. This will fill the circle's border with the color you selected. Your circle now has a border color and a transparent center.
  7. You can use the Bucket Fill Tool to fill the circle with a different color if you want to. Select the color you want to use as the foreground color, then select the Bucket Fill Tool and click the inside of the circle. [5]
    • Press Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + A or go to Select > None to deselect the area.
    8. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Creating a Bordered Circle with the Path Tool

PDF download Download Article
  1. You'll find this in the upper-left corner of the Toolbox. It looks like an oval with a dashed border. [6]
  2. You can click and drag it to another location or press and hold Shift to make another circle and add it to your previous one.
  3. This will create a vector object from your circle.
  4. The circle you created will seemingly disappear. This is normal.
  5. Click the current foreground color in the Toolbox and select the color you want to use as the border for the circle.
  6. A new window will appear so you can choose how your circle will be outlined.
  7. By default, this will be pixels, but you can change it to another unit of measurement. [7]
    • You can choose to create the stroke with different tools for a more artistic effect.
  8. The circle will be created with the border in the color and size you selected.
  9. You can use the Bucket Fill Tool to fill the circle with a different color after creating it. Select the color you want to use from the color picker, then click inside the circle with the Bucket Fill Tool selected. [8]
    • Press Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + A or go to Select > None to deselect the area.
    10. Advertisement
Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Creating a Borderless Circle

PDF download Download Article
  1. While this tool is normally creating an ellipse-shaped selection, you can use it to create circles as well. You'll find this tool in the upper-left corner of the Toolbox window. [9]
  2. Click and drag on your canvas to begin creating an ellipse shape. You can click and drag it to another location or press and hold Shift to make another circle and add it to your previous one. [10]
  3. Click the foreground color box in the Toolbox to open the color picker. This color will fill the circle. The circle will be borderless.
  4. The circle will fill with the color you selected.
    • Press Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + A or go to Select > None to deselect the area.
    5. Advertisement


Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How can I draw curvy lines in Gimp?
    Vincenzo Pernice
    Community Answer
    Select "Paths tools". When you click two or more times in different spots of your document, you create a line between two points (be sure that you are in the correct layer). Then click on this line, and drag this as you want to modify it into a curvy line.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1
  • Question
    Is it possible to draw three intersecting circles to create a coloured Venn diagram with GIMP?
    Shaats Pvt. Ltd.
    Community Answer
    Yes, it is possible to create a colored Venn diagram with three intersecting circles using GIMP, a popular image editing software.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 13 Helpful 0
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Draw Shapes in Gimp
      How to
      Recolor Anything on Gimp
      How to
      Make a Transparent Image Using Gimp
      How to
      Create an Animated GIF Image with GIMP
      How to
      Install Scripts Into Gimp
      Using the Pen Tool in GIMP: Drawing Shapes, Curves, & Lines
      3 Ways to Install GIMP
      4 Easy Steps to Make a Gradient in GIMP
      How to
      Adjust Brightness in GIMP
      Quick Guide to Using the Clone Tool in GIMP
      How to
      Change the Size of Icons in GIMP
      How to
      Remove Facial Blemishes on GIMP
      How to
      Outline Text in GIMP 2
      How to
      Use GIMP
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.gimp.org/tutorials/CircleImage/
      2. ↑ https://www.gimp.org/tutorials/CircleImage/
      3. ↑ https://linuxhint.com/gimp-draw-circle/
      4. ↑ https://linuxhint.com/gimp-draw-circle/
      5. ↑ https://thegimptutorials.com/how-to-draw-circle/
      6. ↑ https://docs.gimp.org/en/gimp-tool-ellipse-select.html
      7. ↑ https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/gimp-path-stroke.html
      8. ↑ https://thegimptutorials.com/how-to-draw-circle/
      9. ↑ https://www.gimp.org/tutorials/CircleImage/
      1. ↑ https://www.gimp.org/tutorials/CircleImage/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Click the Ellipse Select tool.
      2. Click and drag to create the shape.
      3. Hold Shift as you draw to create a perfect circle.
      4. Click the Select menu.
      5. Click To Path .
      6. Click Select again and choose None .
      7. Select a color and click Edit > Stroke Path .
      8. Select your preferences and click Stroke .

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 395,057 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement