Make & keep
Correct an oblique phone photo of a paper strip in GIMP
Use four corner handles to bring the paper edges toward a rectangle.
A phone photo of a printed strip can make its near edge look wider than the far edge. GIMP’s Perspective tool lets you adjust the four corners of the selected content. Work on a copy and use the paper’s actual corners as guides; the tool is a freeform distortion, so inspect the result rather than assuming it calculates camera geometry.
Select the paper area
Open the phone photo and duplicate the image so the original remains untouched. Make a selection just inside the paper’s four corners, including the printed border you want to preserve. In the Perspective tool options, set Transform to Selection so the correction targets that area.
Evidence: Official product documentation · Official product documentation
Match the four corners
Choose Tools → Transform Tools → Perspective, click within the selection, and drag each corner handle toward the corresponding corner of a rectangular paper shape. Use the printed edges as references; avoid using a curled corner or cast shadow as the boundary. Review the preview before confirming.
Evidence: Official product documentation · Official product documentation
Inspect without clipping
Set Clipping to Adjust if you want the transformed result to expand beyond the original layer bounds. Confirm the transform, then check that opposite paper edges look parallel and the frame is not visibly stretched. If letters or faces look distorted, undo and make a smaller correction.
Evidence: Official product documentation
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- GIMP 3 User Manual — Perspective ToolOfficial product documentation
- GIMP 3 User Manual — Duplicate ImageOfficial product documentation
- GIMP 3 User Manual — Transform Tool Options and ClippingOfficial product documentation