About the Book
DISCLAIMERThis publication is not sponsored by, endorsed by, or affiliated with OM Digital Solutions Corporation. OM SYSTEM(TM), OM-1 Mark II(TM), and related names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners. Any other brands, accessories, or software mentioned remain the property of their owners. References to third-party products are for identification and educational use only.
This guide is an independent, plain-English reference created to help you understand and use the OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark II more confidently in real shooting situations. It is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for the official user manual, service documentation, or professional training. Always consult the manufacturer's documentation before changing critical settings or performing maintenance.
Ready to turn GIMP 3.0 into your creative home base-without the overwhelm?Gimp 3.0 User Guide for Beginners shows you, step by step, how to edit photos and design graphics with the same confidence as paid apps. Written in plain English, the book pairs screenshots, mini playbooks, and real-world checklists so you can learn by doing. Mac users get Mac-specific keys and tips alongside cross-platform guidance.
What You Will DiscoverInside, you'll find a clear, friendly path from first launch to polished results:
Fast Start: Tour the workspace, pick single- or multi-window mode, set light/dark themes, and apply the five-minute readiness checklist (undo, autosave, cache, swap, safety backups).
Projects That Fit Anywhere: Choose the right canvas size, DPI, and aspect ratios for web, print, and social. Understand PPI vs pixels-no jargon, just practical choices.
Non-Destructive Foundations: Master layers, groups, masks, and blend modes so every change is reversible. You'll know when and why to use Multiply, Screen, Overlay, and Color-plus how to control them with opacity and masks.
Precision Tools, Zero Guesswork: Get clean cutouts with Selections, Channels, and Paths; fix alignment, perspective, and crops; keep text sharp after transforms.
Tone & Color That Feel Natural: Read histograms at a glance; correct white balance; balance saturation vs vibrance; build a safe order of operations to avoid banding.
Retouching That Respects Reality: Heal vs Clone, frequency-style workflows, edge cleanup, and believable results-especially for portraits and products.
Create From Scratch: Brushes, dynamics, gradients, symmetry, and tablet setup-so illustration and hand-painted looks feel smooth and responsive (with Mac tablet sanity tips).
Graphic Design Basics: Text, shapes, icons, layout grids, and hierarchy that reads fast-plus export-ready badges, logos, and social templates.
Filters & GEGL: Sharpen, denoise, light & shadow, and reusable effect recipes with live previews.
Work Smarter: Templates, batching, and gentle introductions to Python-Fu/Script-Fu so you can automate repeat tasks safely (idempotent, logged, no-overwrite).
Output Without Surprises: Web, print, and social export presets, correct color profiles, file formats, and smart sharpening so what you deliver matches what you see.
Performance & Troubleshooting: Cache/threads settings, crash-proof habits, and quick fixes for jagged edges, color shifts, banding, or noisy shadows-plus real-world mini playbooks (portrait refresh, product polish, social post, simple composite).
