A different sort of request...

I have been trying to learn to work with my editing software to create animations and beautiful banners like those I see here on this site. But holy cow--you people do some really gorgeous, professional banners . I am so amateur compared to that. So I was wondering if you would share some tips with me, instead of asking you to do one for me? Pretty please?

A big shortcoming of anything that I do seems to be the editing of the subjects--how do you get rid of the background of your cat photos and have the edges look so natural? I can do a very neat job of getting rid of background, but the edges are hard and the image ends up looking--surprise!--cut and pasted onto another background. This is a big stumbling block for me, and I would LOVE to know how you do it!

BTW, I have a bunch of programs available, and usually I cruise back and forth between them because different programs have different pros and cons, but the GIMP and PhotoFiltre are the better ones.

Thanks--I appreciate any tips you can give me

I have Photofiltre and use it all the time. (I know my own sig doesn't look that great but I've since learned a lot more about Photofiltre and make siggys for people on other sites). I guess I'm ameteur too but I'm limited to Photofiltre and I don't think many other people here use Photofiltre so....Here are a bunch of tips!!!!!! I love Photofiltre.


Ok, first open a background. Resize it to the size you want the sig to be. I usually play around with the contrast, brightness, color enhancing, softening, sharpening, and blurring to make it look better. Don't go overboard though.

Once you've got that set, open all the pics of cats and clipart you want to be in it. Lasso nicely all the pics you will use before actually coping/pasting them. Be careful not to click anywhere else on the pic except to navigate the different windows once you've got it lassoed.

When you have everything lassoed, start copying/pasting them onto the background. Make sure that if you are layering anything, you copy/paste the ones you want in the back first. Before you copy/past another one, re-size the one you're working with to a good size and put it exactly where you want it.

Once you've got everything on there including clipart, except for text - I always save that for near the end, but make sure you leave room for it. I use the blur tool that's on the right. It looks like a teardrop. When you click it the settings apprear below. I usually do "precise" and set the opacity to around 20 or 25. Use it to blue the edges of the cats / clipart or whatever you copy/pasted. THAT'S the secret to making everything blend nicely.

Then I put in the text. I usually do a frame of some sort too. Depending on the style of the signature, I use a simple frame or the 3-D button one, I forget what it's called. Or a combo of both. Sometimes even no frame.

Some other things I like to do are blur the text or make it 3-D-ish. You can do that by going to the Effects tab when you're creating text. Also you can make a cat or something transparent by double clicking it while it's still got the red and yellow moving square around it. You can also make there be a fill pattern for text and the bottom of Effects. Open a pattern you have or a pic or something.

Oh and I also like to highlight the eyes and nose of cat too. You can do that by zooming in a lot for better accuracy, lasso-ing around an eye or nose, then enhance the color , brightness contrast , sharpness....BUT before you do that, after lasso-ing it, zoom back to normal to make sure you don't over-do it. With the eyes, make sure you do the same thing for each one.
Photofiltre may seem limited but if you play around with it there is SO much you can do!!!! Here are a few I've made with Photofiltre:







YES I made those with Photofiltre!! Maybe they're not that great but it shows the different things you can do at least..

So yes there's a lot you can do with it.

And there's all I know about Photofiltre!! Good luck! If you need help with Photofiltre, you can ask me. Sorry you asked one simple question and I get started on this whole tutorial!!!!
I'm clueless when it comes to the GIMP though so ... Don't ask me about that one

I'm no expert I've only just made mine I did it in photoshop and after I had got rid of the background I feathered round the edges of the cats. I think it is in the select drop down menu
anne

Thank you so much Patty and Anne, I don't know HOW I never figured that trick out. Duh, seems so obvious...now. You two are the best! I appreciate all the other tips as well Patty--maybe now I can turn out someting presentable!

I use PSP & I use the Freehand Selection Tool (Point to point) for my cut outs. If you use the feather setting with the Freehand Selection Tool, your edges will have a blur instead of a sharp edge.

Well, my edges are still a little funky, but they are WORLDS better than the harsh cut-paste look I had been getting. Using the dark background for my sig didn't much help either, but I like it! Thanks so much for your help.

Ironically, Patty--I used photofiltre to make the background for my sig, starting with a stock background, colorizing it, using gradients, etc--then I saved it and did the rest with the editing program that comes on WalMart's digital photo CDs! I think I'll go over to your thread about editing software and talk this program up--you might really like it!

Originally Posted by Allezany

Well, my edges are still a little funky, but they are WORLDS better than the harsh cut-paste look I had been getting. Using the dark background for my sig didn't much help either, but I like it! Thanks so much for your help.

Ironically, Patty--I used photofiltre to make the background for my sig, starting with a stock background, colorizing it, using gradients, etc--then I saved it and did the rest with the editing program that comes on WalMart's digital photo CDs! I think I'll go over to your thread about editing software and talk this program up--you might really like it!

Click to expand...

Ooh sure thanks!!