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How to Expand Simple Background on Gimp?
posted by tmdb24407783STAFFMOD on December 14, 2018 at 7:58 PM
I've been looking for several hours, but haven't figured out how to expand simple (but not solid/monotone) backgrounds on Gimp.
Does someone have an article/tutorial/guide that they can link me? Or just someone who can give me some instructions?
Here is an example of an image backdrop where I would put this knowledge to use. This image is a cast promo image. In order to crop it down to the ideal aspect ratio (16:9) the image is destroyed (mostly because of having to chop the text in the bottom right in half). I would like to expand the area at the top and bottom of the image so that I can upload the backdrop (and other backdrops like this with a similar problem/situation). Here is a similar situation with an image poster (I only want to expand from the top in this scenario).
Additionally, it would be great to learn how to expand images like this that is a little more complicated- however, it still has a pattern-like background. EDIT: I tried doing on Gimp what this person is doing on Photoshop, but when I try to use the Stamp tool on Gimp after creating blank transparent space above and below my image (by increasing the canvas size's height dimension), the cloning doesn't apply to any of the transparent space and only clones onto the existing image.
EDIT: The above 
image can be cropped to the ideal aspect ratio, however I believe that changes the image significantly. It goes from an image with a brick patterned border across all four sides, to an image with no border/bar on it's left and right but a brick patterned bar at the top and bottom. It would be better if I wouldn't have to completely crop out the brick pattern on the left and right by expanding the top and bottom brick patterned bars instead.
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EDIT: ALTERNATIVELY, would it be appropriate to create a thread where I can give sources for image that require some image editing skills (that I clearly don't have right now) so that someone else can edit them and upload them?
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EDIT: Another user has suggested simply removing the backgrounds for these kinds of images and replacing it with a solid/monotone color. I'm assuming this isn't acceptable/encouraged for images?
Reply by PT 100
on December 15, 2018 at 12:12 AM
I don't think you can do what you want w/a free program like Gimp. I think the only way to do it is to do some "cloning" by cutting and pasting and patching the background together piece by piece; but that might not look perfect. In fact, if I understand you correctly (and I'm not positive I do), I doubt anyone can do what you want using any editing program, unless they do what I'm suggesting w/cut and paste.
Good luck, though, maybe someone can do it for you.
Reply by Banana
on December 15, 2018 at 1:38 AM
You know I can't help you with the Gimp-specific issues. But my two cents as a not very artsy person: none of these images are the easiest to edit.
I find background like this one really difficult to get right. That one has a lot of color and texture variations and it will very easy look like a murder scene.
For the bick one, you pretty much got a full row on top so you can start from there. And thanks to the bricks, the end results don't need to be 100% perfect to look good. Though one though.
Yes!
Reply by Zürich Gnome
on December 15, 2018 at 11:25 PM
What you are trying to do can be done w/a tremendous amount of work by an expert. But I doubt you can afford to pay them what it would cost. They certainly wouldn't do it for free, especially if you want them to do it on several different images over time.
Maybe you could just find a different poster that would work instead of struggling w/that one.
Reply by Moondoggie
on December 15, 2018 at 11:34 PM
Yes, it could be done w/a lot of painstaking work, and it would essentially involve what PT 100 suggested w/an extensive set of cut-and-pastes. As @ZurichGnome said, maybe try to find a different poster.
Reply by tmdb24407783
on December 16, 2018 at 12:02 AM
Ah, I see
My assumption as someone with very little photo editing experience was that this was a somewhat more basic photoshopping task. I guess I was wrong.
Unless there are some TMdb contributors who are experts that would be happy to do this, I guess I'm in no luck!
@banana_girl seemed to approve the idea of posting image sources so that other contributors can edit them to TMdb's liking
Reply by Marr 🇳🇱
on December 16, 2018 at 5:25 AM
Hi! The clone stamp would work just fine at least for me in photoshop back when i used it (i re installed my Mac some time ago and it is just one of the apps i need to re-install). But i am not sure how it works in gimp and don’t think i can install it on Mac. :(. I also liked the content aware filling tool. But i think thats not available in gimp.
If you have images. I will always want to try to tweakers them. I just need to reinstall PS haha :)
Reply by tmdb24407783
on December 16, 2018 at 6:34 AM
Awesome! I think you're trying to say
you'd be willing to help upload some of my images?
(I don't know how to get clone stamp working on blank/transparent space created by increasing the canvas size- maybe I'll try to figure that out).
Reply by Marr 🇳🇱
on December 16, 2018 at 7:00 AM
Yeah! I see my auto-correct got the better of my, I meant I wouldn't mind trying to tweak/edit/photoshop them indeed :)
Reply by PT 100
on December 17, 2018 at 6:22 PM
It's nice to see that a mod who has the right tools is willing to reformat whatever is uploaded. I hadn't expected that.
Reply by BryGur
on December 25, 2018 at 6:22 PM
Three minutes in Gimp, done: https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/vCRHVPPpgHvY4pGZdHYemHjEBn7.jpg . Where can I get my money
File handling took me longer than image editing.
Look here: https://www.gimp-forum.net/Thread-Resynthesizer-heal-selection-plugins-for-Windows
Use resynthesizer plugin to expand backgrounds. Use heal-plugin in the same zip-file to remove logos and texts.
https://youtu.be/J61ExqvNcBQ
Reply by BryGur
on December 25, 2018 at 6:43 PM
This one took a bit longer because it had two sides to expand and a logo to remove. And I have a slow computer.
https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/6VWiBPD4d6BJJP1bxbmShsEWZuR.jpg
I uploaded that one here: https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/67482-rupaul-s-all-stars-drag-race/images/backdrops?image_language=xx . I hope it's in the right place.
I won't touch the one with tiles on the background. That's handwork. Try flatten your image after Canvas Resize. Then you can use Clone or Stamp tool. That applies to resynthesizer too.
Reply by tmdb24407783
on December 25, 2018 at 6:48 PM
@BryGur thanks so much! I will have a look at those links and see if I can learn how to do it myself.
And yes I think you uploaded it in the right place! I'll check once more just in case :)
Reply by PT 100
on December 26, 2018 at 1:46 PM
That's what I figured. Some images require a lot of work.
Reply by BryGur
on December 27, 2018 at 8:47 AM
I just tried out a new tool for me: G'MIC plug-in for Gimp. It has two filters that are a bit similar to Resynthesizer and Resynthesizer Heal Selection: Inpaint [Patch-Based] and Inpaint [Multiscale]. Using mainly Inpaint [Patch-Based] with a little help from Resynthesizer and Gimps Heal-tool I made this poster:
https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/loPWKCqJZCVQypEQvG5Nd2WH1gE.jpg Cropped original: https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/uJyVEXWcAZALQbT16YsKO9Vkmep.jpg
I created new background to the top of the poster with Inpaint [Patch-Based]. I also removed most of the texts and logos text with it. Advanced Gimp users might want to try it out.
https://gmic.eu/
I might contribute to that thread occasionally.
Reply by tmdb24407783
on December 27, 2018 at 9:07 PM
Thanks so much for this, now I feel good with removing text and logos from fairly plain (but not solid/monotone) backrounds. I think I might look back and see if using that tool does a better job than the clone stamp tool which is what I have sometimes used.
Do you have a video tutorial (or article) for expanding backgrounds using that plugin?