Adjustment layers in GIMP 3.2: 43 non-destructive options

Key points

• 43 adjustment filters
• 6 categories: Tonal, Colour, Blur & Sharpen, Creative, Distort, Threshold & Posterise
• Non-destructive and fully editable
• Works on all GIMP image types
• Free plugin
• Requires GIMP 3.2 or later

Adjustment layers in GIMP 3.2

This free plugin brings 43 non-destructive adjustment layers to GIMP 3.2. That’s more than Photoshop and Affinity combined.

Adjustment layers have been one of the most-requested features in GIMP’s history, with forum threads dating back to 2008. GIMP 3.0 introduced non-destructive layer filters. GIMP 3.2 added pass-through layer groups, which make adjustment layers possible. But creating them manually is difficult and error-prone. The gap between what GIMP made possible and what photographers could easily use in practice remained.

That gap is now closed! Here’s a short demo:

What are adjustment layers?

An adjustment layer is a non-destructive edit that applies to layers underneath it. If you’ve used Photoshop or Affinity, you know what they do.

You can add an adjustment layer to affect all layers under it, or you can limit its effect to only the layers within a group (add the layers you want to affect to a group, then add an adjustment layer within that group).

GIMP calls filters and effects attached to a layer “layer effects” (which is why the layer filter icon is fx). So when we talk about layer effects, in GIMP terms, that includes both filters like Gaussian Blur or Curves, and effects like Drop Shadow and Bevel. Layer effects attach to a specific layer and affect only that layer.

Adjustment layers are a special kind of group with layer effects attached to it. An adjustment layer affects all layers below it. Both are non-destructive and editable. They complement each other.

Creating adjustment layers manually

You can create an adjustment layer manually in GIMP 3.2 and above:

1. Add a new layer group and select it.
2. Add a new layer inside the group, with the background set to transparency.
3. Set the group’s mode to Pass-Through.
4. Add a filter to the group.
5. You should see the filter effect on any layers below the group.

The Adjustment Layers plugin automates those steps to make life easier.

What the plugin does

The 43 adjustment layers are organised into categories so that finding the right tool is straightforward:

• Tone
• Colour
• Blur & Sharpen
• Creative
• Distort
• Threshold & Posterise

Add as many filters or layer effects as you want to an adjustment layer, just as you can with normal layers. Stack adjustment layers for cumulative effects, and mask the adjustment layers if you want to constrain their effects. You’ve got complete flexibility in how you use adjustment layers and layer filters/effects.

The plugin is a fork of bunnywaffle’s original concept. This version expands the range of adjustment types significantly, addresses bugs and code quality issues, adds update notifications, and documents the code.

How to use the plugin, step by step

Before you begin, of course you need GIMP 3.2 and the plugin must be installed.

1. In an open image, select the layer you want the adjustment layer to be inserted above.
2. Choose an adjustment from:
   Layer > Adjustment Layer
   Image > Adjustment Layer
   Colors > Adjustment Layer
   The plugin appears in all three places to make it easier to reach it from whichever menu fits your current workflow.
3. The adjustment layer appears immediately above the selected layer, ready to use.

To change the adjustment settings, click the fx icon on the adjustment layer group in the Layers panel. GIMP’s native filter controls open, where you can adjust the settings and see a live preview.

Adjustment layers, at last

GIMP 3.2 has dramatically expanded what developers can build, and the result has been an explosion of new plugins that bring long-requested features, freeing the core GIMP team to focus on functionality. This plugin is one of them.

While the original concept for this plugin came from bunnywaffle, this version expands it to cover the full range of adjustments a photographer is likely to need, all accessible in a couple of clicks.

Good to know

• If you have an active selection when you add an adjustment layer, a mask on the adjustment layer is automatically created from that selection.
• The adjustment layer gets inserted directly above whichever layer is selected at the time. If no layer is selected, it goes to the top of the stack.
• If your selected layer is inside a layer group, the adjustment layer is inserted inside that same group, directly above the selected layer.
• Each adjustment layer remains fully editable after creation.

What languages is the plugin available in?

This plugin is available in the following languages. You don’t have to do anything to see it in your language. GIMP will automatically load the correct version of the plugin (provided you follow the installation instructions below).

If you have any suggestions to improve those translations, please let me know.

install the Adjustment Layers plugin

This plugin is supported for GIMP 3.2 and later, on Linux, Windows, and macOS.

If you run into any problems with any of the steps below, please let me know in the comments below.

1. Download the plugin

adjustment-layers-gimp3.zip

Download the Adjustment Layers plugin as a ZIP file. You’ll extract it as described in the next section.

2. Copy the downloaded file to where GIMP looks for plugins

This is something you have to do for every plugin you add to GIMP 3.

Find where GIMP looks for plugins:

1. Open GIMP if it’s not already open and select Edit > Preferences in the GIMP menu.
2. In the Preferences dialog, scroll down the list on the left until you find Folders, then click on the expand icon in front of the word to expand that list.
3. Scroll down the list of folders and select Plug-ins.
4. Still in the Preferences dialog, on the Plug-in Folders panel on the right, locate your plugin folder(s). You can use the folder that’s listed for your user name or add a new one.
5. Click on the “Show file location in the file manager” to open your computer’s file manager.
6. Copy the .ZIP file you downloaded into that folder and extract it there. You should see a subfolder named “copy-paste-fx-gimp3”. The plugin is inside that folder (see the note below for why it should be in its own subfolder). Don’t move it, just leave it in that subfolder.
7. Files downloaded from the internet or transferred across systems may not retain their “executable” flag, especially on UNIX-based systems like Linux and macOS. The plugin’s .py file needs the correct permission to be executed as a script. It’s a quirk of the different operating systems’ security models. Windows 11 treats plugin .py files as executable automatically.
   • Linux:
     You should be able to right click on the .py file and set the permission to allow it as an executable (see below for an example screenshot). Or you could set it in your Terminal app with the command chmod +x [PATH TO WHERE YOU EXTRACTED THE PLUGIN FOLDER]/adjustment-layers-gimp3/adjustment-layers-gimp3.py. For example, with GIMP 3 I extracted the plugin folder into a subfolder of Documents, so the command would be chmod +x "Documents/GIMP plugins/adjustment-layers-gimp3/adjustment-layers-gimp3.py".
   • macOS:
     You may be able to right click on the .py file and set the permission to allow it as an executable (see below for an example screenshot). Otherwise, follow these instructions from Apple.

There are two files in the copy-paste-fx-gimp3 folder that need to be marked as executable: adjustment-layers-gimp3.py and helpers.py. Do not mark any other files in that folder as executable.

3. Register the plugin with GIMP

Now you have to register the plugin with GIMP: just close and re-open GIMP.

If all has gone according to plan, you should find “Adjustment Layer” in the Layer, Image, and Colors menus.

4. Optional: create a keyboard shortcut

If you want to assign a keyboard shortcut to the menu items, go right ahead.

These instructions are the same as for my other GIMP plugins (Interactive luminosity masks, Frequency separation, Dodge and burn…). Only the plugin names are changed.

Why it’s important to follow these steps

GIMP version 3.x requires that every plugin must live in a folder with exactly the same name as the plugin file. So for example, you add the plugin folder to where GIMP looks for plugins, and that folder needs to be named exactly the same as the plugin. (You can see and configure where GIMP looks for plugins in Edit > Preferences > Plug-ins.)

This is an example of how working with free software isn’t entirely free. You have to do some of the work that other systems automate, and put your thinking cap on. Bear in mind that GIMP is developed and maintained by volunteers who donate their time and talents as and when they can. So sometimes documentation lags behind development.

Frequently asked questions

Does GIMP 3.2 and above have adjustment layers?

Not natively, but the Adjustment Layers plugin adds 43 non-destructive adjustment layer types to GIMP 3.2, covering tone, colour, blur, sharpening, creative, and distort adjustments.

Does GIMP have more adjustment layers than Photoshop?

With the Adjustment Layers plugin, yes. Photoshop has 16 adjustment layer types. Affinity has 23. The Adjustment Layers plugin provides 43.

Is GIMP a free alternative to Photoshop for non-destructive editing?

Yes. GIMP 3.2 supports non-destructive layer filters natively, and the Adjustment Layers plugin extends that to full adjustment layer support across 43 types of filters.

What is the difference between adjustment layers and layer filters in GIMP?

Layer filters and effects in GIMP attach to a single layer and affect only that layer. Adjustment layers affect everything below them in the stack. Both are non-destructive.

How do I get adjustment layers in GIMP?

You need GIMP 3.2 or later to create adjustment layers. The easiest way to create them is with the Adjustment Layers plugin.

Can I limit a GIMP adjustment layer to part of the image?

Yes. If you have an active selection when you add an adjustment layer using the Adjustment Layers plugin, the mask is automatically added based on the selection, confining the adjustment to the selected area.

Can I edit a GIMP adjustment layer after I create it?

Yes. Double-click the fx icon on the adjustment layer group in the Layers panel to adjust the filter/effect any time.