The Align and Distribute tool is useful to align the image layers with various image objects. When this tool is selected, the mouse pointer turns to a small hand. By clicking on an element of a layer in the image, you choose the layer which will be moved (with Shift + click, you can choose several layers to be aligned); this focused layer has small squares in corners and is called source. Then buttons in the dialog become active (they remain active during all the GIMP session): they allow you to select the target, i.e other layer, selection, path, the source will be aligned with.
Existen diferentes posibilidades para activar la herramienta:
From the main menu: → → .
          By clicking the tool icon
          
            
          
          in the Toolbox.
        
By pressing the Q keyboard shortcut.
Puede seleccionar varias capas manteniendo pulsada Mayús cuando pulsa sobre las capas.
| ![[Sugerencia]](images/tip.png)  | Sugerencia | 
|---|---|
| A veces, es más fácil elegir múltiples capas usando la selección elástica: pulse fuera de una región rectangular imaginaria que cubra las capas que se quieren elegir. Después, arrastre fuera de esa región moviendo el ratón y suelte el botón. Ahora cada capa, que está completamente dentro de el rectángulo arrastrado, está seleccionada. Tenga en cuenta que ahora no hay “primer elemento” objetivo sobre el que puedan alinearse las capas seleccionadas. | 
Normally, tool options are displayed in a window attached under the Toolbox as soon as you activate a tool. If they are not, you can access them from the main menu through → → which opens the option window of the selected tool. The available tool options can also be accessed by double clicking the corresponding tool icon in the Toolbox.
In this drop-down list, you select the target, the image object the layer will be aligned with.
Imagen: la imagen es el objetivo.
Selección: la selección es el objetivo.
Picked reference object: The selected object (layer, path, guide) on the canvas.
Estos botones se activan cuando se selecciona un objetivo.
                        
                          
                        
                        : to
                        align left edge of source with left edge of target.
                      
                        
                          
                        
                        : to
                        align center of source on the
                        vertical middle line of target.
                      
                        
                          
                        
                        : to
                        align right edge of source with right edge of target.
                      
                        
                          
                        
                        : to
                        align top edge of source with top edge of target.
                      
                        
                          
                        
                        : to
                        align center of source on the
                        horizontal middle line of target.
                      
                        
                          
                        
                        : to
                        align bottom edge of source with bottom edge of target.
                      
 
                      Una imagen con una selección, la capa n.° 1 (fondo) está activa, la capa n.° 2 se recorta al contenido, la capa n.° 3 es una capa de texto.
 
                      Pulsamos en el círculo amarillo: la capa n.° 2 se convierte en el origen. Queremos enviar este origen al medio de la selección: la opción Relativa a está establecida en “Selección”.
 
                      pulsado
 
                      pulsado
These options are used when you have several targets and want to arrange them. Here, layers selected with Shift + Click are called “targets”. But they are actually sources. “Relative to” options are active to set the target. These transformations are usually relative to “Image”.
These options work as Align options, but you can distribute sources evenly.
                        
                          
                        
                        : to distribute sources evenly
                        horizontally.
                      
                        
                          
                        
                        : to distribute centers of sources
                        with center of the target horizontally.
                      
                        
                          
                        
                        : to distribute sources evenly
                        vertically.
                      
                        
                          
                        
                        : to distribute centers of sources
                        with center of target.
                      
Figura 14.93. Ejemplo de los comandos “Distribuir”
 
                    
                  Base image: three layers.
                  
                    
                   (Distribute right edges of targets) will be used.
                
 
                    Figura 14.94. Ejemplo
 
              
      
 
              Los seleccionamos como orignenes con Mayús + Pulsar.
 
              
            The default target (Relative to) is
            “Image”. We used the
            
              
             (Distribute vertical centers of targets) command.
          
 
              
            After using the
            
              
             (Distribute targets
            evenly in the horizontal).
          
Figura 14.95. Alineación usando la selección elástica
 
              Se pulsa desde la izquierda y arriba de la capa roja, y se arrastra una región cubriendo las capas roja y amarilla, moviendo el puntero hacia la esquina inferior derecha.
 
              
            “Selection” is the reference. After a click
            on the
            
              
            
            button, both layers align with the left side of the
            selection.