Need some PS help please
Brett
Registered Users Posts: 218 Major grins
I'm in the process of redoing my photography website and I'm adding the shadows and border on them to add a more professional look. I'm having a problem getting this particular one to get the shadowing because of the white on the cat. It makes a shadow around its chest. I need someone to fix this problem I'm having. Big thanks to anyone who can fix my problem:thumb .
Shadowing info:
Blend- Multiply
Opacity- 75%
Angle- 130
D- 15
S- 15
S- 25
Shadowing info:
Blend- Multiply
Opacity- 75%
Angle- 130
D- 15
S- 15
S- 25
Challenge 26 Winner "In Your House" :deal
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Comments
Here's the full size version.
I can't help you with Photoshop, but that is a really cool picture of that cat.
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Dave
http://www.lifekapptured.com (gallery)
Er, yah. So let's teach you how to fish, as it were. Dave is right with his tutorial, that's a great way to do it. But in these examples, there is pure white (or close to it) running off the edge, so the magic wand won't select the proper area. Here's my hack way of just getting the rectangular area.
I zoom up max on the upper left corner of the image. Then I drag a guide from the top ruler down to the edge of where the image meets the border. Do the same from the left ruler. (by the way, make sure you turn the rulers on) Then zoom in on the lower right edge and repeat the process.
This gives you 4 blue guides in the perfect shape to select. Just zoom out to the full canvas and use the rectangular selection tool to select the image area. You'll notice that the marqee snaps to the guides so you don't have to be precise anymore. Now that it's selected, CTRL-X to cut it out, and CTRL-V to paste back in. It will automatically create a new layer, and you can add your drop shadow.
It took me about 40 seconds to do the 1st one, piece of cake. Have fun!
I wrote that original thread for a drop shadow for Humongous last spring. But I use a slightly different technique now that avoids the frustration with selecting with the magic wand. I use PS CS, but this will work in 5, 6 or PS 7. There are simpler ways to do it in PS Elements directly, but someone else will have to report on that.
The method I use now - the preferred method - is to create a duplicate layer of your image first. To do this hit ctrl-J ( Apple-J for us Mac fans - sorry- had to be inclusive)
Now, look at the layers palette, and you will see a background layer and a layer above it that is highlighted.
Click on the background layer box in the layers palette to select it. It will turn from white to blue showing that it has been selected.
Once the background layer is selected, hit Image>Canvas Size and a dialog box comes up that looks something like this...
If your Photoshop is configured in centimeters rather than inches ( Hail to the Aussies and the Europeans here ) it will say centimeters - but we colonials here in America still use inches. Click to the right of the "inches" on the little blue arrows until you get the choice of pixels ( This step is not necessary as the canvas can be enlarged by inches, cm or pixels but it is easier for me to calculate a 10% increase in canvas size by using pixels) - here we are... Enlarge the canvas size by some amount - I usually use about 10% eg: 1/10 to the total pixel width of the image
Now you have created a layered image with the copied image in Layer 1, and the original image - the BACKGROUND image with a larger white border on the lower layer.
Go back to the layer palette and click on the upper layer - It should look like this again...
Now - click on Layer > Layer Style > Drop Shadow and you will see this dialog box....
Play with the sliders until you get a drop shadow that you favor
And click OK.
Voila - you've done it - you've learned a little about layers, and layer styles, and created a nice drop shadow without using the magic wand to select anything. This is a better and more precise technique and should replace the present version in the hall of fame as it was rather lame ( I wrote it, so I can say that!! Eh What??)
Questions? Comments?? Cletus probably has a simpler method - he taught me all I know.
Addendum --- The drop shadow does not necessarily have to be black either...
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Thanks for the great tutorial!
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Here's the action.
http://www.perezdesigngroup.com/downloads/Drop-Border.zip
Lemme know if you have any problems with it. It creates a 30 pixel border. If you want more, you'll need to extend the canvas size.
-Jesus
1. Download the .zip file and extract the .atn file to C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop CS\Presets\Photoshop Actions\
2. Start up Photoshop and open the photo that needs a border.
3. Go to the Actions panel and press the arrow to expand the menu. Then select Load Action. Step 1 below.
4. Select the Action "drop-border" (you may have to navigate to find it) and click 'Load'. This is Step 2.
5. Select the action from the list and press the 'Play' button. Step 3.
It will always be there from now on when u boot Photoshop. Lemme know if you still have problems.
I have bought a prog to do some borders/frames & am waiting for a friend to come over tonight & load it for me into PS. I was really hoping it would let me write in there as well but i dont think it does.