How it works:

The gimp user and photoshop user agree on a goal and they both complete it in their separate applications. Then they write a tutorial on how they did it and post it here. This should be handy for people on either side to get a handle on the other application if they ever need too.

 

Right now its myself (Photoshop) versus Guezala (Gimp).

Challenge:

• Total completed image 500px by 100px.
  
• Header with the photo faded into a plain bg and with a title incorporated for some sort of woodland protection charity; "Britain's Forests" using this image http://morguefile.co.../display/142822
  
• Text effects, like have a drop shadow so its more legible if it overlaps the photo in some part.
  

 

Photoshop (Ps Elements 4.0)

This may look kind of long, but its only because its explained in detail. In actuality this takes me about 30 seconds to do.

 

The outcome:

 

First download the file from morguefile, then copy it.

 

Open photoshop, select file new. Define the length and width, click okay. Paste the image in.

 

Select the move tool.

 

Zoom out so you can see the boundaries of the image. Now grab onto the little corner boxes and hold down shift while dragging inward to resize the image. Drag it around until it looks nice in the visible part.

 

Select the paintbucket tool.

 

Select the background layer in the layers menu.

 

Use the paintbucket tool to fill the background layer with a dark green color.

 

In the layers menu, switch to the image layer.

 

Select the rectangular marquee and set the feathering to 10. (This makes the edges fuzzy.)

 

Click above the top left corner and drag down to the bottom right to draw a selection over the whole canvas.

 

Select the inverse.

 

Press delete once or twice, and now the image fades into the dark green bg.

 

 

Now the text.

 

Select the type tool, the font you want, and then set the color to something light, from your picture. Type out the words you want. Duplicate the text layer, and select the bottomost one. Right click on it in the layers menu, and select simplify.

 

Press control/apple u or just do through the menus: enhance, adjust color, adjust hue/saturation.

 

Set the lightness all the way down.

 

Under filters, select blur, gaussian blur.

 

Move the slider up and down to make a shadow around the top text layer. If its not dark enough, duplicate the shadow layer, and if its too dark, turn the opcity down in the layers menu.

 

Voila.

Question. I thought this was GIMP vs. Photoshop regular not Photoshop Elements. I don't know what the difference is. Will this be different in regular Photoshop?

Question. I thought this was GIMP vs. Photoshop regular not Photoshop Elements. I don't know what the difference is. Will this be different in regular Photoshop?

 

I think they're pretty much the same. The menu at the top might be organized differently , slightly, but everything I did was very basic. I'm sure in regular ps you can duplicate a layer and make a selection with the marquee tool...The only main difference I know of is that my version of elements doesn't have the pen tool while newer versions and regular ps do.

Ah okay! So Elements is a more practical version of Photoshop. LOL Only the stuff you need.w:pardon:

 

 

could we also have a gimp vs photoshop vs fireworks??

I just don't get why Fireworks is still out. It's a remnant from the days of yore with Macromedia. Any real reason for it?

Ok here's mine. Based on GIMP 2.5 for Mac sans windows so shortcuts will be slightly different I think but overall functionality is the same.

 

Originally, I was going to do a slightly different way but thought that the best way to show this comparison was to make my result as similar as possible.

 

Resulting image

 

 

Upload image as previously said.

 

File > new > create new image 500 x 100

 

 

File > open as layer (select image)

 

 

Layer > scale - scale img layer so width is 500

 

 

Use move tool (M) and up / down arrow keys till desired part of image is showing on main image area

 

layer > layer to image size

 

 

Rectangular select ( R ) area not to be faded by clicking and dragging. Alter rectangle by either using handles which appear on hover or via toolbox (ctrl + B ) to determine position, size, and rounded corners if you want them.

 

 

 

Select > invert

 

Use color picker tool ( o) - select colour on img you want to fade into (zoom (shift + + and just - to zoom out again) in if you want to be more precise)

 

Select blend tool (L) and chose the FG to transparency gradient in the gradient dropdown dialogue, select linear in the shape dropdown and repeat none.

 

 

Click on top edge of image and then click on inner part of rectangle area you selected (make sure the part you click makes a line with the first point so the angle is 90 degrees from the rectangle select line or the gradient will be angled wrong - the gradient line that appears as you drag will indicate this as if the angle is correct the line will be smooth. )

 

Do the same for sides and bottom.

 

Select text tool (T), chose size / font/ alignment / color in dialogue, type text in.

 

 

Copy layer (layer > duplicate layer OR ctrl + L and select the duplicate icon - 4th icon along at bottom)

 

 

Select underneath layer of text (ctrl + L then click on desired layer)

 

Color > colorify - click on custom window; type in 000000 in html notation area

 

 

Select move tool (M) and move dark text layer using arrow right / down till looks how you want.

 

TADA! (Was going to say voila but Frisby did already!)

I just don't get why Fireworks is still out. It's a remnant from the days of yore with Macromedia. Any real reason for it?

because it offers the best of both the worlds of illustrator and photoshop, that's why.

I suppose if you want to join in with Fireworks, go ahead. In fact, if anyone's got some obscure application and wants to post for it, go ahead. There's no harm in sharing the knowledge.

 

I'm going to see if I can follow the tut with Gimp.

I was going to suggest a similar thing for Inkscape versus Illustrator actually ....

 

Just had a read through yours properly Frisby and i don't see that much difference between the two. You've done a few more things that i didn't but could. Will be interested to see how you get on!

I like that idea. I haven't played that much with Inkscape.:hi:

Huh. Thats a lot of smilies.

 

I just tried downloading Gimp, and its not really working. It appears in the dock with x11, but if I click on it there's no menus or anything...I'll wait and see if it works in a bit.

 

Edit: Took a while, but it opened.

Alright, I finished. Its not perfect.

 

I definitely prefer photoshop. GIMP's PCesque menu drives me crazy and I feel like all the options are hidden away up there, impossible to find.

 

Do you want to do another challenge?

doesn't Elements have a spellchecker?

doesn't Elements have a spellchecker?

 

Don't think so.

LOL Can do! No idea what this time tho...

 

Need some inspiration brain on holiday; 3 year old's party tomorrow and I'm knackered through organizing!

Something with the shape tool...if there is one?

I found this thread by accident a while ago. As GIMP user I wanted to do the challenge but wasn't registered at this forum . I wondered how Guezala would do this. Totally different to my way. So I thought I'd register and show another way of getting the same result in GIMP. I guess there are many different ways to do this in Photoshop too.

 

Anyway, my way, GIMP 2.6 on Windows.

 

End result:

 

 

All the screenshots take some time to make but the effect is done in 30 seconds.

 

Open a new image size 500x100

 

 

Open the file as new layer

 

Move it with the move tool (M)

 

 

 

Set your foreground color to a color green to fade into.

 

 

Go back to your layers and make sure you're on your background layer.

Now click and drag the green into the image. Simply click on your foreground color and drag to the image. Your background layer is now green.

 

Rightclick on the layer with the image on it and click "add alpha channel" (otherwise the layer might not have transparency)

 

 

Select -> all in the select menu

 

Select -> shrink in the select menu

 

 

shrink by 8

 

Select -> feather

 

feather by 15

 

select -> invert

 

Press delete on your keyboard (or edit -> clear)

 

Make your foreground color white and go to your text tool.

 

Type in your text

 

 

 

Go to filters -> light and shadow -> drop shadow and adjust the settings to your liking. Click OK.

 

 

Done!

 

I know I missed a few screenshots, but they are all of the select menu and you can see that in the select -> feather screenshot.

Nice one Jolie! Your GIMP looks much shinier than mine! Might try it the way you have done it later....

It's just a theme to make it look nicer on Windows. Everything on Mac always looks so much better.

 

I must try your way to make a drop shadow. I always use the easy way with the dop shadow filter but your way might teach me a new technique.

The theme looks like pixelmator. Nice outcome.

 

Not sure who you're talking to about he drop shadow, but I think in photoshop with the built-in drop shadow options they don't allow you to change the offset and blur amount, so you really have no control. The way you did it in gimp seems just as effective and controlled as what I did.

I'm sure in regular ps you can duplicate a layer and make a selection with the marquee tool...The only main difference I know of is that my version of elements doesn't have the pen tool while newer versions and regular ps do. I think they're pretty much the same. The menu at the top might be organized differently , slightly, but everything I did was very basic.