The Wholesale Forums

[geosamm]

This tutorial is to help anyone who needs to remove backgrounds from their photographs, replace them with compatible web colours and/or corporate colours/patterns and add text.

The tutorial itself consist of 8 parts and a copy of the original photograph I used, with reduced resolution for ease of downloading. Each part is a step by step guide, written as simply as possible using screen shots and the publisher format. To use this method you will need Photoshop CS3, earlier photoshop versions do not have the necessary tools.

To get more flexibility and clarity I use high definition photographs to work on which can be reduced at a later stage. This is not essential however and any image quality from any digital camera will suffice, or any digital image that you can open in Photoshop.

I would suggest that when you take your own product photos you may want to use a contrasting, plain, light coloured backdrop and try if possible to reduce shadows as much as possible.

I have 5 different backdrops of plain, matt [never shiny], cheap material. Light green, light blue, pale gray, light yellow and black [which I only use on very rare occasions] All stacked so I can pull down the one I need at the time. White, I try to avoid because of back flash and glare, which detracts from the image.

Another tip you may find useful is pull the object away from the backdrop. Any natural shadow then falls into the space between object and backdrop

If you need any help with, or have any questions regarding the tutorial please let me know.

MS Publisher Version of Tutorial: (Right Click on Link and "Save Target As" to Download!)
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/sc1.pub
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/sc2.pub
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/sc3.pub
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/sc4.pub
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/sc5.pub
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/sc6.pub
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/sc7.pub
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/sc8.pub
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/tut.jpg

PDF Version of Tutorial: (Right Click on Link and "Save Target As" to Download!)
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/sc1.pdf
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/sc2.pdf
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/sc3.pdf
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/sc4.pdf
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/sc5.pdf
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/sc6.pdf
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/sc7.pdf
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/sc8.pdf
http://www.thewholesaleforums.co.uk/uploads/tut.jpg

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

Hope it helps

Geo

Thanks to Anthony for hosting the files.

[greedyboy]

Just a bit of advice, you are best uploading them as a PDF.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by greedyboy

Just a bit of advice, you are best uploading them as a PDF.

I'm on it. PDF versions will be available for download in five minutes.

[greedyboy]

Five minutes? Pull your finger out Anthony

[Ems1]

Ok folks not a great start by me,got as far as

You should now have the dancing ants around the outside of the Buddha and the edge of the frame

but when i go to make the background turn grey and white cheques by hitting backspace or delete nothin happens!!!! or not as it should in the next screen shot what am i doing wrong????

[geosamm]

If it is changing to your background colour..... go to eraser... select background eraser.... move cursor to workspace, take out a little of the background by clicking the circle on it..... then hit backspace or delete

[hardwareheroes]

excellent - thanks

[Ems1]

cheers geo!!

[geosamm]

OK mate..... happy its fixed the problem

[geosamm]

Originally Posted by Ems1
Hi geo,just finished your tutorial from start to finish and thought it was excellent!! I'll be using it in the near future no doubt.Just had a quick question for you-
Do you know of any way you can add an "imitation" source of light to brighten up a dark a photograph using photoshop?-in other words to make it look like there was a good source of natural light when the pic was taken,any help would be great thanks


Hi
2 ways....
1] 3 tools down from the eraser tool is a hand/lollipop/sponge.
right click and select the dodge tool. The range and exposure settings at the top will allow you to brighten the image [play with it to see what it does]
The burn tool in the same group allows you to shade the image if needed [again try it out]
2] top tool bar.....click.... filter - render - lighting effects.... this will let you add lighting effects as you need them... spots/directionals/multi spots etc etc

Hope this helps


Geo