Preserved Topic: Asking for opinion

I started to play with photoshop not long ago, im working on a parking meter graphic, i would like to know how to soften the edges, any tips to improve it are welcome.
http://www.geocities.com/wendyleon2000/meter.jpg

eeeerm...

quote:

---

We're sorry, but this page is currently unavailable for viewing.

---

~We're not here for long, we're here for fun~

ye good ole geocities linkin problem...

I thing the inverted triangle on the base is a little off centre. Other than that, it's pretty keen

- the big wannbe, me -

soften the edges? this meter don't need no softening - it already looks a pillow!
my advice is to start with a real picture of a meter, and attempt to copy it.

try it!

- - r e i t s m a - -
(tifkab)

ps - anyone who wants to see the pic, click and drag the url into the address bar.

[This message has been edited by reitsma (edited 04-05-2002).]

If you mean the outer edges, make sure the anti-aliased check box is checked. before you fill the selection.
If you mean the inner edges, reitsma has given good advise. In the example he posted, see how the shadow and light define the edges ? All are not the same. It`s all in the details.

This used to be a problem of mine years ago. I would be forever blending different tones into each other with a graduation and was always afraid of using dark shadows so everything looked soft and flat. It wasn't until I started to look properly at the world around me that I realised that things are'nt made that way. So, when I started using hard edges and strong contrasts where they belonged, I started getting A's in my art classes and my work took on a whole new persona. Its a common trap though even for the artistically gifted.

~We're not here for long, we're here for fun~

*sigh* I can't see it (page not found).

The problem is the way the base shape was created. The thing about filling in selections is that the selection edges will sometimes alias. I'm guessing you used a circle, the angle marquee tool (or a transformed square) and a half circle. What I'd recommend is to make the shape using a channel and gaussian blur and adjust levels to clean up the edges.

One thing that you can do is to run the bevel effects on a new copy of the layer, create a layer above that one then use the airbrush tool to kinda trace the higlights and shadows of the bevel. Then you can delete the layer with the layer effects. It will make the image more personal and have more character.

Gaussian blur can smooth out the edges, but if you take Docilebobs advice and start with a antialiased selection you dont have to blur it.

Also assuming you worked on a larger image and reduced it for the web try to reducing it by powers of 2 (50%, 25%, 12.5%, 6.25%. . .etc) . Sometimes a weird reduction can cause jaggies because pixels in photoshop are square.

I would highly recomend these tutorials over at the Gurus Network - they will help with making smooth shapes, making more controlled bevels and other 3D effects, and perhaps a bit of texture -
http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorials/photoshop/shapes1.html http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorials/photoshop/depth1.html http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorials/photoshop/depth_masks.html http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorials/photoshop/met_texture.html