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Installing GIMP plugins, brushes and gradients is one of the best ways to make GIMP more powerful. However, this can be difficult to do for a beginner. This quick tutorial will show you how to install them very easily on Windows.
Install GIMP brushes
GIMP Brushes and gradients are installed similarly - extract and drop the brushes into C:\Document and Settings\<username>\.gimp-<version>\brushes\ and gradients into C:\Document and Settings\<username>\.gimp-<version>\gradients\
Install GIMP plugins
Plugins are bits of code that work with GIMP to add to the functionality. They may offer several exciting ways to extend the utility of the program. Plugins can be saved by unzipping the downloaded folder (if it is in a .zip format), and placing them in C:\Document and Settings\<username>\.gimp-<version>\plug-ins\. Restart GIMP, and the plugin will be activated.
Install scripts in GIMP
Some of the plugins are actually scripts, ending with a .scm extension. In such cases, drop them to C:\Document and Settings\<username>\.gimp-<version>\scripts\ instead.
GIMP is open-source, and is hence flexible in application. Many of the Photoshop plugins work with GIMP, and it is a matter of trial-and-error. The same procedure applies here too. Note that using Photoshop plugins in GIMP requires GIMP 2.4 or above.
