Photoshop Plugin Filters

Filter Type
There are three main types of filters.

A one step filter applies the filter with no user control. You cannot specify any specific action of the filter it does whatever it does and it's done.
A parameter filter give you choices. You need to set sliders or controls to specify what the filters will do. They can be spotted because they have (....) after their names.
A mini-application filter is a filters that enables you to save and recall settings and creates its own environment inside of Photoshop. Many third-party filters are many-apps.

The Filter Menu – Effects Palette

Photoshop's media filters appear on the filters menu in 13 categories and this hasn't changed since version 3. At the bottom of the menu filter lists will be a line and under this any third-party filters that have been added.

Artistic Set

1. Colored Pencil takes an image or selection and stylized as it to resemble, supposedly, colored pencils on neutral paper stock. In reality, the filter uses the predominant colors in the image and removes areas that it changes to the paper color depending upon the parameter settings. It is color dependent the background color that is the “ brightness” color.

2. The Cutout filter, is an enhancement of the Posterize command that simplifies the colors of your image into the number of levels that you request.

3. Dry Brush imitates the traditional dry brush technique of dragging a loaded Photoshop brush until it runs out of paint. The edges aren't aliased and hard, through the internal shading will retain the variations in soft shadings.

4. Film Grain looks good when used on text but it's not especially attractive as a special advanced filter.

5. Fresco is very similar to the Dry Brush filter but it intensifies the contrast in the image and makes the darks much bolder good for abstracting an image in sharpening the contrast.

6. Neon Glow is extremely color dependent. It reacts to the settings of the foreground and background colors into a third colors selected in the filter itself. Pick contrasting colors for the most noticeable results.

7. Paint Daubs is supposed to look like spots of paint. It doesn't. Some settings can give pleasing results.

8. Palette Knife can make your image looked if it's been painted using a palette knife using the correct settings and if you want to palette knife to be perfectly flat on the canvas. It can be combined with other filters like Crystallize or Emboss.
a.Open image
b.Copy to Layer
c.Background > Emboss Filter
.d Copy Layer > Palette Knife
1.Settings top to bottom are 50, 3, 02.
2. Change Blending mode to Hard Light

9. Plastic Wrap can be used to give a shine to a portion of your image but I've never seen it used effectively. It does worked fairly well to enhance simple line art graphic or when used on text.

10. The Poster Edges filter posterizes the image in its own colors and adds black detail around the edges all settings produce visible changes in the image is can be good for a would cut-type look.

11. Rough Pastels A very complex filter with a large number of parameters that can very the most critical parameters a texture itself, which makes an enormous difference to the final result. The pastels rub off on the high parts of the texture the darks.

12. Smudge Stick looks if you took a towel and smudged a chalk or pastel drawing. It is a fairly good texture-generating filter when used on a blank image as has had noise added.

13. The Sponge filter looks like someone is daubing paint on the image and is one of the more successful stylizing filters. This makes a wonderful grained paper effect when applied repeatedly to a solid color image.

14. Underpainting filter. Using a canvas texture and a small brush with the highest texture coverage you get an image so real that you think the paint was still wet. It looks the way it would if you had sketched in the details with thin oils on a canvas.
a.Image file open
b.Copy to a new layer
c.Filter > Underpainting
e.0, 40, Brick, 100%, 4, Bottom
f. Copy bkgrd to a new layer on tope. Adjustment Layer Mask and hide all
g. Paint in details.

15. Watercolor is supposed to make an image look as if it was painted with watercolors. It doesn't. The Watercolor filters results are very similar to the Fresco filter, but the Fresco filter adds more outlining around the edges of the shape it identifies. It intensifies the dark areas in the image far too much and the final colors are extremely strong.

Blur Filters

The Blur filters are used to reduce the difference in color between nearby pixels the blur and blur more should be ignored because they don't give you any control.

1. The Average filter averages the colors in the image and might be useful for creating backgrounds.

2. Gaussian Blur is one of the most useful and basic filters. It is used to soften the differences between nearby pixels and to help remove grain.
a. To Simulate depth of field
1.Open an Image that you would to show has selective focus or Depth of Field
2.Dupe the background
3.Filter > Gaussian Blur, setting to suite.
4.Add adjustment layer and create a mask
5.Paint with a Linear, Black/White Gradient in the mask starting where you wish the blur to start.
b. A special effect that some call gives an "ivory painting" look. Works best on a portrait.
1.Open image
2. Duplicate Layer
3. change blending mode to darken
4. background layer active
5. Gaussian blur
a.R-12

3. Motion Blur adds motion to an image. I showed a race car that had the car selected and the selection saved.
a.The background was copied to a layer
b. A layer mask was added. (See notes on adding a layer mask in Elements)
c. Add motion blur to top layer
d. Load selection and fill with black , hiding the blur on this layer.

4. Radial Blur is a special effects filter and can be very useful in emulating taking a photo on long exposure while zooming a lens.
a. To blur car wheels, select the wheel and copy to a layer.
b. Load the selection by ctrl+click the layer.
c. Filter > Blur > Radial Blur > Spin and move the center to the approximate position relative to the image. Click OK
d. If it isn’t at the center, undo and try again.

5. Zoom
a. Image open, copy the center of interest to a layer and the select Zoom from the Radial Blur box, centering the zoom behind the layered object.

6. Smart Blur is only with in the area bordered by an edge. Useful for portraits were you don't want to blur facial blemishes.

Brush Strokes

This class of filter is best used to stylize an image or to create texture. All of these filters work wonderfully on a blank image that he has had the Add Noise filter run on it try this as the start of many exciting textures.
1. Accented Edges is similar to the Find Edges filter but it can be used to give more texture to an image hence it the reason is in the Brush Strokes category. It looks best with the Edge Width Very small. At the small edge width, but with maximum brightness and smoothness, you almost feel if you're looking at liquid colored chrome.

2. Angle Strokes makes an image look as if diagonal brush strokes of oil paints of them been applied to a canvas.

3. Crosshatch can create lovely textures. The filter can make an image looked as if a brush was stroked at angles on a campus. You can also give the impression of a random weave.

4. Dark Strokes is similar to the angled strokes but you cannot see the brush strokes clearly not a favorite of mine.

5. Ink Outlines is very similar to the Dark Strokes filter but you have control of the stroke. It also performs a sort of find edges that can be attractive on some images.

6. Spatter can help to enhance a simple line art graphic and looks good when used on text.

7. Sprayed Strokes can't help to enhance a simple line art graphic. I like to use it to put an edge on an image.
a. Open image.JPEGs
b. Changed to a layer
c. add white background
d. add adjustment later
e. makes selection
f. Fill a border with black
g. Add Sprayed Strokes filter followed by Pixelate > Crystallize

8. Sumi-e is a calligraphy filter that works very well with special effects and with text I seldom use it.

Channel Masking in Photoshop

An extremely quick and effective method for selecting a subject with a reasonable color contrast to the surrounding pixels is to create a mask and then to load this mask as a selection.

1. Click on each channel to see which channel offers the best contrast, white and black.
2. Duplicate this channel by dragging it to the new Channel icon.

Depending on the channels contrast you can do one of the following:

Method 1 – For relatively high contrast channels

1. Apply a levels adjustment to the duplicate channel to increase the contrast of the mask.
Slide the shadows, mid-tone and highlight sliders in until the required mask is achieved.
2. The mask may not be perfect but this can be modified using the painting tools.
3. Choose a paint brush, set the opacity to 100% in the Options bar, and then paint with either black or white to perfect the mask.

Method 2 – For more complex channels and those that have soft or hair transition areas.

1. With the duplicate channel active choose Image > Apply Image and in the target box choose Multiply or Overlay to get the best black and white contrast.
2. The mask will seldom be perfect so it will need to be touched up. You can use the Levels adjustment as described in method one and then
3. Make the RGB channel active to see the image and use the Pen tool to create a path on the edges that have a relatively hard edge.
4. As you create the path and you come to an edge with an hair or an otherwise soft edges click inside the soft edge and set a point, moving inside the hair edge setting points as you go.

You should now have a path which is along the hard edge but inside the soft or hair edge.

5. Create a selection from the path using ctrl+plus the Enter.
6. Fill the selection with black using Atl+Backspace
7. With the Paintbrush paint the area in the mask that should be white. Do not paint on the transition area between the white and black that contains the soft or hairy edge.
8. You now will use levels to create the mask in the transition area. You do this by selecting a relatively small area with the Lasso tool using a Feather of about five to 10.
9. With this area selected open Levels, Cctrl+enter, Drag the Shadows slider to the right and the highlight slider to the left until you get good contrast in this area.
10. Select additional areas of the transition and adjust using Levels as in the previous step. Do this until the entire transition area has been adjusted.
11. You now have a mask that can be used to extract an area from its background. This mask can be loaded by clicking on it with the Control key or by selecting it in the select > Load Selection menu.

Plugin Filters

The Fractalius plugin filter for Photoshop or Photoshop Elements can be found at http://www.redfieldplugins.com/.

Color Efex Pro 3.0 filter set can be found at Nik Software.

Layer Masks in Elements

Using a Pattern Adjustment Layer to Blend Two Images Together

1. Have 2 images that you want to blend together into a single photo. They must be the same size, same pixel dimensions.
2. In the SIG I used lion 1 and lion 2
3. Add a Levels Adjustment Layer on Lion 1. Notice Adjustment layers have a Mask. Make a levels adjustment and click OK. If you make any adjustment with Levels you can paint with black to hide the adjustment or white to show the adjustment. Flatten to apply your adjustment.
4. Select your other image, in my case Lion 2.jpg
5. Select > All or the shortcut Ctrl+A
6. Edit menu > Define Pattern
7. In the first image, in my case Lion 1.jpg, add a Pattern Adjustment Layer. The last created pattern, Lion 2, will appear as the current pattern to be applied.
8. With Black as the Foreground color and white as the background Select the Gradient tool and drag on the Mask to blend the two images together. Start the drag where you want to stop hiding what is on this layer and stop when you want the layer fully revealed.
   

Layer Mask using an Adjustment Layer as a Clipping Group.

I used two images, one with a bald sky, Space Adventure and another with the sky I wanted to use to replace the bald sky, clouds.psd. The following are the steps taken to replace the bald sky.

1. Open Space Adventure.jpg
2. I used the Magnetic Lasso to select the foreground. You can use whatever selection tool that gives you the selection that fits your subject. You want the sky to be eventually selected. I selected the foregroud because it suited the Magnetic Lasso tool.
3. I added the trees with the Magic Wand with the Add button selected on the Options bar.
4. In the Select Menu click Add Similar to get trees that weren't selected.
5. Select Menu > Refine Edge to adjust the selection.
6. In the Select menu > Inverse to now make the sky selected
7. Select > Save selection.
8. Double click the Background to change the Background to a Layer
9. Open clouds and move with the Move tool to the space adventure image
10. Drag the clouds under the space adventure layer.
11. On Space layer add a Levels (could be any) Adjustment Layer
12. Drag the Adjustment Layer under the Space layer
13. With the Space layer active select Group with Previous to create a clipping group with the Adjustment Layer.
14. Click on Mask in the Adjustment layer and in the Select Menu load the sky selection.
15. The new sky should now replace the bald sky. If the sky replaced the foreground instead, click on the Mask and Ctrl+I key to Invert the selection.
16. You can paint on the mask with black or white to touch up your mask.
    8. Load selection in Mask

VisiSketchPro

A new program called VisiSketchPro was demostrated at the Photoshop SIG. This program is designed to build animations of just about any image one can imagine. VisiSketchPro is now available from http://www.visisketchpro.com/. It will be demostrated again at the Photoshop Elements SIG on 1-16.

Creating Starburst glints of light in Photoshop

Here is a nice effect that looks like the sun glinting off a metallic or shiny surface. This starburst effect even includes a little lens flare. A tasteful replacement for the sometimes over used lens flare filter.

1. First thing we need to do is create a new document, 600 X 600 pixels.
a. Set my background to black to that you can see the white glint that you will prepare.
2. Create a new layer and choose the line tool (Hidden under the rectangle shape tool in the toolbox)
a. Choose 2 pixels and the draw pixel option from the options bar
3. Set white as your foreground color
4. Draw a short dash (A) (About 170 pixels). Hold the Shift key to constrain the rotation to a horizontal line
5. Choose Filter>Blur>Motion Blur
6. Add enough distance to get a nice tapered look.
a. Make sure the angle matches the angle of the line.
7. Duplicate the Layer with the dash on it
8. Press Ctrl (Windows+T) for free transform
9. Rotate the dash while holding down shift to constrain the rotation
10. Choose both dash Layers and press Ctrl/Cmd+E to merge them (On version CS and earlier, choose the top layer and press Ctrl/Cmd+E to merge with the layer beneath) Careful not to merge with background
11. Duplicate the merged dash layer (Ctrl +J)
12. Press Ctrl/Cmd+T for free transform
13. Rotate 45 deg, grab a corner point and scale toward the center to make the new star smaller (hold down alt+shift to scale from center and constrain)
14. You now have your starburst and you may be happy right here.
15. Create a new Layer
16. Grab the elliptical marquee tool (circular selection tool)
17. Create a selection over the starburst
18. Choose Edit>Stroke Choose a 1 pixel white stroke
19. Deselect
20. Filter>Blue>Gaussian Blur to soften the effect
21. Merge the 3 layers together by selecting them and Ctrl+E to merge.

virtualPhotographer by OptikVerve Labs

virtualPhotographer is a free plugin for both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. It can be downloaded FREE from the OptikVerve Labs web site, http://www.optikvervelabs.com/default.asp.