Can someone Help? adding texture to a photo

[shabbychic]

I understand how to use filters My problem is I want to use some of the textures found @ textureking.com they are in Jpeg format
I do not understand how to use them with a photo ,, I am slow! I guess LOL what am I missing ? thank you for any help you can give me Nola

[Diana]

Hi Shabby,

Here's how I do it:

To Create a New Texture and Install it:

Take a photo, or use a photo you already have, that has a definite texture to it, such as tree bark, a patch of grass, shag carpet, etc.


Change image to Grayscale - Image > Mode > Grayscale
Crop and/or resize the image to 513 px by 513 px at 72 ppi
Save in .PSD format to the Textures folder at
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\Presets\Textures


To Load and Use the New Texture:


Filter > Texture > Texturizer
Click on the little arrow to the right of the Texture box
From the flyout menu, select Load Texture
Find your new texture in the list and load it, adjust Scaling and Relief, then click OK

[Note: If your Load Texture window doesn't default to the Presets\Textures folder, you will have to navigate to that folder to find it.]

Make sure to change Mode back to RGB or the next time you create a New document, it will default to Grayscale and you'll wonder what happened.


Hope this helps.

Edit: Here's a texture I just made using a photo of a Grate:
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1T8JzS5RgoVjBz90bjQalsDOje2Hf_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1T8JzS5RgoVjBz90bjQalsDOje2Hf)

Diana

[shabbychic]

Thanks so much Diana I will give that a whirl..
sounds easy (famous last words LOL) Nola

[cats4jan]

Open a new project and color that layer with the paint bucket

(Or open a photo you want to texturize)

Open the texture jpg - place it (copy or drag) above the first layer in your new project

While on your texture jpg layer -

At the top of your layers palette - there is a box that says "normal"

Click for drop down menu

Choose "soft light"

If you are going to want to move this "new paper" onto another project, merge down first.

I don't install textures. The more you install into Elements, the slower the program works.

[GaryK]

Diana

What is the scoop on the size and rez.. just your preference or a PE restriction?

[Wendy]

Hi Gary ...

You can save them at any size you want ... but the size affects how the texture appears on an image.

Adobe tend to use 256 x 256 @ 72 but that means that when you are working on a high resolution image then you are unable to scale the texture large enough for it to work well.

I have rescaled some of mine to 1296 x 1296 because of that and the larger size gives you mor flexibility :)

Wendy

[GaryK]

Hi Wendy

Thanks.

I have only saved them following a tut and of course, I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing.:D

[Diana]

Gary,

Actually, I just opened one of the textures that came with Elements in the Editor and looked at the size, resolution, and file format and went with that. I believe I did read a tutorial somewhere, too, that said to convert to grayscale. Anyway, it works for me.

Diana

[shabbychic]

cats4jan thanks for the tips.. Im still p[laying with it all hope to have some results today!
thanks All. Nola:)