1.  Describe the process of creating an image composite using
a combination of images.

2. In This Chapter, you’ll learn on:
 Select appropriate images to create an image
montage.
 Isolate image elements using masking techniques.
 Apply various filters and effects to image visual
appeal.
 Combine and position images to create a meaning
montage.

3.  Select Appropriate Images to Create an Image Montage
 The technique widely used by graphic designers and consists
of cutting and joining multiple photographs/pictures in order to
create a unique image, using graphic applications such as
Photoshop. This technique is referred as
 The idea here is to create the illusion that all of the photo
elements are parts of the same photo.
An example of an image montage

4. Isolate Image Elements Using Masking Techniques

The Definition of Masking
 Photoshop software allows the user to build artwork in
layers. Layer masking allows you to hide or use as much of
any one layer as you like.
 Some people call a mask a matte, a frisket or a hi-con. It
is a black and white image that cuts out a layer, allowing
it to show though wherever the pixels are white, and
holds out or hides a layer wherever the mask is black.
 There are two basic types of masks--layer masks and
vector masks.

5.  Vector Mask
 A vector mask is a geometrical shape rather than a
fixed image. A vector mask is adjustable, as it is not
tied to individual pixels. Create the shape of your
mask using the path or shape tool. You can add
points on to a path, alter the curve of its shape or
size it up or down.

6.  Layer Mask
 A layer mask is pixel-based. You create a layer mask
either by drawing white on a black background or
by building a high contrast image (a key) based on
the luminance or color of the layer.

7.  Apply Various Filters and Effects to Image Visual
Appeal
 Image Editing
 There are a number of image editing procedures that are
regularly executed during graphic production to ensure good
image quality.
 However, most image editing procedures cause a loss of
information in the image, compromising fine details, colors and
etc.
 This means you can destroy an image if you are careless or
perform too many tasks. It is therefore important to edit an
image as little as possible and to perform the steps in the
correct order.

8.  Apply Various Filters and Effects to Image Visual
Appeal
 Image Editing
 You would also want to keep a smooth workflow. Despite the
fact that all steps technically “destroy” the image, the final
result will generally give the impression of a better image.
 To avoid unnecessary loss of image information, adjustments to
brightness, contrast and color should as much as possible be
performed when the image is scanned, which you’d learnt
earlier. We will now review the steps of image editing, using a
scanned image as our example.

9.  Correct Resolution
 After scanning, and particularly if the image is
retrieved from a digital archive, etc., the resolution of
the image has to be adjusted to that need for the
final print.

 Adjusting Brightness and Contrast
 In most cases, you will probably want to adjust the
brightness and contrast of the image, if only if certain
areas. For example, you might want to lighten up just
the dark areas and maintain the brightness and
contrast of the rest of the image.

10.  Brightness and Contrast
 By using Curves you can
adjust the brightness and
contrast of the image.

 When the curve’s shape
changes the image’s
appearance changes
accordingly. In this case, a
flatter curve provides a
“softer” image and a
steeper curve a “harder”.


11.  General Color Adjustments
 The example above shows an
image before and after general
color adjustments have been
made. In the image to the left,
there is a cast of cyan. In the
image to the right, the image
has been adjusted so the neutral
parts of the image have
determined a change of all the
colors in the image.


12.  Adjust Certain Colors
 - Sometimes you might want to adjust particular colors in an image.
Often it is natural reference colors, like skin tone, the color of the
grass or the sky, etc., that need to be corrected.

 - The tool Image > Adjust > Hue/Saturation enables you to perform
independent adjustments to a color’s hue, saturation and brightness.
This tool also enables you to make general changes to the image,
like increasingly the overall color saturation.

 -You can also use this same tool for more manipulative operations
like changing the color of an individual strawberry, flag or other
specific objects in an image.

13.  Adjust Certain Colors
Gray Balance
Equal amounts of the three primary colors
do not provide gray balance. What we
can see is a comparison to a neutral tint
area consisting of 50% black.
Adjust Color Casts Part 1
Variations is one of three tools for
general color adjustments in the
image. It helps you to see how the
image changes.

14.  Adjust Certain Colors
Adjust Color Casts Part 2
By selecting the gray eyedropper tool in
Levels and clicking on the part of the
image that has to be neutral, you8 can
adjust color casts.
Adjust Color Casts Part 3
In Color Balance you make general
color changes in the image by
adjusting the color cast.

15.  Sharpening the Image
 - If the image appears “soft” it is generally due to a
lack of sharp transitions between the dark and light
hues in an outline.

 - In order to increase the impression of sharpness in
the overall image, you have to find these soft tonal
transitions and sharpen them. This type of artificial
sharpening is conducted on most images to varying
degrees.

16. Selective Color
Hue/Saturation is the easiest tool for
adjusting individual colors. For
example, check off green if you want
to change green colors.
Selective Color
In Selective Color or Hue/Saturation
you can change selected colors in the
image. You can even make
strawberries unripe!

17.  Filters
 Filters are used to change the appearance of an image, layer
or selection in Photoshop. Filters in Photoshop are sort of like
those special effects you can add to home videos with those
consumer handheld video cameras — easy to use, but they
certainly have their place in design.
 Using Filters from the Filter Gallery
Photoshop’s Filter Gallery is basically a one-stop place for
working with filters in your documents. In the Filter Gallery, you
can browse through many different types of filters, apply them
individually to your image, or even stack them on top of one
another like you would with layers. You can get to the Filter
Gallery by going to Filter > Filter Gallery.

18.  Filters
 Here’s a quick overview of the Filter Gallery:

19.  Filters
 Applying a filter from the gallery is very easy to do. Simply Click
on a filter, adjust it’s options to your liking, and click OK to
apply. To stack multiple filters on top of one another, just hit
the New Effect Layer, and select another filter. You can
expand filter types by clicking the folders in the filter list.
 Quicker Access to Filters
The Filter Gallery is really just a browser of sorts. If you know
exactly what kind of filter you want to use, you can access it
directly from the Filter menu in Photoshop to speed things up.
 Using Other Filters
Not all filters in Photoshop are available through the Filter
Gallery. Many of them must be accessed directly through the
Filter Menu, and have unique interfaces and options of their
own.

20.  Filters
 Noise Filters (Filter > Noise)
Noise Filters are great for adding, or reducing noise and grain in photographs.
You may find filters such as the Reduce Noise Filter extremely useful if you work
with old, damaged, or dusty photographs that need repair work done to
them. The Add Noise Filter can also come in handy, and has some creative
applications of its own.
Noise can easily be
reduced with the
Reduce Noise Filter
in Photoshop.

21.  Filters
 Sharpen Filters (Filter > Sharpen)
The Sharpen Filters are also great for correcting imperfections in photographs,
as well as putting emphasis on important elements in a design. When working
with blurred images, a sharpen filter can be used to clarify and better define
edges by increasing contrast between pixels.
 The Smart Sharpen Filter used to sharpen a photograph of a statue.

22.  Combine and Position Images to Create a Meaning
Montage
Adobe Photoshop is a sophisticated image editing
software, and one of its many capabilities includes
creating very good montages. You can not only
combine photos into one seamless composition,
but also can select and include in the montage
particular objects from images.


23.  Combine and Position Images to Create a Meaning Montage
A wide range is best. If you are making a life poster of mainly
one person (for example, of a baby), try and find different
poses; select wide shots as well as close ups, they don’t have
to all be full face shots to work well, infact we’ve found that
the more variety you have the better the life poster. If you are
doing a life poster of mainly people, selecting a few photos of
scenery or interesting objects that mean something to you,
works really well. Some examples we’ve used are a jam
scone, pint of beer, and a wedding ring. It adds a real
personal touch and can remind you of all sorts of different
occasions.
 Colour: Black and white photos interspersed with colour looks
great, and a few photos with bold splashes of colour looks
even better as it provides focus points on the poster. This is a
piece of art after all!