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How to Mirror an Image in GIMP with the Flip Tool

Learn to use the built-in Flip Tool to edit your images

1 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Key notes

GIMP 2.10 is among the best freewareimage-editing applicationsfor Windows. It includes an abundance of image-editing utilities.

Users have been looking for ways to mirror images in this tool. Follow the steps below to find out how to mirror a transparent image inGIMP.

How can I mirror an image in GIMP?

How can I mirror an image in GIMP?

You can add a mirror reflection effect to an image object by utilizing GIMP’sFlip Toolwith duplicate layers of the same picture. All you’ll need is an image of an object with a transparent background.

TheFlip Toolis one of GIMP’s handy utilities that enables you to turn a picture upside down vertically or left or right horizontally.

  1. If you don’t already have GIMP, click the Download 2.10.22 button on the image editor’s download webpage, and then install the app with the setup wizard.

  2. Open the GIMP 2.10 image editor.

  3. Next, click theFilemenu and selectOpen.

  4. Select an image with a transparent background to flip and click theOKbutton to open the image.

  5. Click theImagemenu.

6.SelectCanvas sizeto open the window shown directly below. Expand the width and height of the image’s canvas by increasing the values in the Width and Height boxes

You’ll need to expand the canvas so that you can fit a duplicate image within it.

  1. Press theResizebutton.

  2. Right-click the image object within your canvas and select theLayersubmenu.

  3. Choose theDuplicate layeroption and click theMove Toolbutton if it’s not already selected.

  4. Then hover the cursor over the selected image object layer and hold the left mouse button to drag it down the canvas.Position the image object just beneath the top object as shown directly below.

11.Click theFlip Toolbutton in the snapshot directly below.

  1. Select theVerticalradio button, then left-click the duplicate image object layer on the bottom half of the canvas to flip it as in the snapshot below.

  2. If you need to, click theMove Toolagain so that you can better align the mirrored image along the bottom of the one in the top half of the canvas.

14.You can add some optional opacity to the flipped image reflection by selecting its layer on the right of the window and reducing theOpacityvalue to something like 50. Then the flipped reflection will be faded.

Note:To add a horizontal mirror image, you’ll need to drag the duplicate layer directly to the left or right side of the object it’s mirroring. Then select theHorizontaloption on the Flip sidebar.

  1. Click theFilemenu at the top left of GIMP’s window.

16.Select theExport asoption to open the window shown directly below.

  1. Click theSelect File Typebox and choosePNG imageon the menu.

  2. Enter a title for the image file and choose a folder to save the picture to.

  3. ClickExport, andExportagain, to confirm.

20.Thereafter, open your finished mirrorimageinPhotosor Paint.

If you open it in Paint, you can fill out the background with its Fill with color option. Your final mirrored image will have the same effect as the one directly below.

So, that’s how you can apply a groovy mirror reflection to transparent image objects with GIMP.

OurGIMP guideprovides details on how you can add transparent backgrounds to image objects and apply other effects with that software.

We hope our guide helped you mirror an image in GIMP. Let us know in the comments section below if you encountered any difficulties along the way or whether you have any questions.

Matthew Adams

Windows Hardware Expert

Matthew is a freelancer who has produced a variety of articles on various topics related to technology. His main focus is the Windows OS and all the things surrounding it.

He is passionate about the tech world, always staying up-to-date with the latest and greatest. With an analytical view, he likes problem-solving, focusing on errors and their causes.

In his free time, he likes to read and write about history and tries to always develop new skills.

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Matthew Adams

Windows Hardware Expert

He is passionate about everything surrounding Microsoft’s OS, focusing on troubleshooting guides & tips for everyday problems.