Need some PS help please

Brett · November 30, 2004

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

DJ-S1 · November 30, 2004

Here you go...

Here's the full size version.

mercphoto · November 30, 2004

Cool
I can't help you with Photoshop, but that is a really cool picture of that cat.

Brett · November 30, 2004

thanks alot, could you do this one too, same shadowing details

Brett · November 30, 2004

sorry this one too, if you dont feel like doing them, could you explain how to make it so it doeesnt get the white in the picture please?

dkapp · November 30, 2004

This is the tutorial I use to create this look.

http://www.dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=3441&postcount=7

Dave

DJ-S1 · November 30, 2004

Sorry, the 1st one is free, any more are $50/hour.

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!

Brett · November 30, 2004

Wow, thank you dkapp and DJ-S1 for all the help. I really appreciate it.

pathfinder · November 30, 2004

dkapp wrote:

This is the tutorial I use to create this look.

http://www.dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=3441&postcount=7

Dave

Dave and everyone....

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

and change the canvas extension color to white ( or whatever color you desire) and click OK

Note that the 200 pixels is approx 1/10th of 2048 - or whatever your image size is...

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.

D

Addendum --- The drop shadow does not necessarily have to be black either...

cletus · December 1, 2004

pathfinder wrote:

Questions? Comments?? Cletus probably has a simpler method - he taught me all I know.
D

rofl

pathfinder wrote:

Very nice

Thanks for the great tutorial!

DJ-S1 · December 1, 2004

Cool Path, as I said that was my "hack" method!

I have actually used something similar to your method to make an action for a specific-size thing I was doing for a calendar. Then I promptly forgot it...

Brett · December 1, 2004

thanks alot for the new technique, simple enough to follow

wxwax · December 1, 2004

Hall of Wisdom, baby!

PerezDesignGroup · December 2, 2004

I created an action for those of you that are into the "Automated Way". I do it a different way though.

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

cletus · December 2, 2004

PerezDesignGroup wrote:

I created an action for those of you that are into the "Automated Way". I do it a different way though.

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

Thanks PDG

gus · December 7, 2004

PerezDesignGroup wrote:

I created an action for those of you that are into the "Automated Way". I do it a different way though.

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

PDG..i have loaded your prog & when i open it...it just opens PS. Is this whats ment to happen ? Is there an plug in thats now on my PS that i have to look for ? I have searched but cant see it anywhere.

PerezDesignGroup · December 7, 2004

Humungus wrote:

PDG..i have loaded your prog & when i open it...it just opens PS. Is this whats ment to happen ? Is there an plug in thats now on my PS that i have to look for ? I have searched but cant see it anywhere.

I believe it may only work on Photoshop 7 and CS. Here are the steps to use it.

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.

gus · December 8, 2004

Tks PDG..i have PS6 & it does not appear to be able to do it...looks easy though. I dont have the words 'load action'

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.