Signature with transparent background 2

[kwunder]

Hi

I want to copy my signature into Photoshop from a standard black writing on white background image. I want to be able to paste it onto images, but to lose the white background. How do I make the white background transparent ? I will also need to be able to change the colour of the signature itself so as to be prominent in varying images.

All help gladly welcomed

cheers
kwunder

 

[SPYDERIX]

This is what I did.

I took a plain piece of bright white paper, then drew my signature with a thick pen and filled up most of the page. Then I scanned it in @ 1200 DPI, then opened it in Photoshop. Because the image was flattened I selected all, copied, and pasted into a new document. Then I choose the magic wand tool at 32 tolerance and selected all the white parts and deleted them. Then I free-transdformed the image down until I was viewing it at 100% and then applied the transform. Then I chose IMAGE|ADJUSTMENTS|HUE/SATURATION (Ctrl+U) then I clicked on the colorize box and used the sliders to get the appropriate color. Now I have a clear crisp signature that has a transparent background.

Hope this helps!

 

[kwunder]

Spyderix

Thanks for the reply. I only just got Photoshop so I'm affraid I don't know my way around tooo well yet. Can you, if you don't mind, go through those steps in more detail. I will have to wait until tomorrow to try them out, as the prog is on my other PC, but I will post back how I get on

Thanks for your time mate
P.S. I use Photoshop 7
kwunder

 

[SPYDERIX]

OK,

I AM ASSUMING YOU HAVE A SCANNER. YOU WILL NEED ONE.

First do your signature on plain white paper with a thicker black marker. Scan the picture in at 1200 DPI.

Your image will open in photoshop or you will have to open it in photoshop. Then Ctrl+A (Select All) COPY PICTURE (Ctrl+C), New Photoshop Document (Ctrl+N) only have to make sure it is set as transparent. Then paste the image in. Then select the Magic Wand tool (W), then along the options bar it should say Tolerance and a textfield to enter in a number. Make sure that is set to 32. The click on all white parts of your image and press DELETE key. Then free-transform (Ctrl+T) then image will become a box then hold shift and grab one the corners and shrink it down, then press "Ctrl+SPACEBAR+Left-Click" to zoom in then hold shift again and grab the corner and keep doing that until your image title bar says "Untitled @ 100%" then press ENTER. Now you have your signature, next goto IMAGE|ADJUSTMENTS|HUE/SATURATION (Ctrl+U) and click on the colorize box then move the HUE slider until you get the desired color and move the SATURATION SLIDER until you get the desired saturation of the color, hit ok and now you have a signature in what ever color that is on a transeparent layer.

Hope this helps!

 

[kwunder]

Spyderix

Excellent. Job done. One thing though, dumb as this may sound, how do I now paste it into a particular part of my images ?

Cheers mate
kwunder

 

[SPYDERIX]

Ctrl+V is to paste or EDIT|PASTE, that will paste it onto a new layer then you can use the move tool(the arrow)to move it around or change the layer-orders.

Hope this helps!

 

[kwunder]

OK. I can now paste the signature onto the pictures. Problem is when I select the arrow tool and drag the signature to say, the bottom left corner, when I release the mouse button, the signature springs back to the center of the image.

kwunder

 

[SPYDERIX]

Is the layer locked?

Click on the signature layer then look at the top of the layers window and look for the word "lock" and make sure none of those buttons are clicked.

See if that helps you out.
Good Luck!

 

[cufevi]

A slightly quicker way (in the long run)is to scan in your image (signature) go to IMAGE>MODE>GREYSCALE accepting the "1" in the size ratio box. The click on LAYERS box (not the one on the menu bar)and click and hold the Background icon and drag it down to the icon next to the trash can. This will duplicate the layer. You should now have BACKGROUND layer and BACKGROUND COPY layer. The Background copy layer should be selected. Now drag the background layer down to the trash can and get rid of it.
Using the magic wand click on any area of white. Go to SELECT> SIMILAR and it will select every piece of white on the page then just cut it and you will be left with the black signature. You now go to IMAGE>MODE>RGBCOLOR and you're set to go. It seems like a more complicated way of doing things but they are shortcuts that you'll get into the habit of using everyday. It'll make life easier.

 

[SPYDERIX]

Not sure which of the pre Photoshop 7 versions this works for, but if you press Crtl+J, that will duplicate the layer. It actually copies then makes a new layer, then pastes all in one.

Another way to select the white area (or the black area for that matter) is to goto SELECT|COLOR RANGE. You will be presented with a dialog box and your mouse will turn into the eyedopper. Simply select the color on the actual picture and you will notice that the color range dialog box resembles a little channel in B&W. To add more color areas to color range press SHIFT+LEFT-CLICK, and to remove color press ALT+LEFT-CLICK. Then press OK on the dialog box and the color that you clicked on will turn into a marquee. If you choose the white color, then you can just press delete after OK'ing the Color Range dialog box, else if you chose the black part of the signature then you will have to invert the marquee then press delete.

Hope this helps! NATE

http://www.spyderix-designz.com