gimpimage processing
I have come to a situation where I have an image in Gimp with multiple layers. Now, I want to export every single layer as an individual image (PNG format preferably) automatically to a folder somewhere.
Is this possible?
The long method: Hide all layers except one, crop the section you want, export image. Hide saved layer, unhide another one, crop section, export. Repeat. Kinda cumbersome for an image with about 20 layers.
Select the layer and copy Ctrl+C or > Edit > Copy, then Select > File > Create > From Clipboard, this creates a new document from the copied layer, or you can just make the layer you want the only thing visible.
Then select > File > Save As... then go down to "Select File Type (By Extension)" just above the help button shown here-
Then start typing png, or scroll down to find "PNG image" , or in the box where it says "All images select that box and go down to "PNG image (*.png)"
GIMP v2.8 does not natively export bitmaps to SVG files. There used to be a plugin to do so but this project apparently is discontinued. We could import an image as a bitmap object to Inkscape and save it as an SVG file. The image will then remain a bitmap file, i.e. it will get aliasing artifacts on scaling (see below).
But Inkscape can do even more. We can import the bitmaps we had already put so much work in to Inkscape and convert them with a few mouse clicks to nice vector graphics.
Here is how to do that:
Open Inkscape.
Choose "File - Import" to import a bitmap file.
Choose to "embed" the image.
Select the image with the select tool (↖).
Select Path - Trace Bitmap... for settings (below shown for 2 colors = "Scans" ):
Select "Update" for a preview until settings are fine.
Start tracing with "OK".
Now a vectorized image of your original bitmap will be seen on top of the bitmap. We can resize or move this newly created object, delete the original image, or choose to "Object - Ungroup" in case we need to adapt shapes or colour of sub-object created.
The advantage of a vector graphic can most rapidly be seen when we increase its size. Shown below was zooming to 2500%. Top is the original bitmap, bottom is the vectorized object:
This image and object was created from your original from chat
Best Answer
You may try also this plugin, Export Layers. I've tested it with png format and it worked. You just select the folder and the format and you get all the layers there, each one in its own file.