Titles

The cow-spotted title above was created with the GIMP in just a few short steps. From the main GIMP menu, choose Xtns --> Script-Fu --> Logos --> Bovination... All the defaults were chosen except the font. Air Millhouse Italic was used (get the font FREE at http://www.grsites.com/archive/fonts/).

To make the background transparent, the background layer was deleted. From the image's menu, choose Dialogs --> Layers. This will pop up the Layers dialog box. Select the Background layer, and click the Delete layer icon in the bottom right corner.

Of course unlimited other titles can be created by a similar process. Just choose a different logo type and download a different font! 

Transparency

Let's say you get a screenshot (by the way, this can be done by selecting File --> Acquire --> Screenshot... from the GIMP's main menu) of a cool Peano curve you have just created using IFS Peano, like the one below.

Use the GIMP's rectangular selection tool  to select the part you want to keep. Then select Edit --> Copy (or hit Ctrl-C). Then select Edit --> Paste as New. You should get a new graphic that looks something like

Now to make the background transparent... select the color picker tool . Click on the background (gray part) of the image. You should get a dialog box something like this:

Keep this window open. The important part is the Hex code next to the word Hex:. Now, select Layer --> Transparency --> Color to Alpha... from the image's menu. Click on the color strip next to the word From:. In the HTML notation box of the ensuing dialog, type the Hex code (in this case, dfdfdf) and hit the OK button. 

Finally, click the OK button of the Color to Alpha dialog box. Presto!

3D Effects

The GIMP has numerous options for fancying even the drabbest of graphics. And when you start with a fractal, the effects are even more impressive. For example, take the somewhat flat fractal on the left (made with IFS Linear).