Author Topic: Photoshop Elements - changing the colour of my script...  (Read 2827 times)

Offline claire lander

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Photoshop Elements - changing the colour of my script...
« on: June 18, 2017, 04:50:15 PM »
Dear All

I am new to Photoshop (technophobic extraordinaire!), and have just bought Photoshop Elements (the entry level version as I understand it). I have been following The Postman's Knock's very helpful online tutorial but have run into a problem...

I have my script added to a photo just fine, there only remains to turn my (currently black) script white, as it is on a dark background. Given that the tutorial is for a slightly different program I can't make out how to do it. Frustrating as it seems the last step of the process, and presumably pretty easy when you know how. Will also try leaving a query on the course as Lindsey does get back to her students. It is for my Wave exchange for which I am already late... Sorry to my recipients!

x

dreamer...

Offline Elisabeth_M

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Re: Photoshop Elements - changing the colour of my script...
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2017, 09:14:48 AM »
There are probably better ways to do this, but.....

In Elements, click on the layer containing your script.  Then, on the top menu bar click Filter.  Under that, click Adjustments.  Under that, click Invert.  It should switch from black to white.
Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.  --Carl Sagan

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Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: Photoshop Elements - changing the colour of my script...
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2017, 11:18:11 AM »
Hi Claire!
Check out this tutorial: Preparing Calligraphy for Printing. You may be able to adapt it for Elements.

There is another way to do it (there are many ways!) but it may or may not be the best option. You can use the paintbucket tool with white as the foreground color and just click on the black calligraphy lines. It should turn them all white. I use this method sometimes however, know that every time you add a color this way, it ever so slightly adds to tiny pixels of the letter. This would only be a problem at very low resolution or if you end up changing the color multiple times.

With Elisabeth's method, if memory serves, the invert would only work if you have the pixels selected without a background. If you still have a white background and there are other elements in the piece, the layer will turn black with white lettering covering up any potential images, etc. You can remedy this by changing the layer mode to "screen."
Warm Regards,
Erica
Lettering & Design Artist
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Offline Elisabeth_M

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Re: Photoshop Elements - changing the colour of my script...
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2017, 02:55:57 PM »
When I've played around with this in the past, I have always made my lettering its own layer with a transparent background within that layer.  First, I write it on white paper, then scan it, then in Elements, I use the magic wand to select the white background and delete it.  I've always used magic wand on the lettering itself, and then made a new layer and used the fill tool to fill in the highlighted area in order to change the color, but, Erica's way is much easier!  A whole new world has been opened to me! :)
Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.  --Carl Sagan

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Offline claire lander

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Re: Photoshop Elements - changing the colour of my script...
« Reply #4 on: August 06, 2017, 05:48:26 AM »
Ahh thank you SOO much for this help ladies! @Erica McPhee @Elisabeth_M - whilst I got there in the end (in a ridiculously laborious and convoluted manner!) it is an ongoing battle so I will definitely come back to these suggestions next time! :-) x
dreamer...