AI SKILL gimp

GIMP 3.2

Task-organized, faithful guidance for GIMP 3.2 (GNU Image Manipulation Program), with emphasis on driving GIMP programmatically through Script-Fu, Python-Fu, and the Procedural Database (PDB) — for example from a GIMP MCP server. Content is original; identifiers (menu paths, option labels, keyboard shortcuts, mode names, procedure names, numbers) are preserved exactly as the manual prints them.

When to use this skill

Reach for this skill whenever a task touches GIMP: editing or generating images; layers, blend modes, masks, channels, selections, or paths; tools or filters; color adjustments and color management; opening, saving (.xcf), or exporting (PNG/JPEG); or automating GIMP via Script-Fu / Python-Fu / the PDB — including when the user opens a .xcf file, pastes gimp-* calls, writes script-fu-register or from gi.repository import Gimp, or wires up a GIMP MCP server, without naming "GIMP".

How to use it (runtime workflow)

1. Read this file, then consult the task router below (or references/topics.json).
2. Open only the one or two reference files relevant to the task — do not read everything (progressive disclosure).
3. Answer strictly from the reference; preserve menu paths, option labels, shortcuts, mode names, and procedure names exactly as written.
4. If something is not covered, say so and mark it TODO — never invent a menu path, option, or PDB procedure name. For scripting, the in-app Help > Procedure Browser is the authoritative source for exact procedure names, parameters, and return types.
5. Remember the GIMP 3.x API is not 2.10: Python-Fu is Python 3 + GObject Introspection, and many PDB procedures were renamed — verify names before relying on them.

Task router

If the task is about…	Read
windows, docks/dialogs, the menu map, zoom/undo, image Mode or Encoding (bit depth)	references/interface-and-workflow.md
the Toolbox, Tool Options, which tool to use and its shortcut	references/tools-overview.md
layers, the Layers dialog, groups, alpha, opacity, blend/paint modes	references/layers-and-modes.md
selections, selection modes, feathering, the Select menu	references/selections.md
layer masks, the Channels dialog, saving/loading selections, Quick Mask	references/masks-and-channels.md
Bézier paths, the Paths dialog, stroking, path↔selection, SVG	references/paths.md
the Colors menu, levels/curves/hue-saturation, ICC profiles (assign vs convert)	references/colors-and-adjustments.md
the Filters menu taxonomy, Repeat/Re-Show Last	references/filters.md
opening/importing, saving .xcf, exporting/overwriting, PNG/JPEG options	references/file-formats-and-export.md
Script-Fu vs Python-Fu, the consoles, install dirs, batch/headless flags	references/scripting-overview.md
the PDB, Procedure Browser, procedure naming and types	references/pdb-reference.md
Scheme syntax, script-fu-register / script-fu-menu-register	references/script-fu.md
Python 3 + GObject Introspection, the Gimp.PlugIn model	references/python-fu.md
scripting image/layer ops (create, fill, resize, flatten)	references/pdb-recipes-images-layers.md
scripting selections and paths	references/pdb-recipes-selections-paths.md
scripting color adjustments and filters	references/pdb-recipes-color-filters.md
scripting file save/export and headless batch runs	references/pdb-recipes-io-batch.md

Gotchas

Recurring failure modes and what to do instead live in the sibling GOTCHA.md.

Verification notes

Validate the package structure (the validator ships with the skill-drafting skill; paths use the DEVROOT env var — adjust to your layout):

python "$env:DEVROOT\SKILLS\skills\skill-drafting\scripts\validate_skill_package.py" "$env:DEVROOT\SKILLS\skills\gimp"

This package is built and checked with the three-layer method (Spec → Verifier → Environment). Ground-truth checks live in AI/work/verify_gimp.py (stdlib only; run python AI/work/verify_gimp.py --both). It verifies: every reference is listed in references/INDEX.md, has exactly one references/topics.json entry, and resolves its cross-links; each reference contains a summary, a "When this applies" line, at least one example, and a Do/Don't or anti-patterns section, with no empty placeholders; an originality gate rejects source branding/attribution/license leakage in the references and in the SKILL.md body (outside "Inspired by"); a preserve-glossary of load-bearing identifiers (menu paths, shortcuts, mode names, PDB procedure names, command-line flags) is grepped against the references so accidental renames are caught; and --both confirms the .claude mirror is byte-identical. Keep those invariants when editing.

Reference map

Start at references/INDEX.md. Metadata: references/topics.json (topic → file + keywords).

Official documentation

Includes original content written for this skill. The official documentation is at https://docs.gimp.org/ — consult it to verify anything uncertain, conflicting, or version-specific.