We like to paint our names on the wall

[venta]

I've spent a few minutes trying to knock out some logos to go on t-shirts for Mabel. It's not gone entirely to plan.

I had stolen, from somewhere online, the following picture of a sword lock:



Now, that's a little small to go on a t-shirt. But it's also not a very high quality image, so blowing it up makes it rather fuzzy. However, the GIMP appears to have options like "smart sharpen". OK, that looks like a good plan - sharpen the edges up, it'll be fine.

The result:



What on earth's happened there ? It looks knitted.

However, I'd also found that the GIMP has an option for "smart enlarge", so perhaps I can start again from the little lock.



Well, that's hardly any better, is it ?

Does anyone know what these functions are meant to do ? They clearly don't do what I was expecting of them.

Also, can anyone give me idiot-proof instructions on how to bend text ? I want to write something round the lock, but have no idea how to go about it. I'm at work, so I only have the GIMP (and don't want to spend time downloading other stuff, even if it's free) - though if people can offer very idiot-proof instructions I can try Paintshop/Photoshop when I get home. Graphics software and I don't really get on. Really.

And... I tried, I really did. I mocked up some designs using various fonts. And what does it look like the majority vote is in favour of ? Comic Sans. I ask you.

People will no doubt be pleased to note that the overall effect of yesterday's playlist experiment was to remind me that there are a few albums I haven't listened to enough, or haven't listened to in a while. So today, I've listened to Envy of Angels, by the Mutton Birds, Lost Horizons by Lemon Jelly and am currently listening to Head Music by Suede. I found the Suede album cheap in a bargain bucket somewhere and have since been recommended against it, since it belongs to Suede's crap (ie post Butler-departure) era.

Comments

[al-fruitbat.livejournal.com]

It's the absolute most important thing to remember in Photoshop.

As far as Photoshop's concerned, every new thing you put 'on the picture' is stored on a new layer of transparent plastic laid on top of your picture. Every pasted thing goes on a new layer. Every bit of text - new layer. At the end of a normal few hours work, I'll be dealing with twenty or thirty layers, unless I've been managing them carefully.

All layers can be moved around and transformed independently of each other, and the layer order, visibility and activity can be quite important to how your image looks. It is entirely possible to be wondering 'why isn't this doing anything' while you're painting blue spots on a layer you can't see.

I get confused by layers sometimes, and I've been using Photoshop for nearly a decade now.

I suppose you could try and fight it (use "->Layers->Flatten Image" a lot) but to be honest, it's not a bad paradigm to get used to.

[broadmeadow.livejournal.com]

If you absolutely hate layers then I have an old magazine cover disc with Paintshop Pro version 4 on it you could borrow. For most (but not all) things I find it is far easier - and faster - than later versions, or Photoshop.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Ah. I'm vaguely aware of that, but have never seen it in action.

My experience goes thusly:

Start with picture.
Copy second picture to add to it.
Any means you can find of pasting it will open the damn thing in a new window, instead of adding it to the existing one.

So I suspect I never got as far as layers :)