The Scale Tool

The Scale Tool, which is located in the Gimp Toolbox, allows users to scale
images down, or blow up images larger than their original size.

To perform this process, simply click on the Layer, Selection, or Path that is being worked with and drag the mouse to the desired size.

Note: Problems occur with pixel size when trying to blow up images that get larger than their original size. Clarity is lost. In the Scale Options Box, there are many choices. First, choose whether or not to have to scale a Layer, Selection, or Path.

In the Transform Direction section in the options box, users may scale forward or backward. Grid lines appear on the image as soon as the process begins. Users can control the number or grid lines in the options box. Lastly, a user is able to set constraints on the scaling by choosing to keep the height or width of the image.

When scaling begins, the Scaling Information Box is automatically prompted by the Gimp program to appear.

This information box displays the original height and width of the image, the current height and width of the image, and the Scale Ratio, which shows the X,Y coordinates.

The size of this image in the example is measured in pixels. This can be changed to other units as well simply by clicking the drop down arrow on the right.

Finally, when the image size has been modified to exactly the desired size, click “Scale” to view the new image.

The example shows the scaled down image.

The settings in the Scaling Information Box are the exact same dimensions of my new image. Notice, that the Resize Tool and Scaling Tool are two different things. With the Scaling Tool, a user is able to see the whole image instead of just part of it. The only difference is that now the image is smaller.