Adjust Line Spacing and Text Justification in GIMP

This guide explains how to control text alignment and vertical line spacing (leading) in multi-line text boxes within GIMP. By using the Text Tool in combination with the Tool Options panel and the on-canvas formatting box, you can quickly format paragraphs for clean, professional layouts.

Adjusting Text Justification

Text justification controls how multi-line text aligns relative to the left and right boundaries of the text box.

  1. Select the Text Tool from the Toolbox (keyboard shortcut T).
  2. Click on the text box in your image to activate the text layer.
  3. Open the Tool Options dialog (usually docked beneath the Toolbox; if missing, go to Windows > Dockable Dialogs > Tool Options).
  4. Locate the Justify section, which contains four alignment buttons:
    • Left: Aligns text along the left border with a ragged right edge.
    • Right: Aligns text along the right border with a ragged left edge.
    • Centered: Centers each line within the text box.
    • Filled: Stretches each line (except the final line of a paragraph) to touch both the left and right boundaries by adjusting word spacing.
  5. Click your desired alignment icon. The selected justification applies to all text within that text layer.

Adjusting Paragraph Line Spacing

Line spacing alters the vertical gap between lines of text in a paragraph.

  1. Ensure the Text Tool is active and click inside your multi-line text box.
  2. In the Tool Options panel, locate the Change line spacing setting (represented by an icon showing two horizontal lines with vertical arrows pointing up and down).
  3. Modify the value:
    • Increase the value (positive numbers) to add space between lines.
    • Decrease the value (negative numbers) to bring lines closer together.
  4. Alternatively, use the on-canvas text toolbar that appears directly above your text box when you highlight the text. Look for the line-spacing icon in the floating bar to adjust the value directly on the canvas.

Adjusting First-Line Indentation

If you want traditional paragraph formatting with an indented first line:

  1. Locate the Change indent of first line control directly next to the line spacing option in the Tool Options panel.
  2. Increase the numerical value to push the first line of each paragraph inward by the specified pixel amount.