Custom Icons and Dynamics in GIMP Tool Presets

Customizing tool presets in GIMP allows you to streamline your digital painting and image editing workflows by saving frequently used settings for instant access. This guide explains how to tie custom paint dynamics directly to your presets and assign unique stock or custom icons, ensuring your workspace remains organized and visually distinct.

1. Create and Configure Custom Dynamics

Before saving a tool preset that relies on specialized behavior, you must create or select the desired paint dynamics:

  1. Open the Paint Dynamics dockable dialog by navigating to Windows > Dockable Dialogs > Paint Dynamics.
  2. Click the Create a new dynamics button at the bottom of the dialog (or duplicate an existing dynamic).
  3. In the Paint Dynamics Editor, map your desired inputs (such as Pressure, Velocity, or Random) to outputs (such as Opacity, Size, or Color).
  4. Select the painting tool you wish to customize (e.g., Paintbrush, Airbrush, or Ink).
  5. In the Tool Options dock, expand the Dynamics section and select the custom dynamic you just configured. Adjust any other relevant parameters like brush tip, size, and aspect ratio.

2. Save the Tool Preset with Dynamics

To make sure the custom dynamics are retained:

  1. Open the Tool Presets dialog via Windows > Dockable Dialogs > Tool Presets.
  2. Click the Create a new tool preset button (the blank page icon) at the bottom of the dialog.
  3. The Tool Preset Editor dialog will open. Give your preset a descriptive name.
  4. Review the checkboxes at the bottom of the editor. Ensure Dynamics is checked. This guarantees that your custom dynamic settings are permanently tied to this specific preset rather than reverting to the active global dynamic.

3. Assign a Unique Icon

Giving presets distinct icons allows you to locate specific tools instantly in the preset grid or list view:

  1. In the Tool Preset Editor, locate the preset's current icon located immediately to the left of the name field.
  2. Click directly on this icon button to open the icon selection menu.
  3. Choose an icon from the built-in library of stock GIMP icons, or click the file browser option within the dialog to select a custom image file from your computer (PNG format with a transparent background at 32x32 or 48x48 pixels works best).
  4. Once selected, the icon updates automatically in the Tool Presets dialog.

4. Updating Existing Presets

If you already have presets saved and simply want to modify their dynamics or icons:

  1. Select the preset in the Tool Presets dialog.
  2. Click the Edit this tool preset icon (represented by a pencil).
  3. Click the icon box to replace the visual marker, or update the tool's options in the main workspace and click Save Tool Preset to overwrite the stored dynamics.