# Text box editing in GIMP



## primal100 (Mar 22, 2009)

Hey,

I'm new to Gimp (using windows version) and any advanced photo editing software for that matter. I'm editing a file which a colleague made in Gimp. All I need to do is edit the text boxes. I edited one fine. Then I went to edit another one but when I right click there is no text tool option. Weirdly, I checked the first one I edited and the text tool option was gone from that too. Other text boxes, which all happen to contain headings, can be edited fine.

I tried deleting the text box but while it deleted the background of the text box the text itself still shows. I can make a text box in the same place but it doesn't show. How can I make it show this on top of the other one. Or any other possible solutions? Thanks.


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## koala (Mar 27, 2005)

Hi, welcome to TSF

I use Photoshop instead of Gimp, but I think the same principles apply. Check the layers to see if the text you're trying to edit is on an unselected layer. If it is, change the active layer to the appropriate one to edit the text.

Make sure the Layers dialog box is showing so you can switch between layers. File > Dialogs > Layers

Do you need to select the Text tool or does it do this automatically when you right-click over the text?


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## primal100 (Mar 22, 2009)

Hi, thanks for your help. Yes the text box is active. Well, I figured out that the background of the text box and the text box itself are seperate layers but the particular text box that I am looking to edit doesn't show up in the list of layers, even though the background does. This is in spite of the fact that the text still shows up on the document. Really annoying.

Yes, I need to select the text tool.

I tried saving it to .psd and opening in photoshop but all backgrounds have now being lost, so i'm stuck with the gimp.


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## zuluclayman (Dec 16, 2005)

Like Koala I use Photoshop but it may be similar in GIMP - if the text layer has been rasterised then the text will no longer be editable - it has been converted to pixels painted.
Not sure that this is the case here but worth checking.


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