Inspired by Papersource and Weddingbee, I decided to create our own personalized motif that I would turn into a custom rubber stamp and emboss our invitations and programs with.
Well, we have the invitations sitting in a box, waiting for me to do this stamp. I finally finished a pretty design, but every time I scan it so that I can send it in to be made into a stamp, I get a grey background. :( This won't work. I already asked a stamp company and they confirmed I need clear black and white.
I guess because I was working with vellum as my tracing paper, it scans in with all these little grey dots in the background. I have tried copying it lighter and lighter. You can still see the grey dots. I need a solution, QUICKLY, and I don't know what to do. I'm so frustrated.
And I'm terrible at drawing, so I don't want to start all over. I finally got something pretty down. Any advice? I am at the point where maybe I will buy a white pen and color the background, painstakingly, white.
most scanners have contrast settings, you could try playing with those, if you don't have them, then with a scanner you should have some type of photo editing program (like photoshop or an equivalent) - that program should have a place to adjust the contrast of an image, if your scanner doesn't. Often you can use a "eyedropper" tool to indicate which shades you want to be white and which shades you want to be black. Hope that helps!
Happiest One is right - the editing software should have some sort of eyedropper tool where you can change all the grey to white.
If you can't figure it out, you can send your raw scanned image to me, and I can do it for you - it should take just under a jiffy in photoshop! I could have the clean version back to you pretty much immediately.
You will see a graph that looks like a mountain, with arrows below it. Pull the right arrow in toward the right edge of the mountain. Pull the left arrow in toward the left edge of the mountain. Play with these until you eliminate the gray.
4. If there are any scattered blips remaining, you can easily select and delete them.
Inspired by Papersource and Weddingbee, I decided to create our own personalized motif that I would turn into a custom rubber stamp and emboss our invitations and programs with.
Well, we have the invitations sitting in a box, waiting for me to do this stamp. I finally finished a pretty design, but every time I scan it so that I can send it in to be made into a stamp, I get a grey background. :( This won't work. I already asked a stamp company and they confirmed I need clear black and white.
I guess because I was working with vellum as my tracing paper, it scans in with all these little grey dots in the background. I have tried copying it lighter and lighter. You can still see the grey dots. I need a solution, QUICKLY, and I don't know what to do. I'm so frustrated.
And I'm terrible at drawing, so I don't want to start all over. I finally got something pretty down. Any advice? I am at the point where maybe I will buy a white pen and color the background, painstakingly, white.
posted by akimbo 49 posts 5 months agophotocopy then scan...try that and let us know.
posted by V 232 posts 5 months agooh... you already try photocopying?!...photoshop it? trace it on illustrator? Is it intricate? trace it again in white paper?
posted by V 232 posts 5 months agomost scanners have contrast settings, you could try playing with those, if you don't have them, then with a scanner you should have some type of photo editing program (like photoshop or an equivalent) - that program should have a place to adjust the contrast of an image, if your scanner doesn't. Often you can use a "eyedropper" tool to indicate which shades you want to be white and which shades you want to be black. Hope that helps!
posted by HappiestOne 97 posts 5 months agoRun it over to Kinkos and see if they can get your a clear copy that you can scan.
posted by prettykatie 158 posts 5 months agoHave you tried tracing paper? You should be able to get it at Michael's or an art supply store.
posted by mrspikake 12 posts 5 months agowhat about copy it wite-out all grey dots and copy again? (i have no idea what you're doing but it just sounds like you're having copying issues).
posted by superstar 156 posts 5 months agoHappiest One is right - the editing software should have some sort of eyedropper tool where you can change all the grey to white.
If you can't figure it out, you can send your raw scanned image to me, and I can do it for you - it should take just under a jiffy in photoshop! I could have the clean version back to you pretty much immediately.
(perezsisters@gmail.com if you would like my help!)
posted by PerezSistersPhotography 34 posts 5 months ago1. Scan it in as-is with the gray background.
2. Open it in Photoshop
3. Go to Image -> Adjustments -> Levels
You will see a graph that looks like a mountain, with arrows below it. Pull the right arrow in toward the right edge of the mountain. Pull the left arrow in toward the left edge of the mountain. Play with these until you eliminate the gray.
4. If there are any scattered blips remaining, you can easily select and delete them.
posted by snmcdowell 467 posts 5 months ago