r/GIMP • u/arqdas • 3d ago

"Fried" image after saving and re-opening .xcf file

Hello, I'm working on making translated version of some cards and I need some help because gimp keeps "frying" (I don't know the right term for it) the text background.

Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/98N23oJ

What I did is open the base card image (PNG) in gimp, drag-and-drop the text background image (the grey textured text background, also a PNG), and then add a text layer on top.

The first time I work on this card I can save and export to PNG just fine. But after I close the file and open it again, only the text background texture layer is ruined. Exporting again to PNG will keep the ruined version.

This does not happen every time. There are other cards that use the same text background and they were fine.

Did I do something wrong? Is this just a bug?

GIMP version 3.0.2 (revision 1) in Windows

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0

u/ofnuts 3d ago

Despite being a PNG the card is color-indexed (yes, this is also part of the PNG format). This can crezate all sorts of problems. See: https://www.gimp-forum.net/Thread-What-are-color-indexed-images-a-k-a-Why-are-my-colors-all-wrong

3

u/arqdas 3d ago

I converted the text background image to RGB and that solved the problem. Thanks for the help!!

2

u/schumaml GIMP Team 3d ago

The curious aspect here is that it would look different after saving and reloadng the XCF (export to PNG is a bit different, the pixel format selection could play into that). Any degradation due to palette mismatches usually happens immediately when you add a new layer to an indexed image.

-1

u/davep1970 3d ago

If you can't find the right term explain more what fried means... Are you supposed to be working in indexed colour btw?

2

u/arqdas 3d ago

Sorry, you can see the screenshots to see what I mean by fried.

And I'm a total beginner who didn't know what color indexing means, so TIL.