# Mapping Resources > Mapping Elements >  Customizable Banners for Gimp with Tutorial

## Abu Lafia

So, i finally prepared the customizable banners i made for the Aug/Sept Lite Challenge. You can find the .xcf files in the attached .zip folder together with a tutorial, explaining the customization process step by step. The idea is to import your own symbol/emblem/coat of arms (not sure what is the exact term  :Smile:  ) into the Banner files. For each banner there are multiple premade colored banners to choose from, or just color it the way you like...
Here you can see a picture of the banners with my own symbol on. 

And here is the tut, if you want to take a look first, wether it might be of some use to you.

Hope you enjoy it!
Feedback is, as always, very welcome.
Cheers,
AL

EDIT: I added a zip folder with the banner files in .psd format. No guarantee that they'll work, but if a fellow PS user could spare the time too take a look and give me a short feedback i'd greatly appreciate it!  :Smile:

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## Barek333

Nice, you posted it as a tutorial, great job, I'll try it out for sure!

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## ChickPea

Not only a very helpful tutorial, it's beautifully laid out too! Thanks for sharing this. I'll rep you if I can.  :Smile:

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## Abu Lafia

Thanks you guys! Glad you like it, hope it will be of some use for someone, someday...  :Smile: 
@Chickpea Thanks for the rep, much appreciated. Also, for all the great effort you put into spreading the word of this great community lately, i'll say thank you with another evocation of the mighty Stripy Pink Kitty of Doom, one example of how you can put this customization to work  :Very Happy:

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## Bogie

Very Cool!!

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## ChickPea

> Thanks you guys! Glad you like it, hope it will be of some use for someone, someday... 
> @Chickpea Thanks for the rep, much appreciated. Also, for all the great effort you put into spreading the word of this great community lately, i'll say thank you with another evocation of the mighty Stripy Pink Kitty of Doom, one example of how you can put this customization to work



Heehee, I'm laughing all over again at this!! Fear the wrath of the Pink Stripy Kitty of Doom, minions!!  :Razz:  (I better be quiet or Alien Overlord Bogie will be displeased!)

But, yes, well done again for a great tut.  :Smile:

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## J.Edward

> Thanks you guys! Glad you like it, hope it will be of some use for someone, someday... 
> @Chickpea Thanks for the rep, much appreciated. Also, for all the great effort you put into spreading the word of this great community lately, i'll say thank you with another evocation of the mighty Stripy Pink Kitty of Doom, one example of how you can put this customization to work


YES!  :Very Happy:  [I would have left it there but I have to have X number of letters to post.  :Wink:  ]

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## TK.

> Thanks you guys! Glad you like it, hope it will be of some use for someone, someday... 
> @Chickpea Thanks for the rep, much appreciated. Also, for all the great effort you put into spreading the word of this great community lately, i'll say thank you with another evocation of the mighty Stripy Pink Kitty of Doom, one example of how you can put this customization to work


"But sir...it's the kitten! The goddamn doom army of Stripy Pink Kitty! They're unstoppable!!!"

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## ChickPea

Hahaha, yes, all fear the army of doom!

One of these days I'll create my first battlemap and it'll feature the Stripy Pink Kitty Army of Doom™  :Very Happy:

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## Hendrid

Nice idea, just picked up on it and like the tutorial, (and the Pink Striped Kitty of Doom) :-)

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## Diamond

I love these, but... I guess they don't work with photoshop.   :Frown:

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## Abu Lafia

Thanks for reminding about the .psd files Diamond  :Smile:  That's what i originally had in mind, to export them to .psd format, so even the PS users here can have their "fun with flags"  :Very Happy: . I only can't test whether it works in PS, as i don't have it. So, if you want to take a look, i attached a .zip folder with the banner files in .psd format on the first post.

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## johnvanvliet

a gimp xcf really can not be ported to photoshops psd 

just like a photoshop psd can not be really ported to gimp


xcf is the working format for gimp just like psd is the internal working format for photoshop


now

gimp and ???? somewhat ??? open a psd file but you will never get the undos and tool options , masks  and layers like you do using photoshop to open a psd , there will be some errors .

and the exact same goes for photoshop importing a gimp xcf

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## Abu Lafia

Ah ok... i just once got a .psd file from J.Edward and could work with it in gimp without further problems (well, i havent testet evrerything possible in gimp with it). Since it's possible to export a gimp project into a .psd file, i hoped it might work. Nonetheless, i wrote in the updated first post, that there is no guarantee the .psd files i uploaded will work properly in PS. Since Diamond asked, i just wanted to give the possibility for anyone interested in it, to experiment with it.
Cheers,
AL

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## J.Edward

Hey Abu, I downloaded it and opened the PSD in PS.
Looks fine to me. Took a screenshot for you to see if everything looked to be there.

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## Diamond

Abu, you are a gentleman and a scholar!

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## Abu Lafia

@J.Edward: Thanks a lot John! It seems to look fine, although i have no idea about PS.  :Smile:  I guess the "litmus test" for the possible conversion problems johnvanvliet mentioned will be the different layer modes in the different files. On some i worked with softlight and multiply for lights and shades as you taught me, on others i went just with overlay. 

@Diamond: Hehe, my pleasure Diamond, i try my best!  :Smile:  I'm glad if they are of some use for you.

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## Diamond

Here's one I just made for a map:

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## UltikanaRe

Thank you very kindly for the tutorial!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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## Abu Lafia

> Here's one I just made for a map:


Very nice symbol- and colorchoice Diamond. I'm happy to see, that it's doable with PS too. "InnerSea"... that sounds interesting  :Smile:  Would love to see one of these banners "in action" one day. The prospect of maybe seeing it on one of your maps really makes my day! 
Btw: I just saw a little flaw on the banner (not your customization ofc  :Wink:  ) The light on the vertical bar is way harder than on the horizontal bar. I merged a lot of light/shade layers in the clean-up process (you won't believe how much of a layer-mess these projects were, before i made them look more pretty for the upload  :Very Happy: ). I guess something went wrong there. Maybe i'll upload a more balanced version soon.  



> Thank you very kindly for the tutorial!


Your welcome UltikanaRe.  :Smile:

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## Teferi

Man, this is so brilliant!
I'll be abusing the **** out of that file, makin banners like nobodies business  :Very Happy: 

You also gave me the motivation to get all the **** I aggregated for coats of arms together and fold it into something like you did.
Glad I stumbled over this thread, via http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...599#post284599 this thread here.

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## Tom

Well I skipped this post, dunno why, lol, but I have to rep you A. very well done!!

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## Diamond

Had to bump this thread to give it some more attention, especially since I was able to make good use of these banners once again.

Make more, Abu!  More, I say!  More!   :Very Happy:

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## Tonnichiwa

How did I ever miss these? Thanks for digging this thread out Diamond. And thank you Abu Lafia for making them. These are awesome!. 

I have a question for you Abu Lafia. What are your useage terms for these. Can they be used both for personal use and for commercial use?

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## Abu Lafia

Hey Tonnichiwa, glad you like them! I did them for a lite challenge and wanted to share them with my dear fellow cartographers afterwards.  :Smile:  Have to admit, i never thought about usage terms...  I've absolutely no experience with this sort of things. So you can use them freely for both now (until my lawyer advises me otherwise XD ). If you should happen to make big, big $  with it, some credits would be nice... 

Cheers, 
AL

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## Tonnichiwa

Very cool, thank you! I will gladly give you credit if I make lots of $$$ with them. The reason I ask is because I want to make some banners and turn them in to png's to be used in my Campaign Cartographer program. I'm hoping to be able to make content for the DMsGuild and hopefully make a little more money. Thanks again.

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## Abu Lafia

Tommy, Tommy. Why do you always do this to me? XD So, while i was having a pause from the CG's birthday map, i stumbled upon an interesting shaped double-standard (hmm, dunno if this is the right term...) and gave it a try to enlarge this set of banners. Haven't included it into the .zip files yet. Also, the layer structure might be a bit different, so i'm not sure if it'll work out 100% like described in the tut. Just place your symbols above the "Bannercolor" layers and you should do fine. 


Feedback is as always welcome.

Cheers,
AL

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## Josiah VE

That's a really cool design! If ever I need some banners, I know where to go.

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## Diamond

Dang, I missed this latest one!  Another awesome design which I will be greedily using....  :Very Happy:

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