Labelling a map with Gimp

[MapMappingMapped]

It seems really complicated, and I'm struggling with placing the text and editing it accordingly. I've heard of drawing 'paths' to curve text and stuff like that, but I must say I'm completely dumbfounded...
How do I add spaces between letters to spread text over long distances (mountains, regions, etc.)? How do I even use paths to curve text? And how do I PLACE the text properly in the first place???
Thanks in advance!!

[MapMappingMapped]

OOps. Spelled ma instead of map...

[QED42]

To do the curved text you create a path then put the text on it, tutorial here: http://www.shaviva.com/documents/tex...structions.pdf

To change the spacing between letters you look in the tool options when you have the text tool selected. Below the options for setting how you justify the text there is three boxes with the number 0.0 next to them, it's the third one down there that you want.

For where to put the labels you want the pdf in this thread https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...147#post133147

[MapMappingMapped]

Ah thanks QED42! Using those right now, thank you!

[Mouse]

Well.

Perhaps the best thing to do is to learn all those methods separately first, so that you can combine them and get the desired result.

learn how to add text to a GIMP file here.

learn how to apply text to a path here. (There are 2 methods in this tut. Only the second one is really useful - the way I do my own curved text)

Adding spaces between letters is as simple as hitting the space bar between each letter as you just type them in (remembering to type the same number of spaces around each of the spaces themselves, or your words will run into one another

EDIT: and I'm so sloooooooooow at watching vids to check their ok and say what they need to that I've absolutely missed the boat LOL!

[MapMappingMapped]

Thanks Mouse! I'll try all of those, although as usual I'm finding it pretty complicated.... But then I thought so of everything when I started GIMP.

[Mouse]

GIMP isn't the most user friendly app, but once you learn the basics it does quite a lot.

I prefer Krita these days, except for the fact that Krita's text tools are totally not there just yet. I usually use Krita to draw the map, and either GIMP or CC3 to label them. CC3 is far better than GIMP at labelling things, since it spaces the letters along a curve evenly from end to end, but its not a free app.

[MapMappingMapped]

*groan* This is is really brain-munching... I don't know if it's my GIMP that has a problem but I don't seem to be able to do, say, lower and raise text... I feel like this is leaking my brain... the whole map is finished but for the text and I feel that's killing me...

[MapMappingMapped]

Hey, the map takes 135 MB?? Does 'Merge Down' press all the layers into only one to save space?

[Mouse]

What do you mean 'lower or raise' text?

If you're trying to do stuff you would do in a vector programme it won't work. You have to do it the GIMP way. ie move the text box, or edit the path till its in the right place.

EDIT: if you mean use it like a word processor with subscript or superscript letters, it just won't hack it. You would need to export your map at full size and open it in Inkscape to do stranger things than just bend your labels around a curve

(That's what I've heard about Inkscape. I've never really put it to the test, so someone else would have to help you with that)