How to "Photoshop" a scanned ruler

[Daveb]

Hi
Looking for some help from somebody who is good with Photoshop.
The image in this link:

http://www.baypressservices.com/acatalog/Line_Gauge_612.html

was created by somebody who new what he was doing, in Photoshop, from a scanned image similar to the attached image.

If anybody knows how to do this....

Thanks
Dave

[Duncan Rounding]

You cold create one similar from scratch easier than 'photoshopping' the scanned image you have.

Otherwise I think you really need to start off with a better image than you have by perhaps taking a photo of it using a light box.

[Daveb]

Thanks Duncan
You think the original artist worked from a photo rather than from a scan?
Could be.
Don't know for sure.
Dave

[Fairyglass]

Hi Dave,

We use a metal ruler in some of our images, and we've found it's a lot better to take a photo rather than scan. There's usually more clarity, and more detail, as long as you get the light right. We use photographic lights which make a great deal of difference- you have even lighting and fewer shadows.

I'm not a photoshop expert- I use it for the basics- but I'd have thought the original image you're trying to replicate would have been taken from a digital image and cut out, then placed on a background, in Photoshop.

Hope this helps.
Ben

[george]

Theres a good (old) thread elsewhere on the forum about images, I'll post it up later if I can find it.

I find scanning gilt and silver just `doesnt work` (because of reflection?) and you get much better results using a camera.

[acompton]

gilt and silver
Football bling? ;)

[CymraegKev]

I'm fairly sure the orginal image was a photo, not a scan, as it has a consistent light source. Your image, really, isn't going to scrub up enough in Photoshop if you ask me. You would spend much more time editing the image. Can you not get an image from the manufacturer of the ruler?

You'd have to look at dodging and burning a lot of the image you have (there are a lot of dark areas that need lightening up etc) - it just wouldn't be worth while in my opinion.

Kevin

[jont]

Metallic objects just do not scan correctly.

Stick it in front of a window on top of a curved piece of paper (I use white wall paper lining paper - cheap as chips and you never run out if damaged) to create an infinity curve with a piece of black card on 1 side to add some definition to the metallic edges and take a picture ... no need for studio lights on bright, sunny days.

[meden]

It's also possible that the image was built in Illustrator - nothing particularly difficult about drawing it.

[Nick C]

I agree, the picture on the website does look handmade. I can't create a ruler, but if you get a good photo to me I'll happily cut it out for you and add your background or whatever you need.

[wesleythorne]

Hi it should only take a few minutes to do what you need if you have a higher res scan.
I did a quick photoshop tweak in under 2 mins.
If you have a higher res I don't mind spearing ten mins.
attached ruler image
Wes

[leehack]

I'm not sure if I fully understand what you are trying to do here but i will throw something into the mix anyway. Can you install screen calipers and screenshot it instead?

[george]

First photography thread on here for ages and todays the day I drop my Fuji Finepix onto a concrete floor and kill it. :o

What a bitch. :mad:

[Fairyglass]

what Finepix is it George? I have two spares, one in pieces. I may have the bit you need!

[george]

The dead one is an F30.

Cant see any visual damage other than one corner that has taken the brunt of the fall on it and it seems to have swelled the case a bit around that area. It does not switch on with the on/off button now either, just the play button (strange?) and you can only browse the memory, the lens no longer opens, and you cannot even alter the shooting settings since it does not want to go into camera mode.

Shall I inflict some ultra-violence?

[jont]

George for the insurance claim Fuji is spelled Hasselblad!

[george]

Is it time I moved up to one of the larger models jonty? One of 'em super zoom thingummyjiggers?

[Fairyglass]

Mine's nothing like that- sorry George. Time to get technical with a large hammer :D

[george]

Cheers for the thought though Ben :thumbsup:

[Daveb]

Follow up to Photoshop users:
Attached Photo taken in a light box.
You are all correct, the photo is much better than the scan.
Now all I need to figure out is how to photoshop it up to the quality of the image on the site on the original post.

Thanks
Dave

[jont]

It is not a million miles away from the version in the original post. Your friends here are the "curves" dialogue to help with the contrast and then try the un-sharp mask in the filters... if you duplicate the layer first and then work on that have a play around to see what you can do.

[Mark H]

Dave - back to your OP, the image you want to achieve has indeed been "Photoshopped". They will have done something like this (in Fireworks I'm afraid, but PS should be similar):


Remove the real texture of the metal ruler. 50% of this can be done by photographing/scanning carefully, 50% by adjusting brightness and contrast in FW/PS. Your original scanned image (ruler.jpg) is actually a bit better than the photographed version (ruler1.jpg) in this respect.

Add a new layer on top in FW/PS, make a rectangle big enough to half cover the original image below, then change the fill of the rectangle to a gradient (there are different types - you'll have to experiment) and adjust the colours and transparency of the gradient, and repeat this rectangle until you get the effect shown in your OP.


A VERY quick and dirty example based on your original image: