Photoshop Tips & Tricks Thread

Hi!

Thanks for your kind words.

You didn't do anything "wrong". It's the way that Photoshop is made, to provide you with easy flexibility.

If you select something on a layer (use the marquee, lasso, or one of the other selection methods,) then copies will be created on that layer.

If, on the other hand, you don't make a selection on the layer, but just make it the active layer by clicking on it in the Layer Palette, then the copies will each be on their own layer.

Basically, if you select a thing, the thing will be copied (same layer).

If you select a layer, the layer will be copied.

Which you want will depend on what you are doing.

In this case, if you merge the layers before you apply the Layer Style, there is essentially no difference (as you discovered.)

I intended to have you select the flute so that you wouldn't have to merge. I'm sorry that my instructions weren't clear on that point. (I should have mentioned the marquee or lasso, or told you to tap Command/ctrl A to select all the pixels on the layer, since there was nothing else there.)

Glad it worked for you anyway!

It wasn't your instructions, it was my ignorance of the program. You write very clear and precise instructions here and at your turorial garden. I have learned much from you since I began my time in sl.

At some point in the last few weeks, I lost most of the save as formats in the save as dropdown (in Photoshop CS2) when I'm working with a file created with New File.

If I go back and reuse an old PSD, I can save as TGA (and the other formats), but not with "new" files.

I've looked at settings and properties of the old PSD and the new ones, and I'm not seeing differences.

I'm sure there's some preferences setting(s) that must have gotten changed, but I can't for the life of me see which.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Hi Razitra!

I'm guessing that you are no longer making new files using 8 bit RGB Color Mode.

This isn't something that's in any of the preferences; it's in the dialog box when you create a New file. (Color Mode is selected using a couple of drop down menus, right after Resolution, and before Background Contents.)

If you change it, for any reason, (even by accident,) then all New files will keep that setting until you change it to something else.

This is the easiest way to lose your choices. If you're still making New 8 bit RGB files, let us know, and we'll look farther.

Hope this helps!

This is what i do to avoid unnecessary destruction of my fabrics and colors pixels, whatever effect i need to apply to the clothing layer, as well as to match top layer of the clothing to the bottom one.
1. Fill the appropriate selection/path/subpath with 50% gray.
2. Do all the shading, wrinkling, etc, at the same time keeping an eye on histogram (the gray scale one).
3. Adjust the histogram if necessary, by adding new adjustment layers (levels, curves)
This step will allow you to control white and black points to the extent that you can match it to the gray scale layer on the other template (in case you want to match top and bottom clothing layers - when you will be able just drag and drop new adjustment layers from one template to the other. Note: you might need to convert them to clipping masks).
4. Create clipping mask layers, or a layer BELOW the gray scale layer with info pasted into layer mask. Adjust blending mode(s).
5. If you need to match top to bottom, or even prim texture for a skirt to glitch pants, you then simply create base gray scale layer for the bottom, making sure it's histogram doesn't dramatically differ from that of the upper body file, then simply drag and drop all the other junk (Adjustment layers, Info layers, clipping masks) to their respective places in the lower body template. Surely a lot can be also done with Blending options, and those are also copyable.
So, as long as you are careful about you main gray scale layer's pixels - the rest is pure magic.

The beauty of it - you can play with dozens of variations (don't forget to use Layers Comps palettes, if you get too creative ;p)

This is also particularly useful, because if you create a perfect gray scale layer with nicely flowing fabrics, wrinkles and what-not, you can keep re-using it for totally different stuff, and spend more time in actually designing, not fighting wrinkles...hehe.

This method was prompted and inspired by one of Robin's tutorials. Thank you, Robin

Thanks Robin! That was it! But there was also another thing I think. In Advanced, the Color Profile had been changed to sRBG IEC61966-2.1. Even after changing to RGB 8 bit, I was still having the same issue. On a guess, I changed the Color Profile to ColorMatch RGB and it's working fine now.

Thanks again!

--Raz

Hi Raz!

Using sRBG IEC61966-2.1 as your color space isn't a problem.

I use it myself, for all my SL work, because it minimizes the color shift between PS and SL.

You should be able to change it back, and still have your full menu. Please let me know if you can't. I'm very curious about this.

Cheers!

Hi Robin! I just started toying with making some clothes in SL, I have PSP 8.0 and after reading the forum, seems PS is the choice of photoshops to use. I fumble around in PSP using the CMSS templates and I KNOW there has to be alot of shortcuts, tips....etc that I am unaware of. I read somewhere you hold workshops in SL on this......where and when are they? Where do I search for these classes? I've got your basic Tshirt with graphics on it down pat after making 50 of them one afternoon.....ha!! I've made belts, buckles and a pair of mens jeans that took me FOREVER!! In a nutshell.........HEEEEEELLLPPPPPP!! where do I sign up for "Beginning Clothes Making in PSP 8.0, 101" class? I'm still trying to figure out how to make a longer coat or shirt thats not waist length...Clueless as how to do it.

Has anyone played with using displacement maps to add things like fabric folds and whatnot to clothing textures?

Dallas - I don't know if Robin holds classes but you can find some classes on clothing creation in world. When the grid is working normally that is.

Also you need to make two textures for longer shirts / jackets. You will need to use the upper template and also use the lower template and follow the lines for the jacket.

When you have both of those textures you will need to add those to a jacket instead of using a shirt layer.


TonyRockyHorror - Have you checked this thread?

/109/60/168947/1.html

Or you could do a search in this forum for brushes. It brings up a few posts with helpful information.

Displacement maps arent really the same as a brush. So that thread isn't really an answer to Tony's question.

I found this tutorial for creating clothes for the Sims using displacement mapping, and its kind of the same theory:
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=136712

definitely something worth looking into

I have Photoshop CS3
I recently purchased a set of textures from an online site. The jpgs are straight on photos of fences and trees and such. The set also includes corresponding gray scale masks for each color photo. I understand the theory of the masks, black becomes transparent, white is opaque, and grays are semi transparent. What I can't figure out is how I apply the mask to the photo to get my texture with the transparent parts erased. I also know how to save the results as a 32 bit tga file. Thanks for the help.

Hi!

It's fairly straightforward.

There are two ways I'd recommend to do it. (Although there are many more possible ways.)

The first way involves pasting the mask image directly into the Alpha Channel.

1. Open both images in PS (any version.)

2. On the Mask image; tap Command/ctrl A to select the entire area, and then Command/ctrl C to copy it.

3. On the Picture image; click on the Channels palette tab, to open the Channels Palette.

4. At the bottom of the palette, click on the folded page icon, to make a new Alpha Channel.

5. Tap Command/ctrl V to Paste.

That's it. You're all done; and can resize to a power of two, save as a 32 bit targa (.tga) file, and upload to Second Life.

The second method is similar, but doesn't use the Alpha at all.

Follow the first two steps above, but once you have copied the Mask image..

3. On the Picture Image; hold down the Option/alt key, and click on the image to change the Background layer to a normal layer. (If it's a normal layer already, you can skip this step.)

4. Click on the New Mask icon for the layer (bottom of the Layer Palette, looks like a dark square with a white circle in it.)

5. Hold down the Option/alt key, and click on that mask thumbnail in the Layers palette. Your image should appear to go away, and all you should see is white.

6. Tap Command/ctrl V to paste the Mask into the Mask.

7. Click the image Thumbnail again, to see the masked image.

8. Save as a .png file, with no interlacing, and upload to SL. (Yes, this will keep your transparency, and you don't need to have an Alpha channel with a .png file. It's just there.)

For my money, the first method is easier and quicker, but the second will allow you to see exactly what you're getting before you upload it.

Use whichever one works the best for you!

Hope this helps!

Thanks a lot, both methods worked just fine. However, when I uploaded a texture using the png method, I noticed a narrow gray frame around the edge of the prim in the transparent area. This must have had someting to do with the mask, because I've uploaded transparent png's before, not using a mask to make them transparent, with none of this border effect. I put the png back in PhotoShop and was able to erase the border. The tga method did not produce the border, so I'll go with that simple method.

Thanks again for sharing your knowlege with the rest of us in SL
Bryce

I'm new to making clothing and am trying to do a woman's top. I took a tshirt template and altered it, deleting what I didn't need. But when I render everything the areas I deleted show up white in the targa file and then white when I make the shirt in SL. What should I do to get these deleted areas to be transparent?

Thanks?

Or are there any spaghetti top templates?

Hi Gwylym.
You have to create an Alpha Channel for the file before you save it as a .tga. (The transparency you see in photoshop layers is not read properly by Second Life, hence why it turns white. Second Life only understands transparency from Alpha Channels).

If you need tutorials on how to make alpha channels, there are a whole bunch here on the forums.

Cheers.

I'm trying to make the transition from over a decade with Corel products, to Adobe.
With some textures, you want nice, crisp line, or borders, made with lines, rectangles, or rounded-edge rectangles. I can't figure out how to draw a crisp, 1 px (or 3 or 5) wide shape. It always gets anti-aliased. Using Photoshop CS3
- Shape tool - rounded rectangle
- Shape Layers
- Style (looks like a 1px outline) 1px_stroke_0%_opacity_fill
- Draw a box
- You get a layer, with a vector mask, plus :fx=Effects-->stroke

So, any tips on how to do such a thing without getting an anti-aliased line? In Corel I could just click an "anti-alias-button" to off for any line type

P.S. Think of a road sign: Solid background with a colored border inset a few inches(cm) from the edge of the metal, and colored lettering therein

Thanks, Jacer

Hi Jacer!

Yes, that method will always give you an anti-aliased line. Most things in PS have an anti-alias button you can enable or disable; the Stroke style just doesn't happen to be one of them.

So instead, try this.
- Make a new Layer
- Set the Pencil tool (under the paintbrush) to whatever size stroke you want
- Shape tool - rounded rectangle
- Paths
- Draw your box
- Hold down Option/alt, and click the "Stroke path with brush" button in the Paths palette
- Choose Pencil from the list
- You get a layer with a crisp stroke, and a Working Path

You will also have jaggies in the rounded corners of your rectangle, but I assume that you knew that going in.

You won't be able to edit this as easily as you would the Shape + Style. With that, you can edit the Vector mask, and the stroke will automatically conform to the new shape.

With the method above, you will have to re-stroke the path after editing it.

Personally, I prefer the method you were using; but to each their own.

Hope this helps!

Hi everyone..
I know this might not belong here..but i can not find a place to ask..can someone pleaseeee tell me if there is a short cut in Photoshop to make fishnet and i mean to take the white out of the circles without doing each one..there has to be a way! lol anyone please help :0
thank you so much!

Assuming that your image is just black and white, with black fishnet and white ground, all you have to do is follow this tutorial.

Click here, if you can.

If you can't, copy and paste the URL below into your browser URL bar. Just the parts between the tags. They've been turned off, but they still automatically appear. (Lindens, can you PLEASE turn the code back on?)

http://www.robinwood.com/Catalog/Technical/PhotoshopTuts/PhotoTutPacks/LineToTransp/LineworkToTransparency.html

It might look a little complicated, but it takes lots longer to read than it does to do.

Hope this helps!

Robin

thanks Robin! You are great!

Hello

i tried to produce a tattoo and have that halo thing around it. So i watched in the forum and took the tutorial of robin (the quicktime movie) and followed it step by step. Well but it didn't work. When i want to save the tga the option for "alpha channels" is grey and can't be checked. I tried it in PS 7.0.1 and CS, but it didn't work.

Can someone tell my what might be the mistake i do? Maybe it needs a special mode? (I worked with RGB) Or something else i might have forgotten?

Would be lovely if someone can help me

Greetings
Chan

I know most people use Photoshop, but I'm sure there are a handful of people who prefer or use PSP, like myself.

I found this website very valuable when translating Photoshop tutorials to PSP, so I thought I'd share it.

http://paintshoppro.info/tutorials/photoshop_to_paintshoppro_dictionary.htm

Does anyone have a clue how to use the dodge and burn tool in Gimp?
I made a new layer tried the air brush, regular brush and prncil and pen tool.. Nothing is happeneing when I set it to dodge or Burn to try tomake some shading on a kimono skirt I am working on.

Any tips?

I have had numerous issues this last year trying to learn Adobe PS CS version 8.0 but I am getting much better.
I have still ways go with several things.
I figured out how to do png files but but still seem stumped regardless of how many times I try to follow the steps in guide for tga alpha.
I haven't discovered the dodge and burn tool yet but been exploring making wrinkles another tool (smudge) and several guides for make specific textures.
But some how reading and following guides I often hit glitches of some type but
I am still at it exploring and creating textures, art,etc.
Yet after reading about the burn and dodge tool I think I may
try to explore these tools.
I am about ready to start exploring using templates again but not sure if there
other skills someone can recommend I use before messing with the UV templates.
I do want to start practicing drawing on the templates.
Any suggestions?
Also here is list of some of my top issues perhaps someone will be kind enough and make
some suggestions.
One imajor ssue I am having with certain tools is something that resembles lag or freeze ups.
I have changed memory settings but its not working.
I have all this pre-installed applications and no clue what is what, so I am not sure if
using tool like End It would be save to turn off all background unessential programs.
Tried Speed Up My PC's feature to reduce program resources but its annoying to indivually have to go through reducing each program every single time.
Not sure what else to do.
Adding more memory isn't a option for me right now either.
Is there another way to prevent freeze ups in Photoshop?
Perhaps it is memory due to my computer or caused by some internal lag within myself. LOL
It seems like the program freezes certain tools or its not doing anything then sometimes it is like the blur tool.
Sometimes with Smudge tool I able to do really highly detailed flower and textured
wrinkles and other times it seems like it just doesn't want to work like it did before.
I have no clue why.
Pattern tool I freeze often especially if I have been using Adobe a long time.
Also if I have 2 different colors selected when using brush or pen tool, it changes textures when I don't want too so I have to remember to have similar colors.
Path tool, Grr this tool really annoys me and I can't seem to control it so I have resorted to using Inkscape to do certain set shapes,etc. when I don't want to draw out shapes and scan it it in.
Also often my textures look one way within Photoshop, totally different in world.
Which has been major source of annoyance when I am doing hair textures and need the textures to match.
My blonde toad head textures either turn green or white after I save to tga or png.
When making complex images with bigger file siles I notice my pixels change, become
blurry once uploaded into SL.
Is there way to maintain the orginal image when reducing file sizes?
Thanks, FD