How you install brushes in GIMP 2.2?
First Way
I’ve created this tutorial whit GIMP 2.2
To load /install /add your brushes to GIMP you can have your application open, just copy your .gbr brushes files (I recommend copying, but you can move the files as well) to GIMP users default folder. It is usually ‘C:\Documents and Settings\’your profile’\.gimp-2.2\brushes’ created during the installation process. GIMP doesn’t read the subfolders, so remember to place all .gbr files in main brushes folder.
Your new brushes should now appear in a Brush Tool menu, after clicking a brush tip icon.
If not, try to open the Brush Selection dialog, and click the ‘refresh button’. It should work if you placed your files right.
If you still can’t find your brushes, got to File>Preferences, choose Folders>Brushes and check the exact location of the brushes folder.
Maybe you somehow placed your brushes in a different location? If so, move them into the proper folder GIMP currently uses.
Second Way
You can also, instead of searching for the default folder, use another way to add your brushes to GIMP.
Just place your personalized brushes anywhere you want on your computer (ex: Your desktop). Then go to File>Preferences in GIMP menu, then Folders>Brushes (just like above 
), click on ‘new’ icon, choose your brushes folder location and then confirm by clicking ‘OK’.
This way your folder is added to GIMP and your brushes should be visible after GIMP restarts.
Once again: Be sure all your .gbr files are in the main folder not in subfolders (.gbr files are brushes files for GIMP 2.3 and lower, so Photoshop brushes - .abr files won’t work with those versions of GIMP!
The second way is usually more handy for all operating systems. So instead of locating default folders, you can add a new folder with the new brushes in the gimp preferences.
How you install brushes in GIMP 2.4?
You still use the same ways to load brushes in new GIMP version
1. Paste them into default brushes folder and refresh, or…
2. Add your brushes folder in GIMP preferences and restart GIMP
What’s different? You can place in your brushes folders both: GIMP .grb files and Photoshop .abr files. They work in GIMP 2.4 and they are scalable! Now you don’t need to convert .abr into .gbr But still remember not to place files in subfolders: they won’t be seen.
I’d like to thank zyxyeLLowxyz for motivation and big help with this tutorial
RSS Posts
December 11th, 2007 at 12:29 am
[...] Como integrar pinc
December 11th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Do you know of any way to change the size of brushes in GIMP or is this nonexistent?
December 11th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
changing size of the brushes is a new feature in GIMP 2.4. so if you have older version you cannot resize it.
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:04 am
There is also a resize - possibility in Gimp2.2 - read the Manual. You can link this feature to any kind of key(combination) you like
January 15th, 2008 at 3:59 am
Gahhh I annot figure out how where the folderss are
help!
January 19th, 2008 at 10:15 am
when i click folders in preferences, i cant see ANY folders…
February 1st, 2008 at 11:26 pm
This helpt me very much! Tank you!
February 27th, 2008 at 6:16 am
I did what you say but its says i have to restart it to take effect.
When does it mean by that? Do I Close it and open it again?
March 23rd, 2008 at 3:03 pm
you can resize brushes in GIMP2.2 but they have to be custom brushes you’ve made yourself using basically the same method as im about to explain.
you go onto your brushes selction seen further up the page (gimp howto3)
and click the button on the far left (Edit brush)
when you click on that if its possible to change anything about the brush the ends of the nodes will be green,
if not they’ll be a dull orange…and the main window will be mostly grey.
Anyway if you can make changes to the brush to change the size mess around with the radius node until your happy =D
i know its not great because you can’t edit downloaded brushes or any brushes that are pre-set by GIMP but anyone who still has the older version of GIMP do not fear its still a great program and you can do many things with it as te creators of GIMP created it with you as the user in mind.
however if you do decided to get 2.4 go for it, it has a load of new fancy gizmo’s etc but if your lazy like me just stick with your old and faithful 2.2 =D
April 19th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Whew! Thanks a ton for all of your goodies! I’ve been downloading brushes and tuts like a madwoman! lol I already loved your stuff from DA…your florals 1 and 2 are two of my fave sets ever, and the new ones here…some with kick a&% “edge” look, are thrilling me to pieces!
I’m using gimp 2.4, and I’ve gotta question re: brushes I’m hoping you might be able to answer. If so, shoot me an email at orachel54@yahoo.com. K…I’m used to Photoshop CS2, but stuck with only gimp right now. Never used gimp till few weeks ago, so I’m still REALLY a novice. I stuck a bunch of abr and gimp brushes in my gimp brush file…probably about 50 sets. That’s about 1/5th of what I have in my PS brush folder, but my gimp has been crashing nonstop (have vista…gimp 2.4 is still buggy w vista, i guess…pain in the bum!) so I didn’t want to “overload” things. Now my gimp is taking literally like 10 mins to load, which isn’t a big deal, except that 2/3 of the time it crashes while loading. Also, when it does finally load, everything is going MONDO snail speed…so dang slow! And often my brushes wont’ “select”. I’ve got brush tool, clicking like a madwoman on the brush of my choice, and it won’t “grab” the dang thing! lol
I’ve looked all over for a size limit for maximum of gimp brush file, but can’t find anything. And really, we’re talking a few hundred MB..just don’t believe it can be crashing over that little stuff. Any ideas?
And, I’d take all but a few sets out to speed things up, but the problem is that GImp doesn’t seem to have an “add brush” button (as in to grab from files in microsoft window, not take an image from gimp and turn into brush). So the only way to add a brush when I’ve got gimp loaded (unless I’m missing something, which is what im praying for! lol) is to stick it into the gimp brushes file, then “REFRESH” brushes in the gimp brush menu…which takes for damn ever. Is there a quick and easy way to add brushes to gimp brush file without quitting gimp and without refreshing?
Any suggestions you can give me would be GREATLY appreciated. I’m going bazonkers without my PS (its on my mac desktop, and with my recent disability I’m not allowed to sit up at desktop for more than few minutes…so stuck designing with my PC laptop…and that’s only got Gimp) and gimp is being so dang buggy its driving me even more nuts. I’m seriously ready to throw in the towel, and if you knew how desperate I was to start a new design career (can’t work anymore per docs…I miss my professional gig! lol) from home, you’d know juuuust how frustrated the crashing must be for me to even CONSIDER giving up…Just a trainwreck! lol Do you know of anyone who’s successfully gotten around the 2.4 gimp/vista problems, and is running well? I’ve been told to downgrade to 2.2 gimp, as its more stable w vista…but prob there is that it won’t run abr brushes, and won’t run any PS actions.
Dang…this is a book! lol Just figured you MIGHT have some insight as you use both gimp and PS. Oh, also, I’m trying to find a TUT that shows if possible to make ABR brushes within gimp. You know anything like that?
Thanks so incredibly much…and this is a total longshot, so if you don’t have any advice or don’t have time to respond, no biggie! I appreciate the amazing gifts you’ve already given me! lol
orachel54@yahoo.com
Thanks again!!!
orachel
MoonWorks
May 3rd, 2008 at 6:36 am
Thanks lots!
May 15th, 2008 at 3:30 am
i don’t know whats going on, but i save them as .gbr, but then i cant use the brush with a different color? it just comes up as the brush picture, even though it’s black and white, does anyone know how to fix that?
June 7th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
i need to keep the folder structure of plugins/brushes, can it be done? like if i download a brush from you, i need to keep those in its own folder and keep the default plugins in there own folder.
oh please oh please oh please.
June 8th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Thanks for this tutorial!
June 11th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
THANK YOU SO MUCH ::HUgs::
Donna…
June 14th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
So I tried To Add them but instead of adding new brushes it just took away all of my old ones. what did i do and how do I get them back??
July 9th, 2008 at 11:16 am
[...] be My Computer/C:/program files/gimp 2.0/share/gimp/2.0/brushes. Edit: The above way works but this sounds a little simpler. __________________ Last edited by Speshal Crayon; Today at 10:03 [...]
July 11th, 2008 at 12:55 am
Well, I got some, and they’re in the brushes folder. But they saved themselves as .zip. Experimenting, I put .gbr as one file extension, and it actually recognizes it’s there, but it doesn’t load up for some reason…any help/advice?
July 26th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
OMG this really helped O_O
seriously! i was already downloading brushes but i don’t know how to actually use them. HAHAHA.
thanks!
July 26th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
I want to make my own brush which will just be like a little logo and a little text to use as a kind of watermark on my graphics… How can I make it? Anyone know?
August 6th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Help!!
It Wont Load The Brushes Into My Gimp..
I Keep Re setting it..
I Went Into Preferences and checked that the boxes are ticked..
AHHH WHAT DO I DOOO!!!! =O
October 3rd, 2008 at 2:19 am
Good tut. Nice and cool!! Thanks.