# Image Windows

General Image Window Preference

This page lets you customize several aspects of the behavior of image windows.

## Options

General

Use Show all by default

  Please refer to to understand this option.

Use Dot for dot by default

  Using Dot for dot means that at 1:1 zoom, each pixel is the image is scaled to one pixel on the display. If Dot for dot is not used, then the displayed image size is determined by the X and Y resolution of the image. See the Scale Image section for more information.

Marching ants speed

  When you create a selection, the edge of it is shown as a dashed line with dashes that appear to move, marching slowly along the boundary: they are jokingly called marching ants . The smaller the value entered here, the faster the ants march (and consequently the more distracting they are!).

Dot for dot
Marching ants speed
Zoom
Image size

Zoom and Resize Behavior

Resize window on zoom

  If this option is checked, then each time you zoom the image, the image window will automatically resize to follow it. Otherwise, the image window will maintain the same size when you zoom the image.

Resize window on image size change

  If this option is checked, then each time change the size of the image, by cropping or resizing it, the image window will automatically resize to follow. Otherwise, the image window will maintain the same size.

Initial zoom ratio

  You can choose either to have images, when they are first opened, scaled so that the whole image fits comfortably on your display, or else shown at 1:1 zoom. If you choose the second option, and the image is too large to fit on your display, then the image window will show only part of it (but you will be able to scroll to other parts).

Image Resize after zooming or scaling

Space bar

While space bar is pressed

  - Pan view (default) or

  - Toggle to Move Tool

  - No action

Space bar

Mouse Cursors

Show brush outline

  If this option is checked, then when you use a paint tool, the outline of the brush will be shown on the image as you move the pointer around. On slow systems, if the brush is very large, this could occasionally cause some lag in GIMP's ability to follow your movements: if so, switching this off might help. Otherwise, you will probably find it quite useful.

Show paint tool cursor

  If this is checked, a cursor will be shown. This is in addition to the brush outline, if the brush outline is being shown. The type of cursor is determined by the next option.

Cursor mode

  This option has no effect unless Show paint tool cursor is checked. If it is, you have three choices: Tool icon, which causes a small iconic representation of the currently active tool to be shown beside the cursor; Tool icon with crosshair, which shows the icon as well as a crosshair indicating the center of the cursor; or Crosshair only.

Pointer handedness

  This option decides the direction of the pointer. The default is Right-handed. When Left-handed is chosen, the pointer is flipped horizontally.

Mouse cursors
Dialogs Preferences Image Windows
Image Windows Preferences