Intro by Skip Cohen
This is a very different post from what we usually share because it’s a “how-to” Photoshop piece from Suzette Allen’s archives. We’re all doing things a little differently since the pandemic, but we’re also doing new kinds of projects because we’ve had time on our hands.
Suzette Allen has several different blogs, each with a slightly different application. A few months back, she shared the post below on “Suzette Says.” Depending on the image or page you’ve created a signature can add credibility or even a more personal feel.
Check out all of Suzette’s blogs. She never slows down on ideas to help us raise the bar on our creativity, spirituality, and even our lives.
By Suzette Allen
Ok, so I had a call from a friend (and long-ago student) who is designing the coolest cookbook ever, featuring the recipes and family memories of her late Mom who passed away about two years ago. What a lovely way to honor her, remember her, and continue the family traditions! It will be a priceless treasure to her family, I’m sure! She has countless hand-written recipes and cards from her and she wanted to use her actual signature in the book. Many of the handwritten recipes are on the pages and seeing her mom’s handwriting just warms her heart. Even the grandkids recognize grandmas handwriting!
So I showed her the coolest magic trick ever called “Blend-If” and it is a valuable tool in your Photoshop Arsenal for virtually cutting out logos, text, handwritten works, skies -lots of things- in a split second!
I have made a quick little video below because it is so much easier to SEE it than comprehend something you have never seen nor have a grid for! Its tucked away in the magic box in PS! Plus, there are bonus techniques added to the video!
But, here are the written instructions for it:
In your layout, lasso the signature you want to cut out, make a copy and drag it onto your background. I’m assuming the signature is dark and the background is light or lighter. (some papers are dark and may need some contrast added to make it smoother).
On that layer in the layer panel, double click on it to go to Layer Styles as if you were to add a drop shadow or bevel. But in the first dialog window, at the bottom, look for Blend If: Grey and two sliders below it. On the top slider (named this layer), drag the little white triangle from the right side toward the left and watch the white or light colors vanish! If you go all the way over, it all vanishes, so just go far enough to blend away the paper and leave the signature or logo!
So there you have it!! There are a few other nuances and controls to modify with other kinds of images but we will save that for another blog!
