How to Create New DVD Menu Backgrounds with GIMP
Don't own Adobe Photoshop? Our DVD Menu Templates can also be edited with GIMP, a free image editing application, to create interesting variations. The images can then be brought into Apple iDVD, Pinnacle Studio, Sony DVD Architect Studio, Grass Valley EDIUS, or Nero Vision as menu backgrounds.
To get started, open your Eye Scream Factory DVD menu template in GIMP. For this example, we are using the Stork DVD menu and packaging design template set. Because our templates are Photoshop files, some features will not be imported into GIMP - e.g. layer effects and adjustment layers.
Since you will be creating your own menus in your DVD authoring application, we will start by deleting all of the drop zones, text, and highlight layers that are present in the file. You can do this by dragging each of the unnecessary layers in the Layers Window into the Layer Window Trash icon.
Next, create the image you are looking for by changing the visibility of layers and moving them around. Change the visibility by clicking on the eye icons next to the layer in the Layer Window. With the Move Tool selected in the Toolbox, you can drag a layer to a new position. Use the Scale Tool to resize a layer. In this example (below), we deleted the box layer, scaled down the big stork layer, and moved each of the stork layers.
You can also change the image colors. To change all of the layer's colors at once, merge the layers down first by selecting Layer>Merge Down. Then, use any of the various color tools GIMP has to offer. Below, we selected the Pastel Rainbow gradient in the Gradients Window and applied a Gradient Map by selecting Colors>Map>Gradient Map. Next, export your new background as a JPG, and import it into your DVD authoring application as a menu background.
Using Eye Scream Factory images with Apple iDVD
Using Eye Scream Factory images with Pinnacle Studio
Using Eye Scream Factory images with Sony DVD Architect Studio
Using Eye Scream Factory images with Grass Valley EDIUS
Using Eye Scream Factory images with Nero Vision
Using Eye Scream Factory images with DVD Flick
Using Eye Scream Factory images with MAGIX Movie Edit Pro