Full Version: Photo Shop CS2 matrix question
From: Chewbarka [#1]
8 Feb 2007
To: ALL
Hello Everyone
How do I set up a Matrix using Photo Shop CS2? I would like to cut out tags on a 12 x 24 sheet of plastic and I do not know how to copy the image 24 times left to right and 10 times up and down .
Thanks
Frank
www.chewbarka.com
EDITED: 8 Feb 2007 by DGL
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#2]
8 Feb 2007
To: Chewbarka [#1] 8 Feb 2007
Photoshop is a raster (bitmap) graphics program. To cut shapes from a sheet of plastic will require a vector graphics program such as Corel Draw.
Adobe Illustrator is another vector program, but its resulting file may or may not be compatible with your laser.
EDITED: 8 Feb 2007 by DGL
From: laserman (MIKEMAC) [#3]
8 Feb 2007
To: Chewbarka [#1] 8 Feb 2007
Frank,
It is much easier to Import the image into Corel Draw and then duplicate it. Photo shop is not very friendly when it come to this.
If you are doing this in Corel then use the transformation menu and position. You can then put in you position for X and press the apply to duplicate, then select all of those and put in your Y position and do the same.
You can also use CTRL D and set the distance to do the same thing.
From: Barbara (RGILE) [#4]
13 Feb 2007
To: ALL
I just got Adobe Photoshop CS2 and haven't got a clue how to use it. I have started to play with it, but for the life of me, I cannot figure out how to make a vignette around a photo. I tried the layer thing and went to gradient, but that didn't seem to work for me. I know I can do it in Corel, but would love to learn how to do it in Photoshop. From what I have been told, this is a great photo program, and I work on photos all the time, so thought it would be a good idea to have. Now I have to learn, but would love to have a short cut to this part of it.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Barbara
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#5]
13 Feb 2007
To: Barbara (RGILE) [#4] 13 Feb 2007
See if this sheds some light on the subject for you.
http://www.engravingetc.org/forum/index.php?webtag=EE&msg=3926.6
Sorry. False alarm. Ruben Salcedo made a flash tutorial on a 30-day trial basis to a streaming site and the time has expired.
EDITED: 13 Feb 2007 by DGL
From: BobT [#6]
13 Feb 2007
To: ALL
You should look at Barnes and Noble or such, for books by Scott Kelby. As far as I am concerned he is about the best (and down to earth) there is at Photoshop instruction.
If you want to do a vignette, copy your target photo, open a new window with a transparent background, slightly larger than you will require, use the circle/oval marquee and drag it out to size. If you want it to fade at the edges, under the Select Menu, set a Feather Value, now go to Edit, Paste Into. Now you could select the Move Tool, top right on the tool bar. Once it is selected, use your cursor keys to move the photo around within the window you established with the marquee.
From: Dave Jones (DAVERJ) [#7]
13 Feb 2007
To: Barbara (RGILE) [#4] 13 Feb 2007
Photoshop has so many tools, and things like this can be done many different ways.
One way is to use the circle marquee to select an area, and then use Select > Feather to set how soft the edge will be. Use Select > Invert to select the area outside the circle instead of inside. Then either use Edit > Cut to cut away the image or use the paint bucket tool to fill the area with white.
That method doesn't allow you to change things afterwards. So a different method would be to create a new layer and use the paint bucket tool to fill the selection with white. That creates a movable white layer with a soft "hole" in it on top of the image. You can move the layer to move the area of the image being seen. You can also scale or modify that layer to change the size of the hole or the width or softness of it's edges. Even it's shape.
There are a half dozen other ways to do a vignette. For example you can add a layer mask to the image layer and put fill the selection there. The layer mask is a way of using a second layer or image to define the transparency of the main image on that layer. It doesn't affect the main image, and the mask can be changed or removed at any time.
There are a million Photoshop tutorials on the web ranging from simple to extremely advanced.
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#8]
13 Feb 2007
To: Barbara (RGILE) [#4] 13 Feb 2007
Barbara,
You are indeed a brave soul. I downloaded a trial version and ran screaming into the ocean after about three hours......let us know how it works out for you and if there is indeed a beneift. I might muster up enough courage to try it again.
From: Barbara (RGILE) [#9]
13 Feb 2007
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#8] 13 Feb 2007
I don't think it will be anytime soon. I tried out Dave Jones way, and I didn't know how to copy the main photo. for some reason it wouldn't let me select it, or copy it.
It was greyed out on the edit, I did do some of it though, so Dave if you are reading this letter, thank you. I got though some of it, so I did learn a little something.
I will keep you posted Chuck, and you too Dave.
Thanks again,
Barbara
PS, I will be using Corel in the meantime. ha
From: Dave Jones (DAVERJ) [#10]
13 Feb 2007
To: Barbara (RGILE) [#9] 14 Feb 2007
First, make sure the image you are working on is either grayscale or RGB. Go to Image > Mode > and either grayscale or RGB should be checked. If not select one (grayscale for B&W, RGB for color). Some of the other modes don't allow layers.
Make sure your layers palette is open. A lot of the work in Photoshop requires using that. Go to Windows > Layers.
Working on a layer, including copying it, requires that layer to be selected. If you open a non-layered image, such as a JPEG, then there will just be one layer called "Background". If you save a photoshop image with layers or some other formats, like a layered TIFF then each layer has a name. You can change any layers name except the background layer from a non-layered image. You can get around that by copying that layer to a new layer and deleting the original background layer. But there's not usually a need to do that.
To copy a layer and make a new layer the same, simply select the layer in the Layers palette and drag it down to the bottom onto the "New Layer icon and let go. A copy of that layer is made.
To copy an image or a portion of an image, select the layer the image is on and either go to Select > All or use one of the marquee tools to draw a rectangle, oval, or other shape around the area. Once selected then you can go to Edit > Copy to copy what is on the selected layer, or Edit > Copy Merged to copy what is within that area on all layers merged together.
If you immediately use Edit > Paste after doing a copy, a new layer is created with the copied info. You can also create a new blank image or go to any other image and do a paste and it will paste the copied area into that other image. As long as the image is a layered type (ie: grayscale, RGB, etc...) then it is pasted onto a new layer. If the image is a non-layerd type (ie: bitmap, indexed color) then it is merged with the background (the only layer allowed in that image).
To do something like a vignette I find it easiest to create a new layer above the image layer (select the image layer, then hit the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette). Then use the circle marquee tool to create a circle (hold shift to constrain it to a circle or don't hold shift to make it an oval). The go to Select > Inverse to select the area outside the circle instead of inside. Then go to Select > Feather and enter a number of pixels for how soft to make the edge. For example start with 4 or 8. Next, with the new blank layer selected in the layers palette, set the forground color to white and select the Paint Bucket tool. Click anywhere near the edge of the image. This will fill the outside area with white, covering the image. The white will fade aout near the circle and the image shows through.
Then go to Select > Deselect to remove the marquee.
You can save the image as a photoshop image for further work. You can also save a copy if you want as a JPEG to use in programs that don't take Photoshop images. Corel does take Photoshop images.
I hope that helps.
From: Barbara (RGILE) [#11]
15 Feb 2007
To: Dave Jones (DAVERJ) [#10] 15 Feb 2007
I printed out your letter, and I am going to try again today. Thank you so much for going into detail with it.
I will let you know how I make out. I am sure once I start working with this thing, I will like it, but it's all foreign to me. I do like Corel, but heard this was better, and 90% of my business is photos, so I want to do my best. Hopefully, this will help me.
Thanks again, you are a big help.
Barbara
From: Dave Jones (DAVERJ) [#12]
15 Feb 2007
To: Barbara (RGILE) [#11] 15 Feb 2007
From: Ruben (QUIEROLEARN) [#13]
15 Feb 2007
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#5] 15 Feb 2007
Hi David,
sorry about that, I look for the file and did not find it, I must deleted in one of the clean ups I do from time to time.
I send this file to Harvey before, so he can upload it in EE server
Ruben
From: Ruben (QUIEROLEARN) [#14]
15 Feb 2007
To: Barbara (RGILE) [#4] 16 Feb 2007
Barbara,
here is a link for the video David L. was referring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw0exVrZfFk
I upload it to "You Tube video", the video is very small but I think is better than nothing, the video is a little fast, you can use the pause button if you like
Ruben
EDITED: 15 Feb 2007 by QUIEROLEARN
From: Ruben (QUIEROLEARN) [#15]
15 Feb 2007
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#5] 15 Feb 2007
David,
I edit the link to the video, I did find a copy of the master file
Ruben
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#16]
15 Feb 2007
To: Ruben (QUIEROLEARN) [#15] 15 Feb 2007