Preserved Topic: feathered edges

I have a flyer I've created with several pics on a ghosted pic of a blueprint image. What I want to do with just one of the pics is to have it's edges fade out to the ghosted background. How do I feather the edges of a pic thats already in a file? I've seen instructions on inserting pics into a new file so that the feathered edges show up after the insertion. But this doesn't seem to apply, my pic is already inserted, I want to feather it after the fact. Also it would be nice to preview the feathering affect instead of waiting to see what it looks like after insertion. (I'm using ps 5.5)

Any suggestions?

This is assuming that the pic you want feathered is on it's own layer. Add a layer mask, reveal all. Load the pic transparency, contract by a few, feather it by a few, invert, fill with black. Or just use the air/paint brush on the layer mask. Make sense?

if you want to preview you definately want to go with what WJ is suggesting. Adding alayer mask lets you apply a mask (feathering or not) to a layer without actually changing any of the original pixels of the layer that you are applying the mask too. Think of it as laying a piece of tracing paper over your image and then obscuring areas of you image by covering/shading areas of the tracing paper, thus not touching the original below.

All you need to remember is that when workingon a layer mask, it is based on greyscale where pure black represents covered, and pure white represents transparent. Shades of gray would thus represent varying degrees of opacity on the mask.

Knowing this, you can apply black, white, shades of gray y many methods, paintbrush, gradient tool, or by using the original layer (as WJ says) as a selection, feathering the selection and then filling with with either black or white or shades of gray to get the desired effect.

The nice thing about using this method (layer masks) is that it is non destructive, and at any point you can trash the mask and try again without ever affecting the image.

Good luck, experiment, and post back if it aint working for you

Merry Xmas Mark!

~Vp~

I assume you are having a picture that's in "background mode" - so that the inserted pics are a permanent part of the blueprint background.

This is what you could do (dirty, ugly, tedious, but I'm afraid it's about the only thing to be done):

1. Cut the individual pics out of the blueprint background and paste them on their own layer.
2. Go back to the blueprint background layer. Take the cloning tool and fill the empty holes left by the cut-out pics by replicating the blueprint pattern with the tool.
3. If the image resolution allows and if it's otherwise possible, enlarge the pics slightly so that they cover the edges of the original holes.
4. Make layer masks for the pics that produce nice, clean feathered edges for them.

Of course, all of this should be done to a copy of the original picture...


--jto

I appreciate the input regarding the use of masks. I tried one using the feathered brush, it worked, but the ole handshake squiggle isn't what I'm looking for, also it doesn't 'feather out' far enough...
First here's exactly what I have:
Background layer.
1st layer: a scanned image that I've ghosted.
2nd layer: the pic that I want edges feathered.

Is it possible to get WJ's suggestion broken down into "How-To" steps?

For example:
1-load pic transparency..? What is that about?
2-contract by a few..? Huh?
3-feather by a few..? Ok, How?
4-Invert..? Big How?
5-fill with black..? How? Fill what?

May I request additional help?

Sincerely,
MG

MG:
Read tip 6 of this tutorial and see if it helps. If not, post again and we'll try to get you through it. It's good stuff to know how to do, so if you don't get it, holler.
http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorials/photoshop/backdoors.html

1-load pic transparency..? What is that about? ** CTRL CLICK in the layer pallette (makes a selection)
2-contract by a few..? Huh? **SELECT--MODIFY---CONTRACT (enter an amount of pixels, play around)
3-feather by a few..? Ok, How? **SELECT--FEATHER (enter an amount of pixels, higher number=more feathering)
4-Invert..? Big How? **IMAGE--ADJUST--INVERT (this inverts layer.. eg. balck becomes white and vice versa)
5-fill with black..? How? Fill what? **EDIT--FILL (fill your feathered selection on teh layer mask)

Like Steve suggests.... get your head wrapped around layer masks, read his tutorial, and as many others you can find.

Remember that the bigger the number you enter as a feather value, the softer/blurrier your edges will be. And most importantly, just experiment and play around...tis the greatest way to get the light bulb on!

~Vp~

4. Invert. Sorry, VP -- I meant invert the selection. Heh. Prolly should have clarified. After Select > Modify > Feather, hit Select > Invert (?) (ctrl + shift + i). What VP said will invert the picture itself -- not the selection. Don't forget that this is all done on the layer mask itself. Get to know them and a whole new world will open up.

Layer Mask good. Layer Mask friend. Check the sig.

Edit: Can't really tell due to text, but three layer masks went into it. ;-)





[This message has been edited by warjournal (edited 27-12-2000).]

oops!.. doh@me.. I should really concentrate harder on understanding what I am reading... lol... sorry to have mis-interpretted you WJ... hope I didnt confuse you MJ *mental note: lay off the meds once in a while Vogon* heh

ps: any news on that whispy hair tut WJ?...

~Vp~

It's a small point linguistic, but leads to misunderstanding when not used carefully. I always try to say "inverse" when referring to selections, as opposed to "invert" which refers tonal values. Invert a grayscale images and you get what looks like a photographic negative.

Thank-you.

MG

Ok, I've been able to follow all the steps so far and have experimented with the settings from the maximum numeric value back to the most minimal numeric value in both the "feather" field and the "contract" field. It looks ok, but no matter how much I feather it I can still see the hard edges of the pic, they're faint, but there still there. They don't seem to feather out to zero. Why not? What am I missing?

The tutorial from Steve was very informative, but Steve, what is a "short tight " black to white gradient?

Thanks all,

MG.

Folks I hate to tell you this but the inverse/fill thing is NOT working at all. I have purchased four new books (i have a freakin' library of worthless words) but they shed NO light on the subject. They all deal with altering an image BEFORE it's placed in a file. I want to feather the image after. And I want a real feathered or ghosted edge. And I want it like at least 1/2 inch wide. How many pixels is that? PS will only allow 250 which is only like a tiny edge. That's no good. Can we go through this again?
I am VERY lost.

Thanks,
MG

lol... Happy New Year Mark! .. dont give up hope just yet! ther eare alot of folks here who can help you...

is it possible for you to post (i.e. place on the web somewhere) an example of whatyou have done so far.. break it down into components as best you can... that would help us all a lot to see your base, as well as attempts....

feathering can be triky sometimes so dont get discouraged.. especially if you are using a layer mask or aplhoa channel to achieve it....


post back with more info if you can...

~Vp~

"aplhoa channel"

That's not going to help the guy much!! What have they been slipping into your drinks?

Seriously - post an example. Let's not let this guy down.

As to short, tight gradients ...I don't know how else to say it. A gradiet that happens over a small distance, not a large distance.

Sheesh. Words have let me down again. VP - can I have some more of your eggnog?

1 - Create the Layer mask by clicking on the 'Create Layer Mask' button on the layers palette (which, if it isn't showing, can be accessed by Going to WINDOW>>SHOW LAYERS PALETTE).

2 - Select everything on the layer by Holding donw CTRL and clicking on the layer

3 - Set your colours to default black and white by pressing 'D', and then select the Paint Bucket Fill tool and fill your layer mask with black. Everything from that layer will disappear. Don't panic. The layer mask acts like a dynamic Alpha Channel. Everything that is black is hidden, and everything that is white or transparent is exposed.

4 - Contract your Selection by going to SELECT>>MODIFY>>CONTRACT and setting to a few pixels, 5 or more preferable, but your going to have to experiment. The best number to use is one that is half of the number of pixels you want the fade to stop from the edge in.

5 - Go to SELECT>>FEATHER, and enter a number that is twice that of what your contracted the selection by.

6 - Switch between blakc and white by pressing X.

7 - Using the fill tool, fill the selection with white.

Deselect everything, and your done.




Pretty...What do we blow up first? - Unknown

LOL!! "...post on web..."
Are you serious?
Dare you expect some PS flunky with basic "feathering" problems be adept enough to actually post something on the web?
I can send "zipped" files via e-mail if I have your permission.
Let me know.
Thanks,
MG.

Click on the little face with the question mark at the top of my post to get my email. I'll give it a try.

...make sure you put it up for all of us to mess with!

1. Place pic you want to fade on layer above blueprint layer
2. In pic layer, select image you want to fade and addlayer mask,reveal selection
3. Reselect image and go to channel palette. Turn on layer mask channel.
4. Choose default colors and default gradient. Drag gradient tool until you get the fade that you want.
5. Deselect image and turn off all but layer mnask channel.Use brush, eraser, blur tools to clean up. Remember, black hides, white reveals.
6. Turn master channel on and layer mask channel off.
Note that once you under stand the black hides, white reveals you can run any number of filters, distortions, etc. on layer mask channel for some really cool effects in blending layers.