how to do a xerox/photocopy effect?

graphic design question to get a xerox effect

[craig1972]

hello, let us say i have an image of a human being in a park. I can extract just the face from the picture, but now i want a color-tinted xerox effect, sort of like the effect on this page: [monarc.com...] (mariah carey's background)

any tips/thoughts would be appreciated...i have fireworks and adobe photoshop. thanks!

[jimbeetle]

Already have too many things open or I'd start PS to be sure, but off the top of my head, the Posterization filter should take care of that in Photoshop.

Jim

[martinibuster]

Geez, I've been trying to duplicate this too. I've gotten as far as creating a layer on top, then filling it with the target color, and changing the blending mode to screen.

I tried upping the contrast on the pic, and that seemed to get me in the right direction, but not quite.

It seems that there is another way, or perhaps an intermediate step to take.

Unfortunately, the posterize effect didn't really do the job.

[tedster]

Two steps - getting the "posterized" look in a grayscale image, and then tinting it.

If you're starting with a color image, use Image > Adjustments > Desaturate to go to grayscale. Then season that image with Contrast, or Posterize, or even Levels.

After you have a grayscale image you like, try Hue/Saturation and check the "colorize" box at the bottom right. Then play with the sliders.

[toadhall]

How I go about it:

Starting with a good contrast (usually) colour image...

Image > Mode > Grayscale

Image > Adjust > Levels... drag the shadows slider and the highlight slider overtop the midtone slider.

Image > Mode > RGB Color

Select the white (magic wand and Select > Similar), flood (Edit > Fill...) one colour.

Select the black (magic wand and Select > Similar), flood (Edit > Fill...) the other colour.

T

[craig1972]

wow, so many ideas.

i tried posterize, and it gets me close but not quite . perhaps with some images with the right contrast, it'd work out of the box but does not work with any of my 3 images :(

toadhall, i tried your suggestion, but the select similar does not really work either (actually, for pics i am working with, posterize was quicker and a lot more accurate!)

i have also tried "photocopy" filter from the "sketch" filter category. ironically, that is the most useless by far! :)

will play with posterize for a while i guess. any otherideas of course welcome!

[defanjos]

Here is a quick way to do it - I think this is what you're looking for:

- grayscale the image
- add another layer under main layer
- "paint bucket" new layer with the color you want to tint the main image
- go to main layer > click on dropdown > choose Screen.
You can play with the opacity to adjust things.

[martinibuster]

defanjos
That's actually the method I suggested, however, the colored layer goes above, not beneath, the main layer.

[defanjos]

martinibuster,

Sorry about that, I should have read the entire thread more carefully.

Yes, you are correct about the "tint" layer going on top - my mistake.

[craig1972]

martinibluster and defanjos, thanks! that blending techniqye as well as posterize combined do the trick! :)

Posterize setting should be 2 to simulate only 2 colors..

THANK YOU!

[martinibuster]

Martini Bluster? Not before 4 martinis, I assure you.

:) Y

[john316]

You could run over to kinkos and make a copy.

[mivox]

Oh sure john. Go ahead and try to make things easy, why don't you! ;) That's not the way artists work, man! hehehehe.