How to copy a selection from one image to another image in GIMP?

Question

Recently I switched from Photoshop to GIMP. I want to copy a selection from one image to another, so that I can fill that selection with color in another image and I can get the shape without recreating it manually. In Photoshop we can copy the layer style, but I can't find that in GIMP. Can anyone help?

Answer 1

It is really as easy as copying the quick mask (the image representation of your selection):

1. Enable quick mask for the image with the selection (Shift+Q or Select → Toggle QuickMask)
2. The quick mask appears as a channel called "Quick Mask" in the Channels dialog
3. Select it and copy to clipboard (Ctrl+C)
4. Enable quick mask for the image that has no selection yet (Shift+Q)
5. Select it in the Channels dialog and paste from clipboard (Ctrl+V)
6. Disable quick mask (Shift+Q) to see the selection as dotted lines.

Most other solutions did not really work for me.

Answer 2

From the first image save the selection into a new channel, copy the content of the channel to the clipboard and then paste it into a fresh channel of the other image. Step by step...

1. Make a new empty channel in the new image.

2. Open the mask channel of the other image where you have saved the selection into a mask channel,

3. Copy the whole thing to the clipboard (Select All then select Copy -> Ctrl-A, Ctrl-C).

4. Go back to the (empty) channel of the new image

5. Paste the clipboard data in this channel (Paste -> Ctrl-V).

6. Select the image data (RGB) and load the channel data as a selection and whola.

Answer 3

You can use the alpha channel to restore the selection, just use Alpha to Selection in the pasted layer. You only need to make sure that there is no transparency in the part of the layer that is to be copied:

1. Select what you need
2. Choose a non-transparent layer or create a temporary new one
3. Edit - Copy (Ctrl+C)
4. Go to the image where you want to insert the selection
5. Edit - Paste as - New Layer
6. Layer - Transparency - Alpha to Selection
7. Delete the pasted layer.

Alternative method, using channels:

1. Select what you need
2. Select - Save to channel
3. Ensure the newly created channel is selected and Edit - Copy (Ctrl+C)
4. Go to the image where you want to insert the selection
5. Open “Channels” and create a new channel (a button at the bottom or via the context menu)
6. Ensure the newly created channel is selected and Edit - Paste (Ctrl+V)
7. Open “Layers” and anchor the floating layer (a button at the bottom or via the context menu)
8. Open “Channels” and replace the selection with this channel (a button at the bottom or Channel to Selection in the context menu)
9. You may delete the channels now if you aren't going to reuse this selection anymore, or you may leave them for a later use, just repeat the last action to restore.