Barliman Butterbur learns a New Thing on Photoshop

If you've already paid for photoshop there's probably no need to switch unless you need to pay to upgrade. Watch Petty's detailed instructions so that you know the type of things you need to do, then goof around on PS to figger out how to do'em there.

I would goof but I dont understand the instructions thats the problem. I need an idiot proof guide. I need a guide as if you are trying to explain to a chimp or another large primate, because I dont get it. I dont know what 'layers' are, and I dont know were anything is.

I haven't looked at Petty's guide yet, but I would guess it explains what layers are. Once you have the concepts, you can goof around to figure it out.

You dont actually need to know to follow the guide as such- as the guide tells you exactly what to click on to get the layers.

But layers are really simple- they are what they sound like- you have your picture- if you add a layer that means anything you add will go onto a layer on top of the pic rather than into the original picture.

You can think of it like using good old fashioned tracing paper- you put it over your image but you can still see the image through it- but anything you draw on the tracing paper doesnt draw onto the picture below. It goes on top.

You can have multiple layers- so for example you could have a background layer- say a pic of a field- then you could add another layer, say a pic of yourself so you are in the field, then you could add another layer on top of that with say a fence on it so you are behind the fence.
And thats layers.

A quick example of layers.

Heres three pics- a field, my handsome drunken self, and some buckie barrels (of course)- the aim is to put me in the field partly obscured by a barrel of buckie so it looks like I am behind it- for this we need three layers in total, two of which we will have to add (the field background is the 3rd).



First up use the 'select tool' to draw round the figure and then you go to the edit tab at the top and copy visible- this just tells it to copy to memory whatever is inside the area you selected- in this case me.



Now on the field pic we go to the layer tab at the top and create new layer- this opens this box- so I know what layer it is I have called this layer 'midground'- click ok to create the layer, you dont need to change any of the values as it will automatically make a new layer the same size as th epic you are working on- it will look just the same as the layer is invisible until you do something with it- in this case to add me you just go to edit and select 'paste into'- this tells it to paste whatever is in the memory to this layer.



An there I am. Now position the figure where you want by just dragging it around- when you have it in place simply move the cursor off of it to anywhere on the background and the cursor will change to an anchor shape- clicking the mouse button will anchor the figure down wherever you have moved it to.



Now I just repeat the above process for the barrel pic- select tool- draw round the barrel- edit tab/copy visible.
Go back to the field pic with your figure on it and create a new layer again- this time Ive called it 'foreground'



Same as before- edit tab/ paste into. But as you can see the barrel is way to big- so go to the layer tab and select 'scale layer'- this will let you alter the size of the current layer you are working on- just lower the numbers until you get it the size you want- in this case I ended up at a size of 75 for width (change one number and the other will scale in occordance- if you need to you can switch that off by clicking the chain symbol next to the numbers, if you need to stretch something say-but we dont need to that in this case as we want the barrel to remain the same proportions)



Then as before position it where you want, in this case partly in front of the figure,anchor it down by clicking anywhere on the background.

Finally go back to the layers tab and select 'merge down'- as there are two layers, the mid and foregrounds you will have to do this twice. Merging layers down means it puts everything onto the one pic rather than three one on top of the other. Then save your pic in the format of your choice.



Hope that helps clear things up.

If you just copy and paste in succession won't you get the same final result, the only problem being that if you wanted to put you in front of the barrel you'd have to go through the whole process again?

And I never asked before, due to my natural politeness, but why are you wearing a turkish cap?

it's a fez. fezes are cool.

But he's Scottish. Maybe it's just a phase. (get it: phase/fez ? Yeah?)

Excatly Norc- this is what comes of not watching Who Halfwise!!

If you just copy and paste in succession won't you get the same final result- Halfwise

No that wont work as it would have copied the whole image including the background the figure or barrel is on- so you have to isolate the area you want withthe selct tool to put onto the other pic.
And the big advantage to layers is you can then manipulate the image you are overlaying. And if I had copied and pasted the barrel on top it would just have obscured everything- with it on a layer I can scale it and move it about and the rest will remain transparent so you can see whats beneath.

Ally wrote:Well said Mrs Shakespere

I'm in love all over again. Like being in love with The Bard and discovering he's a she when you get him undressed, which, for me, would be a pleasant surprise, as I actually love The Bard's mind and Mrs Figgs body. Perfik! {{{ }}}

everyone know shakespear was fake. look up francis bacon.

Typical- here I am trying to lend Mrs Figg a drunken artistic hand and I get Norced!

She clearly doesn't respect what you're trying to do here, Petty. She'sd a typical young person in my honest opinion!

no, but I mean it! It's true!! Look it up. Petter Amundsen, norwegian dude.

It's crap, Norc. Sorry! --- --- --- Well, actually. I'm not sorry - it's crap! Honest.

I'm with Orwell on this one- Shakespeare is quite well attested to in the historic records- its pure snobbery- cause he wasnt someone important and came from a humble background he cant possibly have written that well. And the Francis Bacon evidence is ropier than than rope thats been discarded at the bottom of an old buckie barrel for the mice to chew on.

yeah, I know Orwell, so sorry to hear about your face. But shit happens you know.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:I'm with Orwell on this one- Shakespeare is quite well attested to in the historic records- its pure snobbery- cause he wasnt someone important and came from a humble background he cant possibly have written that well. And the Francis Bacon evidence is ropier than than rope thats been discarded at the bottom of an old buckie barrel for the mice to chew on.

it was more about (oh god, this will sound so stupid) that the texts were coded and lead to a lake were presuimably the holy grail is. I saw the program, three episodes.

I actually believe that. it's like my other fandom/religion. next to LOTR, HP, TH; sherlock and who.

I have a bridge and a castle I'd like to sell you Norc.

why would I want that, i have a mind palace?