Gimp Newby: Toolbox and select tools

First we will look at tool icon sizes

Tools can also be accessed by going up the top menu and clicking on tools then down to the one you want. You can also assign shortcuts for each as well.

Just incase anything changes with the next version of Gimp, I will not change anything else yet.

NOTE*** the tool options box does not come on automatically if you have disabled it. You will then have to re-add it as a dockable dialogue.
If you do not have tools here and need them go to the tools menu up the top and select from
* Selection tools - 7 tools
* Paint tools - 13 tools
* Transform tools - 9 tools
* Colour tools - 9 tools. These can also be accessed via the Colours menu
Below the toolbox is the foreground/background preview. You can also have the active pattern, active brush and active gradient here - set in preferences.

If you are using colour other than the default black and white and want to quickly put them back to default, click on the small lower left icon. If you click on the double arrow at the top right you will reverse any colours in these boxes Top being foreground. Lower being background.

There are 7 selection tools.
Rectangle select, ellipse select, free select, foreground select, Fuzzy select, colour select tool, Intelligent scissors select.

The only time you should leave a selection on an image is if you intend to do something with it. If you intend to do something else that will most probably not work.

The only time you should need it on is if you are working with the selection. eg Filling it with a colour or pattern.

You can keep it, but inactive by doing this -
selection to path or save as channel and Select in the top menu down to none. Then when/if you need it back you can go to selection from path or click on your selection mask and 'select from channel'. You may need your channel tab open to do this.
Sometimes you may want to work with the outside of the selection. Simply invert the selection - Select > invert. Then you can work on the area outside of your original selection. If you did a selection in the middle of your canvas then inverted it you will notice the marching ants are also around the outside of the canvas now.
(Something that trips me up is forgetting to turn the selection off after using a selection to cut)

(The smallest selection will also make it seem like your tools are not 'working'. If you find this is happening and you don't need a selection to use your particular tool check you do not have a selection any where) When working with more than one layer a selection on one layer will affect the others.