Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 10:44 pm Post subject: How to convert shapes to outlines i can then fill?
Noob Noob Hello!
Help me fast, Phorest Angels!
This is what I have (see image). I want it as an outline I can then add a "tricolore" (red, white & blue) flag behind, & also further define the other space with another image.
Can someone point me in the right direction? I've tried a few different softwares this evening, such as pixlr, & a few other ones online, before falling forward fast & pumping for Photoshop.
But now I'm exhausted & distracted! Your shortcuts would be [/u]most welcome.
Joined: 28 Aug 2014
Posts: 401
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2014 2:36 am Post subject:
Hiya Katerina,
Open photoshop, quick select the image, right click on the image and select "refine edge", then set the smart radius to 2, shift edge to -10, press ok, right click again, select inverse, then right click again and layer via copy, then you can remove the top layer and all you are left with is in outline, which you can fill in whatever colour/pattern you like, and the same with the background hope that helps, there may be an easier way, but I've just trialed this and it works and only took a few seconds x
Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2014 10:55 pm Post subject: Thanks
Hi SC Designs,
Cool that you wrote back, and so quick. That was encouraging. Now I'm back to it again, and will have to learn how to 'quick select the image', lol, your first step.
But you helped set me on the right track - yes, for sure! (What you did is exactly what I'm looking for, plus or minus the 'tricolore', which I'll have to work on myself, or post here separately farther down the road.)
Joined: 28 Aug 2014
Posts: 401
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2014 1:21 am Post subject:
You're welcome, if you struggle with it and if you need me to then I can send you the file of the outline so you can work on colouring and patterns yourself then I'd be happy to do so
x
Thanks.
Well you know what would be helpful? (Since you asked... :-)): I've broken down your steps into bullet points (see below.) Now if I could only just understand what I'm trying to 'DO' at each stage, not just from a technical point of view, but how we're going to produce the desired result as a result of these steps.
I guess, as a learner, I need to know the 'why' of why I'm doing something as well, and this helps for if it turns out that I get hung up on a detail that seems important at my end (getting the silhouette outline to improve, for example, so that the upper curve of the lip gets included, for example: I'm starting from the rough pixel image I had before I had it vectorised online...)
quick select the image,
right click on the image and select "refine edge" "because this helps you do ..."
then set the smart radius to 2, shift edge to -10, press ok "again, why?"
right click again, select inverse HUH?!!!!!!!!!!!! What does this do? Inverse? Sounds 'scary'.
then right click again and layer via copy, ok... i think that's a shortcut in some of the drop downs, e.g. in "refine edge" tool. Why do I want this, again? Thanks.
then you can remove the top layer and all you are left with is in outline, I'm not there yet...
which you can fill in whatever colour/pattern you like,
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Noob Noob 
hope that helps, there may be an easier way, but I've just trialed this and it works and only took a few seconds x
