Create Notebook Paper Using GIMP

Start by create a new image with a white background with a width of 6 inches and a height of 8 inches. To do so following these steps:

From the File menu select New... Change the unit from pixels to inches. Enter 6 for the width and 8 for the height. Click the arrow in front of Advanced Options to display available options. Change the X resolution to 150. This will update both the x and y resolutions.

Note: If you are doing this for print, you would want to set the resolution much higher than 150.

We will also want to set the background to be transparent, so select transparency from the drop down menu for fill with. Click OK.

Create a New Layer

Create a new layer by selecting New Layer... from the Layer menu. Choose White for the fill with color. Click OK. This will create a white layer on top of the transparent background, allowing the three hole along the left side of the finished product to have a transparent background.

Create Horizontal Lines

Other graphic programs offer built-in tools to complete the next step. Gimp does not. We will do this part somewhat manually. We can do this in five steps. Note: We will be working on the white layer.

Step 1: Set the foreground color

Click the foreground color in the toolbox. The lines are a blue color. I like 99cccc. Click OK.

Step 2: Make the Selection

Select the rectangle select tool and draw a rectangle. Click the tools option dialog tab. Near the bottom, enter 0 and 150 for position; 900 and 2 for size.

Step 3: Fill the Selection

Use the Fill with FG Color command from the edit menu or Ctrl+,. This will fill the selection using the foreground color.

Step 4: Copy the Selection

Copy the selection using the copy command from the edit menu or Ctrl+C.

Step 5: Paste and Position the Selection

Paste the selection using the paste command from the edit menu or Ctrl+V. Move the pasted copy into position by holding down the shift key and pressing the down arrow.

Note: Complete Step 5 for as many times as needed to place the desired number of lines. The spacing between lines depends on the zoom. The spacing at 50% will be greater than at 100%, for instance. When you get to the last desired line to insert, anchor the layer. Layer menu >Anchor Layer or Ctrl+H.

Create Vertical Line

The vertical line is a red color. I like ff8080. Set this as the foreground color. Create the vertical rule line, follow step 2 for the horizontal line above, but use 150 and 0 for position; 2 and 1200 for size. Use step 3 to "cut" the line. De-select the selection. Select menu >Noneor Shift+Ctrl+A.

Paper Punch Holes

The final step for the piece of paper will be the three holes on the left side of the paper. For this we will be using the eraser tool. Choose the eraser tool and use the following settings:

Brush: Circle (19) - This is the largest built in circle

Scale: 3.00

Move the eraser to where you would like the top hole to be and left click with the mouse. Holding down the shift key, move the eraser tool down to where you want the middle hole. Make sure the line connecting the two locations is straight and release the shift key. Left click with the mouse. Repeat for the third and final hole, making sure the line is straight before releasing the shift key.

Finished Product

You should have a complete sheet of paper. We could turn the sheet of paper into a flattened, crumbled sheet or even add a coffee stain.