Applying filters

To conclude the project, you’ll apply two different styles of filters to the leaves and dandelion images. Because there are so many different filters for creating special effects, the best way to learn about them is to try out different filters and filter options. ImageReady supports the same filters that areincluded with Photoshop.

To save time when trying various filters, experiment on a small, representative part of your image or on a low-resolution copy.


Improving performance with filters

Some filter effects can be memory-intensive, especially when applied to a high-resolution image. You can use these techniques to improve performance:

  • Try out filters and settings on a small portion of an image.

  • Apply the effect to individual channels—for example, to each RGB channel—if the image is large and you’re having problems with insufficient memory. (With some filters, effects vary if applied to the individual channel rather than the composite channel, especially if the filter randomly modifies pixels.)

  • Free up memory before running the filter by using the Purge command. (See “Correcting mistakes” in Photoshop 7.0 online Help.)

  • Allocate more RAM to Photoshop or ImageReady (Mac OS). You can also exit any other applications to make more memory available to Photoshop or ImageReady.

  • Try changing settings to improve the speed of memory-intensive filters such as Lighting Effects, Cutout, Stained Glass, Chrome, Ripple, Spatter, Sprayed Strokes, and Glass filters. (For example, with the Stained Glass filter, increase cell size. With the Cutout filter, increase Edge Simplicity, decrease Edge Fidelity, or both.)

If you plan to print to a grayscale printer, convert a copy of the image to grayscale before applying filters. However, applying a filter to a color image and then converting to grayscale may not have the same effect as applying the filter to a grayscale version of the image.


Applying and fading the Accented Edges filter

The Accented Edges filter exaggerates the margins between areas with different colors. You can adjust the extent of the exaggeration by changing the edge brightness control, but in this procedure, you’ll use a Fade command to mute the results.

1.
In the Layers palette, select theLeaves layer. Make sure that you select the layer itself and not the adjustment layer.

2.
Choose Filter > Brush Strokes > Accented Edges. Click OK to accept the default settings in the Accented Edges dialog box.

This image is somewhat too bright, so you’ll tone it down slightly.

3.
Choose Edit > Fade Accented Edges.

4.
In the Fade dialog box, drag the Opacity slider to 60%; then click OK.

5.
Save your work.

Note

The Fade command settings determine how the modified pixels in the selection appear in relation to the original pixels. The blending modes in the Fade dialog box are a subset of those available in the painting and editing tools Options palette.


Using filters

To use a filter, choose the appropriate submenu command from the Filter menu. These guidelines can help you in choosing filters:

  • The last filter chosen appears at the top of the menu.

  • Filters are applied to the active, visible layer.

  • Filters cannot be applied to Bitmap-mode or indexed-color images.

  • Some filters work only on RGB images.

  • Some filters are processed entirely in RAM.

  • Gaussian Blur, Add Noise, Median, Unsharp Mask, High Pass filters, and Dust & Scratches can be used with 16-bit-per-channel images, as well as 8-bit-per-channel images.

–From Adobe Photoshop 7.0 online Help


Applying the ZigZag filter

Next, you’ll use the ZigZag filter to create the impression that you’re viewing the reflection of a dandelion on the surface of a rippled pool of water.

1.
In the Layers palette, select the Dandelion layer.

2.
Choose Filter > Distort > ZigZag.

3.
At the bottom of the ZigZag dialog box, make sure that Pond Ripples is selected in the Style pop-up menu. Then experiment with different settings for Amount and Ridges by dragging the sliders. (The example uses 10% for Amount and 11 for Ridges.) When you are satisfied with the result, click OK.

4.
Choose Edit > Deselect, and save your work.

Using filter shortcuts

Try any of these techniques to help save time when working with filters:

  • To cancel a filter as it is being applied, press Esc or Command-(.) (period) (Mac OS).

  • To undo a filter, press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac OS).

  • To reapply the most recently used filter with its last values, press Ctrl+F (Windows) or Command+F (Mac OS).

  • To display the dialog box for the last filter you applied, press Ctrl+Alt+F (Windows) or Command+Option+F (Mac OS).


Combining selections

Before you apply a filter to the final image, the sand, you’ll load and combine the two selections you made earlier of the individual pears. By applying these selections to a different part of the image, you can create interesting and unusual results.

1.
Choose Select > Load Selection.

2.
In the Channel pop-up menu in the Load Selection dialog box, select Right Pear and click OK.

3.
Repeat step 2, but this time select Left Pear as the Channel and select the Add to Selection check box under Operation. Click OK.

Now both pears are selected.

Editing a selection in Quick Mask mode

When you combine selections as you’ve just done, small unselected gaps can remain between the two loaded selections. In this task, you’ll review the selection and repair any holes that may be there.

1.
Using the zoom tool (), zoom in to the image so that the area where the two pears overlap fills the image window.

2.
In the toolbox, click the Quick Mask Mode button (), or press Q to select it with the keyboard shortcut.

All the areas in the image that are not included in the selection appear with a 50% red tint.

You can double-click the Edit in Quick Mask Mode button to open the Quick Mask Options dialog box, where you can change the opacity and color of the tint that indicates the unselected areas.


3.
Look closely at the area where the two pears overlap to see if there are any red pixels there.

4.
In the toolbox, make sure that the foreground and background colors are black and white, respectively, or click the small Default Foreground And Background Colors button to reset them.

5.
Select the eraser tool () and drag it over the area between the two pears to erase any red tint that appears there. If necessary, you can adjust the diameter of the eraser tool in the options bar. Continue erasing until there are no more red pixels in that area.

Leave the selection active for the next procedure.

Moving a selection

The next phase of your job is a simple task: moving the selection to another area of the image. This sets the stage for the final work, creating a different effect in the shape of the pears.

1.
In the toolbox, click the Standard Mode button (), or press Q.

2.
Double-click the zoom tool () so that the entire image fits in the image window.

3.
In the toolbox, select the rectangular marquee tool ().

4.
Move the pointer inside the pear selection and then drag the selection marquee (not the pear images) into the lower right quadrant, centering it over the sand image.

If you want to move the selection at exactly a 45° angle, start dragging and then hold down Shift.

Be careful not to deselect yet because you’ll need this selection for the next procedure.

Creating a cutout effect

In this task, you’ll use your selection and some layer styles to create the illusion of a cutout in the sand image. Make sure that your combined pears-shaped selection is still active. If you have accidentally deselected, you’ll have to start this process over, beginning with “Combining selections” on page 380.

1.
In the Layers palette, click the Sand layer to make it the target layer.

2.
Choose Layer > New > Layer via Copy to create a new layer above the original Sand layer, based on your combined selection. The new layer automatically becomes the active layer in the Layers palette, and the pears-shaped marquee disappears.

You can quickly create a selection marquee around a layer by Ctrl+clicking (Windows) or Command+clicking (Mac OS) the layer name in the Layers palette. You can try this with the new Layer 5 to make the pear marquee reappear. Before you continue with this lesson, choose Select > Deselect.


3.
At the bottom of the Layers palette, click the Add A Layer Style button () and then select Pattern Overlay from the pop-up menu.

4.
Drag the Layer Style dialog box aside, as needed, so that you can see both the dialog box and the image window. Notice the long, narrow arrow button to the right of the Pattern display near the center of the dialog box.

5.
Click the Pattern arrow to open the pattern picker, which displays small thumbnails of an assortment of patterns.

6.
Click the small arrow button in the upper right area of the pattern picker to open the menu, and select Load Patterns.

7.
In the Load dialog box, go to the Lessons/Lesson 12 folder and select the Effects.pat. Click Load. When the dialog box closes, notice the new pattern that appears as the last thumbnail in the pattern picker.

8.
Select the pattern thumbnail you added in step 7. The pattern replaces the default pattern inside your pears selection. At this point, you can drag the pattern in the image window to adjust the area of the pattern that appears in the selection—even without closing the Layer Style dialog box.

9.
On the left side of the Layer Style dialog box, under Styles, select Inner Shadow to add that effect to the selection, and adjust the Inner Shadow options on the right side of the dialog box. (The example uses the default settings for Blend Mode, Opacity, and Angle, but uses 13 for Distance and 10 for Size.)

You can continue to experiment with other Styles and settings until you create results that you think are interesting.

10.
When you are satisfied with the results, click OK, and then save your work.

You have completed Lesson 12.

For detailed information on individual filters and a gallery of examples, see “Using filters” in Photoshop 7.0 online Help.


This concludes this lesson. On your own, you can try out other filters to see how you can add different effects to your images.

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