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Sig Making Tips - Updated 3-25 (Now with text tips)


Dan

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I started this thread to post tips I have for people wanting to make signatures, mostly beginners. I will update this thread often with new tips. And if you already have some experience in Photoshop, you still might learn something.

Text

Text is harder. Really, it's a matter of opinion, though there are some that you should almost never, ever use. Here's an example of one of those:

badtextexample6ec.jpg

(I made this thing don't worry :wink: )

Usually, big huge text doesn't cut it, unless you work magic like KC and find a way to still make it look good.

s31rty.jpg

Also, "cute" or "trying to be snazzy but it actually looks like crap" fonts aren't as good.

badtextexample26xi.jpg

Suprisingly enough, I like to use Arial (no, not KC, the standard, everybody-has-it font) and Times New Roman.

explosion.jpg

smile.jpg

You can also add some nice little "extras" to your text. Maybe you want a line connecting two things:

abstract5.jpg

or maybe a neat little vector diddy:

vectorish1.jpg

But no matter how you do it, text should be blended and flow with the rest of the sig.

finalfantasy2.jpg

Lighting

Lighting is a key factor in good signatures. You can usually achieve decent lighting in two ways:

Lens Flare (works best behind your render/C4D)

Gradient (works best for full-signature lighting)

You can also use Lighting Effects, but it doesn't work as well.

Lens Flare

1.) Make a new layer, fill it with black, and set the blending mode to Lighten.

2.) Go to Filter>Render>Lens Flare. Select 105mm Prime. Estimate where it should go in relation to the render and hit OK.

Gradient

1.) Make a new layer, fill it with black, and set the blending mode to Lighten.

2.) Select the gradient tool. You may need to right click on the Fill took to get it.

3.) Make the gradient fill (top of the window) white to transparent. Then drag a line from where you want the light to come from.

4.) You can play with the opacity and see what you get.

Here are two examples of both:

Flare:

explosion.jpg

(^flare behind smudged white)

Gradient:

smile.jpg

C4D

C4D, which is what most graphic designers call stuff from Cinema 4D, is 3D, usually abstract pieces that work excellently in signatures and many other art. Here are some examples:

http://server2.ihostphotos.com/pic.php?id=69910

http://server2.ihostphotos.com/pic.php?id=69912

And also some render packs from Deviant Art (usually very good)

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/24663588/

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/24037361/

You can also visit www.deviantart.com and search for 'C4D Render Packs'. Many good ones should come up.

**Please note that when using renders/C4D packs from Deviant Art, they must be found under "Resources". Otherwise, that is called ripping because you are taking something that somebody made without their permission.

Here are some of my sigs where I used C4D. You have to blend it or it doesn't usually look good.

anime2.jpg

tofurious.jpg

hitman.jpg

runawau.jpg

d0db2de1.jpg

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give a step by step tutorial on how to make a sig like this

hitman.jpg

You show the processes like lighting but you didn't show how to combine that with the rest of photoshop functions to make "the whole picture"...if you were to make a step by step tutorial on how to make a tutorial like that it would really help.

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When I get home from school this afternoon I'll try to get to work. I'm supposed to recieve content for a website I've designed but I really don't expect it today. :smile:

I'll so a step by step...I always save my .psd's so I won't have to re-create it.

Oh yes and I'd like to do a massive tutorial on how to create this:

abstractc4d.jpg

-BBHD

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Yeah, but I'm moving towards web stuff now. If you look at my site, I've only got one pure Photoshop tutorial on the iMac - the rest are Flash/Web Development. In case you're interested, I'm finishing up a tutorial on video reflections in Flash - looks like Mac OS X.

-dan

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  • 3 weeks later...

BAMA'S SUPER EASY CUTOUT TUTORIALâ„¢

"So Easy, Even I Can Do Them!"

This tutorial is for users using The GIMP which can be found somewhere online. Photoshoppers can probably use this too, while they gloat (or while they 6560.jpg [Ross GLOAD] (yes I know i'm lame)) about having 600 bucks to spend on software. Anyways...

We're going to use an Hi-Res image of Chase Utley found on CBS Sportsline for this tutorial.

Here's the picture: utley.jpg

You can download the picture here: http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m212/Th...orial/utley.jpg

Now, Open the Image in GIMP. Select the scissors tool with a 10 pt radius, feather edges and anti-aliasing. Anti-Aliasing prevents jagged edges, and feather edges allows the glowing effect around the cutout, along with leaving less jagged edges that look like poor free-hand cutouts. Here's what your toolkit should look like: Tools.jpg

Using the scissors, select a starting point around Utley. Make sure it borders him. Click that point and let go of the mouse. Now select another nearby point around Utley. If a line connecting 2 points cuts into Utley, manually drag that line to where you want it to be. When you almost return to your starting point, make one last vertex (point/dot) right next to your first one. Now click your first dot/point/vertex. When your mouse hovers over that point, your cursor should change to an arrow with a four-headed arrow. Click that. Now click inside your image (your cursor should now look like scissors). If you did it correctly, your image should be surrounded by a blinking black and white outline like this: outlined.jpg

If not, start over. (Just click any other tool then the scissors to start over).

EDIT: Ok, well not like that, but that's how the image should look before you click inside of it. The yellowish/black-white dotted outline around the whole canvas should take the place (minus the yellow) of the line with dots on it if you do the above correctly. Sorry for any problems this may have caused :D

Now cut or copy the selection (Ctrl+X or Ctrl+C)

Now, click file, new, you will see a dialog box. View all the options and select a transparent background. Do not worry about the size, GIMP will automatically generate the correct size: new.jpg

Now paste your image: lastone.jpg

Next, click Layer and select "Anchor Layer'' to make your image 1 layer.

You may have some areas that need cleaning up. For example, between Utley's right arm and his lower torso there's a tan mark (a specator's head). You can't see it in the above picture because I already cleaned it up, but you can here: Utley.png. To remove it, outline the blob of the guy's head with the scissors, select it, and cut it out, or erase it.

Finally, clean up whatever needs to be cleaned up. You should end up with something like this: Finished.png

Save your image as a .psd, .png, or .gif. Congrats! You're done!

Guys, as a request, please let me know if this tutorial helped you out. Thanks!

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A quick question,I have erased everything,but I just hjave the checkerboard background,then you don't say how it turns white!

did you select ONLY what you wanted to erase? The checkerboard pattern symbolizes a transparency. To make it white, just get the bucket tool and dumb some white on it.

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