Wilflex EasyArt
www.wilflexeasyart.com

Convert to Line Drawing
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This routine will convert your color image into a black & white hand drawn graphic.

Step 1 Preparation
(yellow buttons)

In Photoshop® go to the menu bar at the top of your screen click on,  "File > Open", navigate your way to the Tutorials folder on the EasyArt® CD and double click the file "Hotel.psd".

Before running the "Convert to Line Drawing" routine, you must first create a simple mask. EasyArt® will later automatically use this mask to remove the unwanted background and put an outline around the drawing.

To create the mask go to the Actions list, (Window > Show Actions), scroll down the list to the blue button "Make Line Draw Mask" and click. A message will appear telling you to create the mask.
The easiest way to create a mask is to zoom into the picture so you can get a close up look, and with the "pen" tool click a series of dots creating a path around the image (as close to the outside edge as you can get).

To move the image around easily, so you can trace the outside edge, hold down the space bar on your keyboard, you will notice the pen tool changes to a hand, while holding down the space bar click down the mouse button and drag the image around.

When you have gone all the way around the image, and back to where you started, click on the very first dot you began with, this will close the path creating the masked area.

Go to the "Paths" list (Window > Paths) click on the small arrow in the top right corner of the "Paths" list, scroll down the drop down list to "Fill Path" and click.

It is very important for the "Feather radius" to be set to " 0 " and the anti-aliased box to be blank (no tick) you don't want any fuzzy edges.


The Fill Path box will appear. Contents should read Black and Blending should be Opacity 100% and Mode should read Normal then click OK.

The masked area will now appear purple. Click on the arrow in the corner of the "Paths" list again, scroll down and click "Delete Path"
Note: If you use the Lasso or Polygonal Lasso tool to make your selection you have to manually fill the selected area with 100% black (Edit > Fill > 100% black) then the purple mask will appear.

 
In the Actions list click the "Make Line Draw Mask" again, which now appears red to complete the mask making routine. 

The mask you have just created is automatically saved on it's own channel.

Before separating, the image needs some adjustment to add more definition.
|Adjusting images accurately is a bit of trial and error, but becomes easier and more obvious with experience, as you will ultimately make adjustments to best suit your own screen printing operation.

To adjust this image, go to the channels list and select the RGB channel, then go to the yellow EasyArt® action buttons and click on "Increase Contrast".
Each individual image will require different adjustments depending on the image source and quality.
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Step 2 Separation
(blue buttons)

Next click the blue EasyArt® action button "Convert to Line Drawing" and sit back and watch EasyArt® do the rest.

This routine will transform your color photograph into a line drawing, and automatically  create a white ink channel for printing on to dark shirts and a black ink channel for printing on to light shirts.

Step 3 Adjustments
(green buttons)

To make the image look a little more hand drawn, the black outline that ran along the bottom of the picture was erased using the eraser tool and a couple of lines were added to the roof of the front bay window resulting in the image above.
Note: If your image is too small or the resolution is too low you may get error messages running this routine. Your image should be at least 200 dpi (300 dpi is better) and image size should be no less than 5 inches. It is always easier to work on a large image and reduce it to print size when finished.
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Wilflex EasyArt
www.wilflexeasyart.com