Hey Ezanker,I've started on photoshop!

[sean k]

Hey Bro,I finally bought the book yesterday and did some drawing then scanned and started in with photoshop.I also managed to find some dark T-shirt transfer so heres some questions for you.

Given I can fit 5 artworks per page of transfer how does one go about making the 5 small artworks fit on one artwork for printing?

What is your DPI on the final 110mm x 84mm artwork?

Are you using a laquer on the final artwork?

From these questions you will surmise what stage I'm at and any other ideas you might think will help will be greatly appreciated.

Oh,and heres my first attempt.

[ezanker]

Hi Sean,
Glad you found the transfer paper, let us know how it works out for you.

Given I can fit 5 artworks per page of transfer how does one go about making the 5 small artworks fit on one artwork for printing?

Alright, make sure when you start the artwork you use 300DPI.  In fact, just use 300DPI anytime you want a hi res print.

Assuming you have 5 separate files and now you want to combine them for the print:
1. Create a new file the size of the paper you are printing on at 300DPI.
2. For each artwork file do a select all and copy merge (combines all the layers).
3. Paste into new file and place where you want it to print.
4. Repeat, for other 4 files.
5. Print  

Are you using a laquer on the final artwork?

Yes.  After the transfer is ironed on the box and the box has cooled, I spray several coats of clear, glossy acrylic over the box.

The attached picture looks great!  Looks like you are set to create some really cool looking boxes.

Let me know if you need further details,
Erik

[sean k]

Erik,of course I went away and figured that out after my first post,I didn't use copy and merge,because I'd already saved the layers as a new file.I suppose its a habit from making music where I always save what I've done.
But as you see with the next sample I'm getting fine white lines on the edges of the layers.Is there something I should do after each layer is put on the one before and before the next layer goes on?


 And this is great Man!,I'm almost a wreak from the possibilities whirling around in my head!
 I've also gotta figure out what my scanners working at,DPI,and also see if the printer can do its stuff at that resolution.I'm at 150DPI at the moment and it seems alright.Thanks for your help cuzzy(NZ maori word for cousin,seeing there all kinda related it means friend,I suppose.)

[ezanker]

The fine white lines are not added by Photoshop and there is nothing special you need to do when using layers.

I'm just guessing, but it looks like you scanned in a drawing, then you tried to select and delete the white space so that you could place it over a background.  If that is the case, your fine white line was probably left over from your white space eradication :wink:  If you did something like this, can you describe how you did your selection (select color range, magnetic lasso, etc.)?

Definitely keep using layers and don't worry about "mixing down".  Keeping layers you can easily try different things and just turn layers on and off or mix them via opacity.

BTW, did you know you can select a layer in the layer list and drag it from one file and then drop it on another open file?  So you could work on your scanned drawing in one file and then drag it onto a background in another file.

Also if you double-click on a layer in the layer list, it brings up the layer style dialog which allows you to quickly apply drop shadows, beveling, embossing types of effects.

Thanks for your help cuzzy(NZ maori word for cousin,seeing there all kinda related it means friend,I suppose.)

You're very welcome cuzzy!
We just went to see the film "The Piano" again recently and then a Maori professor here in town gave a speech about how the movie was a political comment and was aimed at saving the Maori people.  Definitely made us see the film in a new light  :idea:  He also mentioned that there are no longer any full blooded Maori...

[sean k]

Eric,the magic wand happens to be the thing I know how to work so far.I bang it in a spot and hit clear once I've pasted the top image.But I found another way as well by selecting colour and inverting then pasting whats left.The magic wand I can use kinda effectively by changing its intensity and if theres any bits left I'll use the eraser.The white lines only appear on one of five finished works so I think its to do with pixels per inch.

I haven't even gone near opacity so maybe that'll be the next thing I attempt to learn.So I realise there may be a bunch of easier ways to do things so I'll have to keep reading the book.Like I've got absolutely no idea what the layer list is...?,I'll look for it next time as well cause I like the idea of shadows

  The Piano,I haven't seen that in years,I don't remember any political commentary and can't remember anything about it saving the Maori people.But then lecturers are basically all about creating comment where they feel it will be listened to or read...thats their job!The big fella next door,who was a local dignitary of the Tangata Whenua,well a notable anyways,died yesterday and there having the...what is it again,Tangi tonight.The body don't go away but is left in the house and mourning goes on for a few days and all the whanua come calling.
 Tangata Whenua  people of the land
 Tangi  Funeral
 Whanua  extended family

 So from that its kinda apparent why there are no full blooded Maori left.What I'm saying is that if even I know these words and their meanings as part of common language then us and the natives have intermingled pretty well over the last few hundred years..and we have.Mixed race children and couples is really a very common thing and holds absolutely no stigma,well some in certain quarters,but its hardly noticeable.So yeah,the Maori race is dying out,but its not so much dying as being joined with other races....which given the small population bases common in this part of the world its actually more about race survival,co mingling of races,to ensure the smaller gene pools are always renewed.But its all a moot point really...who cares what colour your skin is as long as you can hear the land.
 Hey,why not go and hang with the local natives around your way.Are there any?(I'm not being sarcastic at all,I am genuinely interested.I was born in Ontario,Canada which is six nations ground and I went back and did some hanging with the locals.Once you get through the anger,which in most cases is entirely justified or at least understandable,some interesting stuff can unfold.)

 God I go on don't I?,sorry bud.One more thing.If where I live here in NZ was transplanted to America we'ed be living right in the middle of the reservation.We're the only white people on our street,90 percent pacific islanders and a few Maoris.I love it

[ezanker]

What I'm calling the Layer List looks like this:


Select a layer in this list, double-click and it bring up the Layer Style dialog:


There are some "natives" in our general area, but we are in the middle of a huge city mostly comprised of transient non-natives.  We tend to be a bunch of "Rootless Cosmopolitans"

How did you end up in NZ from Canada?

[sean k]

So are the layers in there automatically or is it something you need to do actively,say after sizing,and does it apply to bitmaps or only photoshop files?I got out a huge book from the library months ago about photoshop but didn't get around to it so I think now might be a good time to do something like that.
 Umm,Dad was in the steelmill and couldn't see himself staying there for the rest of his life and decided he wanted to be as far away from the rest of the human race as was possible and in 1969 New Zealand was just about the best place for that with an english speaking population...,so here we are.But I spent my first 7 years in Canada and I think it works well in this country.I can think big if you get my drift,NZer's,bless their hearts,tend to think in hills and valleys but when your brought up around lakes like seas,clouds all the way to space and water falls bigger than stadiums...it does make impressions that stay with one!

[ezanker]

Sean, layers are automatic and are one of the most powerful features in Photoshop.  Whether you read in a bitmap, jpeg, gif, etc.; once it is in Photosop it is just a layer in the Photoshop file.  Layers are sort of like transparent papers with something drawn or written on each one; and then stacked on top of each other in a particular order.

In PS7 select Window-->Layers to display the layer list.  From within the list you can create a new layer with one of the buttons at the bottom, or if you want to mess around with an existing layer while keeping the original, just drag the layer on top of the create new layer button to create a copy.  Layers are transparent except where you draw or write on them.  You can toggle the 'eye' to the left of each layer to make it visible/invisible.  You can drag layers up and down in the stack to place them on top or underneeth other layers.  For each layer if you change the opacity to less than 100%, you can see layers beneeth start showing through or mess with the way layers are combined (e.g. dissolve, difference, multiply).

In the case of your second example, I would put the flowers as the bottom layer and then your scanned in drawing as the next layer, making sure all white space is transparent so the flowers will show through.  You could also take each 'island' in your scanned drawing (in, phase, etc.) to a separate layer so you can easily manipulate them separately and move them independently.

Sounds like you have a great life down there.  How easy is immigration?  

[sean k]

Eric,If your skilled and have a whole lotta money to invest with our government then its simple to immigrate here.Less of each it may be harder.If your poor and a refugee its kinda easy as well but its in the middle where it gets hard...but thats only my take on it and the best way to find out is to go here.
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/

 I think,basically,if you've got something we want then its pretty straight forward and simplelish.When we came the doors were wide open to the extent when I left in '95 I had to apply for permanent residence and a re-entry permit.Things have got tighter but theres still lotsa new people coming in all the time.The Asians bring money,the caucasians bring skills and everybody else brings diversity.If your young and skilled I think your chances would be fairly high...even if it took a few years to get to the top of the waiting list.Good Luck!,oh and if you need any references I'm sure I could find some good ones.
  Case in point,I used to go see one of our prime mininsters every so often on saturdays when he visited the local electorate office,no security,no special stuff...just ring up for an appointment.So that said it really isn't hard to get hold of top people and get things done.
 And in that respect it certainly is a good place to be a part of.

[sean k]

Seems we need graphic artists
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/Administration/EmploymentFactSheets/03_GraphicArtist_Creative/GraphicArtist.html

 Might be real easy for you guys to come here.
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/nzopportunities/unitedstates/