Photoshop Directions
How to create a high contrast design for photoetching using Photoshop
Finding visual resources
Thousands of high contrast images can be found on the Jewelry Resources page. If you do not find a design that you like, you could search for an image at: http://images.google.com You could also bring in a digital photograph or digitize a photograph by using the flatbed scanner.
Saving pictures
When you save a photograph, make sure you always save the full-size image and not the thumbnail image. With the full-size image open, right-click with the mouse and select "Save picture as." By default, windows will try to save image files in the "my pictures" folder. You can either save the image here, or open the "my documents" folder and create a new folder for your images and save the photo in that location. Rename the image to something descriptive that you will recognize.
Opening Photoshop
Open the "my documents" folder by clicking on the start menu and selecting "my documents". Open the "my pictures" folder or the new folder you created to save your images. Single-click on one of the images so it is highlighted, but not open. On the menu bar click on "File" and then select "Open with." Click on "choose program" and select Adobe Photoshop from the window that pops up. Once Photoshop opens, any additional images you want to work with can be opened by clicking on "File" and then selecting "Open" in the Photoshop menu bar.
Photoshop Layout
Enlarging the canvas
If you need additional blank canvas so you can add more images to an open image file, from the Photoshop menu, click on "Image" and then "Canvas Size..." From the canvas size menu, increase the width and/or height to make the canvas larger to accommodate the images you are adding. Setting the anchor point will lock the existing image and make the new canvas grow in the opposite direction. Make sure the background color is set to white in the toolbar, or the new background you have added will not be white.
Zooming in and Out
Use the navigator palette on the right side of the workspace to Zoom in and Zoom out. Moving the slider or clicking on the larger or smaller mountain icons will make the image zoom in and out. To see the entire image displayed on the screen, click on "View" and then "Fit on screen" from the menu bar.
Cropping the image
Use the crop tool to remove unwanted space from the canvas. Draw the rectangle around the area you want to keep. The darkened area will be cut away. Adjust the sides of the rectangle until you are satisfied with what you are about to crop and then press the enter key on the keyboard to complete the cropping.
Rotating the canvas
If you need to rotate any of your image files, the entire canvas can be rotated by clicking on click on "Image" and then "Rotate Canvas" and then selecting either "180 degrees", "90 degrees clockwise" or "90 degrees counter-clockwise" from the menu bar.
Reversing the image
If you need the entire image reversed like a mirror-image so it will be going the correct way when you transfer it to the metal, click on "Image" and then "Rotate Canvas" and then select "Flip Canvas Horizontal" from the menu bar. If you only want one layer of your image reversed. Select that layer from the layers palette and select "Edit", then "Transform" and then "Flip Horizontal" from the menu bar. A layer is selected/active when it is bold and you see the paintbrush icon.
Moving and resizing images
Use the move tool to reposition and adjust the size of images on your canvas. Click on the move tool and make certain the "Show Bounding Box" option is selected. Click on the layer you want to move in the layers palette. Put your mouse within the central part of your image and click and hold down the mouse to move the image. To make an image larger or smaller, place your mouse over one of the four corners, so the pointer becomes a diagonal arrow. Click and hold down the left mouse button while holding down the "Shift" key on the keyboard and then move the mouse towards the center of the image to make it smaller or away from the center to make it larger.
Combining Images
Multiple images can be combined onto the same canvas using the move tool. With the move tool selected, click and hold the left mouse button down on the image you want to move and drag-and-drop it to the image you want to add it to. The image you just added to the existing image on the canvas will be a new layer on the layers palette. If the image you are trying to move is composed of multiple layers, you will need to flatten the image first or only the active layer will be moved.
Adding Text
If you want to use text in your design, click on the text tool, so it is active. Place your mouse where you want to add the text, click once with the mouse, and begin typing. When you are finished typing, highlight all of the text by holding down the left mouse button and dragging over it. You can adjust the font style, size and color to suit your needs. You can use the move tool to move the text or resize it by holding down the left mouse button and dragging one of the corners. When you are finished with your type, it needs to be converted so it can reversed like a mirror image. Make sure the text layer is active and from the menu bar click on "Layer", then "Rasterize", and finally "Type". Once the type has been rasterized, click on "Edit", then "Transform", and finally "Flip Horizontal." Your type will now be going the correct direction when it is transferred to the metal.
Converting a photo into a high contrast image--invert
First turn the photograph into a black-and-white image by selecting "Image", then "Adjustments", then "Desaturate" from the menu bar. Next adjust the brightness and contrast by going to the menu bar and clicking on "Image", then "Adjustments", then "Brightness/Contrast." Move the slider on the contrast setting to the right, so it is a high number like 80 or higher. Then adjust the brightness to improve the darkness and lightness of the image. Finally, to prepare the image for transferring to the metal you need to invert the image so it looks like a negative. To invert the image, select "Image", then "Adjustments", then "Invert" from the menu bar.
Merging layers
When you combine multiple images or images and text, sometimes you need to merge the layers into one layer in order to invert or flip all of the layers at once. To merge the layers, from the menu bar select "Layers" and then "Flatten image."
Reversing mistakes
One of the many great features of Photoshop is the ability to undo mistakes that you make. The history palette allow you to undo up to the last 20 steps you have applied to your document. To undo mistakes, just click on the step above the one you want to undo. You will still need to redo everything after that step. If you need to go back further than 20 steps in the history, your only option is to go back to the last saved version of the file or delete the problem layer.
Reducing the image to the correct size
Once you are completely finished with the image, you need to reduce the image to the correct size before you can transfer it to the metal. Open this "Image Size" properties window by going to the menu bar and selecting "Image" and then "Image Size." Make sure both the "Constrain Proportions" and "Resample Image: Bicubic" boxes are checked. In the document size section, first make sure the unit of measure is inches and then you can change either the width or the height and the other dimension will change to the proportional size. Remember your design should be no larger than 3" by 3".
Saving changes
Make sure you save your work frequently. I always keep my original images untouched and save any work I make as a new file name, so I always have the original if I need it. To save your work, click "File" and then "Save as" from the menu bar. Save your work in the same folder as your originals, but change the file name, so the original is not written over. Save the file as either a Photoshop document (.PSD) or a .JPEG. If you save it as a .JPEG, select the maximum file size of 12 in the JPEG options window.
Printing
I hope this information was helpful. When you are completely finished with your design, print out a copy of it for me by selecting from the menu bar "File" and then "Print with Preview." Make certain the scale is 100% and then hit print.
