Post by Chemical Mongoose on Jan 15, 2006 21:33:00 GMT 8
A scanline is a basic Photoshop prototype, it adds small simultamous lines across your selected image, giving it a somewhat proffessional effect. It is a very basic tutorial yet it can look very good and it may be the last thing you need for an image.
Step One - Open Photoshop and create a new image. My image is 300 x 150. I will quickly make a red and orange background with some simple brushes just to give a basic idea. Using two individual colours (Or more), design the background of your image.
This is an example background...
Step Two - Now that you have your background complete, it is time to put in a render. This is optional and a scanline will work just as well without a render. I will use a very, very simple image quickly.
In this picture I have put a cube and blended it...
Step Three - (If you have a Scanline pattern already then skip this step and the next following step). If you do not already have a Scanline pattern then open a new image through File and then Open. Make it 3 x 3 pixels and mark it as Transperant instead of White or Background. Click Okay. Now Zoom-In to 1600% and using the 1 x Pencil Tool, mark three dots in a diagonal order like the image below. Make sure you are zoomed in so you can see.
Tip: You can get the Pencil Tool from right clicking on the Paint Brush and selecting the Pencil image. Now, change the brush pallet to the 1 x at the very top of the brushes menu. Make sure you are zoomed in to 1600% and make three aligned dots like so...
This picture is what your new 3 x 3 pixel image should look like...
Step Four - Once you have three corresponding dots using your Pencil Tool, click Edit on the menu bar and click on Define Pattern near the bottom of the drop down menu. Now you will come up with a window box called Pattern Name, name it Scanline and click Okay.
Tip: Once you have clicked Okay after naming the Pattern Scanline, you will not need the Scanline 3 x 3 image again, simply close the file, it will already be saved onto your Pattern contents.
Step Five - Go back to your signature image. (In this tutorial it is the one with the orange and red background and blue cube render) and close the 3 x 3 Scanline pattern, you won't need that anymore. With your background image from before, click Select on the menu bar and scroll down to All, it will be the first option.
This is what your image should now appear as, with a black and white rotating line around it.
Step Six - On your menu bar, click Edit and go down to Fill. A new window will open, in the first section it will say Content and it will have a drop down menu. Click the menu and then click on Pattern. Now that you have clicked Pattern, a Custom Pattern option will come up just below. Click on the Custom Pattern option and look for the pattern you made. It will be the 3 x 3 aligned image you made earlier.
This is the option in which you can find your pattern. It will be the 3 x 3 one you made earlier.
Step Seven - Once you have selected your pattern, change the Opacity to a number around 20 percent which is what I use most commonly. After you have changed the Opacity and you have the correct Pattern option, you are done. Click Okay and there should now be a faint scanline over your image. You can make it darker or lighter and even make new scanlines afterwards.
Here is a finishing product, we have filled it with a Scanline that we made...
Here are some other simple images using the Scanline fill pattern...
FAQ's
Where is the Pencil tool?
Where you would normally find the Brush tool, right click and an option to change it to Pencil tool will come up. Now go to the Brush drop down menu and use the 1 x.
Will it cover my image?
No, if you keep your fill Scanline pattern basic and the opacity to something around 20 then the background image will always be visible. However, if you change the opacity or fiddle around with various options then yes it may.
Thanks to Thugdude as well.
Step One - Open Photoshop and create a new image. My image is 300 x 150. I will quickly make a red and orange background with some simple brushes just to give a basic idea. Using two individual colours (Or more), design the background of your image.
This is an example background...
Step Two - Now that you have your background complete, it is time to put in a render. This is optional and a scanline will work just as well without a render. I will use a very, very simple image quickly.
In this picture I have put a cube and blended it...
Step Three - (If you have a Scanline pattern already then skip this step and the next following step). If you do not already have a Scanline pattern then open a new image through File and then Open. Make it 3 x 3 pixels and mark it as Transperant instead of White or Background. Click Okay. Now Zoom-In to 1600% and using the 1 x Pencil Tool, mark three dots in a diagonal order like the image below. Make sure you are zoomed in so you can see.
Tip: You can get the Pencil Tool from right clicking on the Paint Brush and selecting the Pencil image. Now, change the brush pallet to the 1 x at the very top of the brushes menu. Make sure you are zoomed in to 1600% and make three aligned dots like so...
This picture is what your new 3 x 3 pixel image should look like...
Step Four - Once you have three corresponding dots using your Pencil Tool, click Edit on the menu bar and click on Define Pattern near the bottom of the drop down menu. Now you will come up with a window box called Pattern Name, name it Scanline and click Okay.
Tip: Once you have clicked Okay after naming the Pattern Scanline, you will not need the Scanline 3 x 3 image again, simply close the file, it will already be saved onto your Pattern contents.
Step Five - Go back to your signature image. (In this tutorial it is the one with the orange and red background and blue cube render) and close the 3 x 3 Scanline pattern, you won't need that anymore. With your background image from before, click Select on the menu bar and scroll down to All, it will be the first option.
This is what your image should now appear as, with a black and white rotating line around it.
Step Six - On your menu bar, click Edit and go down to Fill. A new window will open, in the first section it will say Content and it will have a drop down menu. Click the menu and then click on Pattern. Now that you have clicked Pattern, a Custom Pattern option will come up just below. Click on the Custom Pattern option and look for the pattern you made. It will be the 3 x 3 aligned image you made earlier.
This is the option in which you can find your pattern. It will be the 3 x 3 one you made earlier.
Step Seven - Once you have selected your pattern, change the Opacity to a number around 20 percent which is what I use most commonly. After you have changed the Opacity and you have the correct Pattern option, you are done. Click Okay and there should now be a faint scanline over your image. You can make it darker or lighter and even make new scanlines afterwards.
Here is a finishing product, we have filled it with a Scanline that we made...
Here are some other simple images using the Scanline fill pattern...
FAQ's
Where is the Pencil tool?
Where you would normally find the Brush tool, right click and an option to change it to Pencil tool will come up. Now go to the Brush drop down menu and use the 1 x.
Will it cover my image?
No, if you keep your fill Scanline pattern basic and the opacity to something around 20 then the background image will always be visible. However, if you change the opacity or fiddle around with various options then yes it may.
Thanks to Thugdude as well.
