How to create a GIMP splash screen?
Almost any image can be used as a splash screen. It should be called gimp-splash.png and you can store it in your personal GIMP directory (~/.gimp-2.x/) or in the installation directory. See the ![[WWW]](/wiki/modern/img/moin-www.png){kind=small}
manual page for details.
A list of previous splash screens can be found on this page: http://www.gimp.org/about/splash/
The image should be stored in PNG format but there is also a secret trick if you want an animated splash screen: you can save it in GIF format and still give it the .png extension. GIMP will load gimp-splash.png, detect that it is an animated GIF file instead of a static PNG file, and then play the animation.
Guidelines for "official" splash screens
If you want to create a splash screen and submit it for inclusion in the next version of GIMP, you should follow these guidelines:
No text. GIMP is available in many languages and the text included in the splash screen cannot be translated. The only exceptions are the text GIMP or GNU Image Manipulation Program.
Width between 300 and 400 pixels. Using less than 300 pixels may cause some text strings to be cropped. Using more than 400 pixels may be too large for some users.
Height between 200 and 400 pixels.
Enough space at the bottom for progress labels. This area does not need to be empty but it should not have too much contrast.
The image should be yours. We do not want to have legal problems such as copyright or trademark violations.
The image should also be related to GIMP in some way. There are additional guidelines depending on whether your splash screen is designed for a developers' version or for a stable version of GIMP:
Unstable GIMP versions
The unstable versions (developers' versions) contain more experimental features and may not be as stable as the official stable releases.
"Fun" or "cool stuff" can be featured in unstable splash screens: references to bugs, crashes, strange experiments, weird science and other unusual things can be part of the splash screen. Some GIMP references are still necessary.
Version number. It is not necessary to include a version number in unstable splash screens. If you do, you may include the major and minor version number (e.g., "2.3"). Please do not include the micro version number (e.g., "2.3.12") as that implies that your image would have to be replaced before the next release.
Not too much text: the "no text" rule can be relaxed a bit for unstable versions because these releases are usually not fully translated and their users should at least understand a bit of English.
Stable GIMP versions
A more professional design is expected for stable releases (no animations, no references to crashes or inside jokes).
Version number: stable splash screens may include the major and minor version number (e.g., "1.2"). The micro version number should never be included because the same splash screen is used for all updates.
Submitting a new splash screen
There is no formal way to submit a splash screen for inclusion in a future release. Contacting some developers directly or through the gimp-developer mailing list may be the best solution. If you want to send your image(s), please include a link to the image, not the image itself. Some people have successfully used Bugzilla for submitting their images but this is not recommended.
If you want to submit your artwork, you should probably target the unstable releases and not the stable releases that have stricter rules. Also, please be sure that you are not violating any copyright or trademark in your image: you cannot just modify some random image and then claim that it is yours. And last but not least, don't be disappointed if your image is not included in the next release or if nobody gives you any feedback: the developers are supposed to be busy working on the code...