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Would really appreciate help


krispybitz

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Hi everybody. I am new to this site, and new to photoshop. I have always wanted to learn about it and fully intend to. However my parents anniversary is in 2 weeks and I found a lovely picture of them dancing. I'd love to get it printed on a canvas and give it to them. I'd really like the background to be more blurred, where you couldn't see the faces of people watching and to bring my parents to the main focus of the image. I'd really really appreciate someones help with this please and thank you so much
 

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  • 09-29-2008 09;11;21PM.JPG
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krispybitz

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Wow, thanks so much for your help!. I hope to make it look as natural and unphotoshopped as possible while at the same time managing to have the people in the background blurred. I will probably crop the two men on the left out and put a black and white filter over it. When I tried such a filter it made the white dress really bright, do you know if there is a way of toning down the white so it is softer? I just want to make it look all dreamy and romantic, haha! Sorry for the extra question! And thank you kindly
 

Rich54

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There are several ways of toning down the white dress, but you are new to Photoshop so I don't really know if you're familiar with layer masks. A layer mask allows to you hide, or partially hide, the effects of a filter such as a B&W filter on any particular part of the image. Layer masks are the way to go, but you need some Photoshop experience to be successful.

Alternatively, this other method gives you a bit less control, but it's easier.
1. Create a new layer above your B&W filter. Then hit Shift+Ctrl+Alt+E. Assuming your fingers didn't cramp, that "stamped" your entire image onto its own new layer.
2. Now go to Image>Adjustments>Shadows & Highlights. Move the Highlights slider (the one labeled Amount) to the right. As you do so it will tone-down the whites.

In yet another alternative, I added a Layers adjustment to my version and moved the middle slider to the right. This made the entire image darker, which makes the background even less obtrusive. Then I used a layer mask to partially undo this effect only on the dancers themselves.

I'm going to attach my actual Photoshop file here for you to work with. I have already created a careful selection of the two dancers, which you can use if you know how. To access the selection, go to Select>Load Selection. Click the drop-down arrow in the Channels window and select the word "outline" which is what I named the selection.

View attachment dancers.psd
 

Tom Mann

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I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unless you have a higher resolution image (ie, more pixels, not just a different PPI number), you are not likely to be satisfied if you try to print this photo, even after Rich and Ged's modifications. The reason is that it is only about 500 pixels on a side. Normal, glossy or matte prints require somewhere between 250 and 300 pixels per inch (PPI) to look sharp, so, on these papers, you might be able to go up to 2 inches square or maybe a bit more if you give up some of the sharpness.

When printing on canvas, one can usually go a bit lower with the PPI, but usually never below about 100 ppi, and that's for large prints that will never be examined closely. So, even on canvas, the largest you will be able to print might be around 5 inches square, and let me tell you, 5 inch square canvas prints are just not very impressive.

You need to either find a larger version of this image, or re-scan the old print at a ppi setting of 600 to 1200 ppi, post the result, and we'll take it from there for you. As a rule of thumb, the old print should be at least 1/2 as large (in inches) as the canvas version you would like to make.

If the starting print is too small, your best option is probably to make a fake oil painting out of it. The texture of the paint will fool the viewer's eye into thinking there is more resolution than really exists. In addition, people don't expect paintings to be sharp.

HTH,

Tom M
 

Tom Mann

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If you really are stuck without a larger image to work with, as I mentioned earlier, you can always try to cover up what's missing with fake paint, a fake background, and lots of color (canvas sucks up color like crazy).

Print it on canvas, and mount it on a nice frame, and you may be able to get away with it.

T

PS - Pls. ignore the shadows and other oddities of this version. I wasn't sure if you would like it, so I wasn't about to spend much time getting it right.
 

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  • tjm01-3500px_hi-with_painter-akvis_frame-etc-02-100pct_crop-detail.jpg
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krispybitz

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Guys, thank you all so much for your help and advice. I don't think the original image exists anymore. The canvas size is 12 x 16 inches so I guess I'm in trouble! I see what you mean about the colour Tom but I really love black and white. Like gedstar's image but trying to make the white dress less brilliant white and more off-white/neutral and less stark, while at the same time not having a dark image. Soft like in the image I attached. Not an easy feat!
Really genuinely appreciate all of your efforts and help!dancers.jpg
 

krispybitz

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I also like these images that I was hoping to get touched up (white dots removed) and printed. Do you think these would be even more blurry?
 

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Tom Mann

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...I see what you mean about the colour Tom, but I really love black and white. ...
I certainly understand. Like you, I also love B&W. If it's not too much trouble, could you let us know how printing this in B&W on canvas works out for you. I'm curious because in the hundreds of thousands of pix I've dealt with, probably fewer than 5% of the canvas prints are B&W, probably because printing photos on canvas is intended to help give the photo the look of an oil painting, and few oil paintings are in B&W, but some on fine-textured canvases have looked absolutely stunning, particularly, where big, sharp-edged blocks of solid tones and not too much small detail are present in the image.

Best regards,

Tom M
 

krispybitz

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Tom, I will most certainly unload a pic of the canvas to this thread when I get it printed. Thank you so much for your help
 

krispybitz

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Hi Rich,
Do I need to have photoshop software to access this file? :eek:













There are several ways of toning down the white dress, but you are new to Photoshop so I don't really know if you're familiar with layer masks. A layer mask allows to you hide, or partially hide, the effects of a filter such as a B&W filter on any particular part of the image. Layer masks are the way to go, but you need some Photoshop experience to be successful.

Alternatively, this other method gives you a bit less control, but it's easier.
1. Create a new layer above your B&W filter. Then hit Shift+Ctrl+Alt+E. Assuming your fingers didn't cramp, that "stamped" your entire image onto its own new layer.
2. Now go to Image>Adjustments>Shadows & Highlights. Move the Highlights slider (the one labeled Amount) to the right. As you do so it will tone-down the whites.

In yet another alternative, I added a Layers adjustment to my version and moved the middle slider to the right. This made the entire image darker, which makes the background even less obtrusive. Then I used a layer mask to partially undo this effect only on the dancers themselves.

I'm going to attach my actual Photoshop file here for you to work with. I have already created a careful selection of the two dancers, which you can use if you know how. To access the selection, go to Select>Load Selection. Click the drop-down arrow in the Channels window and select the word "outline" which is what I named the selection.

View attachment 62080
 

Rich54

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Yes, it's an actual Photoshop file, so you do need to have the software installed to open it. I assumed when you said you were "new to Photoshop" that it meant you had recently acquired the software.

Edit: Also, you said in an earlier post that you applied a B&W filter. I assumed you did that in Photoshop, but perhaps not.
 
Last edited:

Tom Mann

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FWIW, totally by coincidence, I just received an advertisement for a printing company called Finer Works saying that they are having a sale on canvas prints. I've used them in the past and have been very happy with their work. (And, no, I have zero affiliation with them -- I'm just one of their customers)

http://finerworks.com/products/canvas-prints.aspx

Here's their very helpful FAQ: http://finerworks.com/help.aspx

You should read the section on canvas prints carefully and follow their instructions.

Also, carefully read
http://finerworks.com/tips/how-many-pixels-do-i-need.aspx

Hummm... I just noticed that on that page, they state that their minimum suggested number of pixels for an 8x10" print is around 1600 pixels (in the long dimension) for their lowest quality: "acceptable".

The first of your images we discussed in this thread is only around 500 px in the longest dimension, i.e., less than a third of the above, so, as I said, the largest you could print would be around a third of 10 inches, or around 3 inches. Unfortunately, after reading their material, my guess is that they probably won't even accept your file for printing, however you can call them and try to convince them that you'll accept "anything" and see if they will print that file for you. The three smaller images you posted are so small, they are probably not even worth considering unless you accept tiny little 1 inch wallet sized photos.

Finally, just in case this possibility occurs to you, please also read the section titled: "Should I enlarge my file before submitting it?".

Sorry to be so negative.

HTH,

Tom M

PS - You can try other companies. While they may accept your file (and your money, LOL) for printing, realize that there is no way they are going to do better than a highly reputable company like FinerWorks. This file size problem is *exactly* why I suggested turning your first image into a pseudo "painting" to get around the situation you are trying to deal with. The color version I posted will print well at almost any size up to a small poster.
 

krispybitz

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Great advice Tom Thank you! So far the only website I found that will accept 'anything' (haha!) of any quality is http://www.xprintcanvas.com/ . I haven't ordered from them yet so I'm not sure how good they will be but if I will let you know. But will certainly check out the finerworks one you mentioned first!
Cheers:cheesygrin:


FWIW, totally by coincidence, I just received an advertisement for a printing company called Finer Works saying that they are having a sale on canvas prints. I've used them in the past and have been very happy with their work. (And, no, I have zero affiliation with them -- I'm just one of their customers)

http://finerworks.com/products/canvas-prints.aspx

Here's their very helpful FAQ: http://finerworks.com/help.aspx

You should read the section on canvas prints carefully and follow their instructions.

Also, carefully read
http://finerworks.com/tips/how-many-pixels-do-i-need.aspx

Hummm... I just noticed that on that page, they state that their minimum suggested number of pixels for an 8x10" print is around 1600 pixels (in the long dimension) for their lowest quality: "acceptable".

The first of your images we discussed in this thread is only around 500 px in the longest dimension, i.e., less than a third of the above, so, as I said, the largest you could print would be around a third of 10 inches, or around 3 inches. Unfortunately, after reading their material, my guess is that they probably won't even accept your file for printing, however you can call them and try to convince them that you'll accept "anything" and see if they will print that file for you. The three smaller images you posted are so small, they are probably not even worth considering unless you accept tiny little 1 inch wallet sized photos.

Finally, just in case this possibility occurs to you, please also read the section titled: "Should I enlarge my file before submitting it?".

Sorry to be so negative.

HTH,

Tom M

PS - You can try other companies. While they may accept your file (and your money, LOL) for printing, realize that there is no way they are going to do better than a highly reputable company like FinerWorks. This file size problem is *exactly* why I suggested turning your first image into a pseudo "painting" to get around the situation you are trying to deal with. The color version I posted will print well at almost any size up to a small poster.
 

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