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Hermes Monster

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 4, 2010
1,204
552
UK
Hi guys,

I was wondering how this effect is created click - is there a tool in PS for it, or do you think they've manually coloured in the sections?

Any help or advice appreciated :D
 

BillyBobBongo

macrumors 68030
Jun 21, 2007
2,535
1,139
On The Interweb Thingy!
Most likely achieved with angle gradients and masking.

You can add more than two colours to a gradient and dictate how close they are to each other and how sharp the diffusion is between them. The way the two items interlace is by simply masking one of the layers so it looks like it goes behind.

I've added a PSD using an angle gradient over a shape so you can see it. Where there is a sharp boundary in the colours I would place that part under one of the other 'peaks' so that you don't see it. You could of course start and finish with the same colour and play with the settings to make it loop.
 

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Hermes Monster

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 4, 2010
1,204
552
UK
thanks BillyBob - I'm pretty handy with the gradient tool (probably over use it if I'm honest! :p), it was just the "weaving" effect I couldn't fathom. I'm aware of the masking tool, but have never used it - youtube tutorials here I come! :D
 

Hermes Monster

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 4, 2010
1,204
552
UK
One more thing! On the example you provided, how did you make the shape? It appears you created one of the loops, and then duplicated and merged it, is that correct? If so, how did you get the shape to be...symmetrical.. I guess is the word for it..
 

BillyBobBongo

macrumors 68030
Jun 21, 2007
2,535
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On The Interweb Thingy!
You're more than welcome!

You need to use the 'Custom Shape Tool'. If you select the 'Shapes' that come as standard with Photoshop you'll find the shape I used, I didn't create it.

Screenshots are attached.
 

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A

autacraft

Guest
Hi

Weaving or 'knotting' a shape together as per your initial logo shape is easy in illustrator. It's all simply a case of 'outlining' your overlapped lines, then knocking out the intersections correctly.

Heres a tutorial for this part.

http://www.vecpix.com/tutorials/illustrator/il020.php

The second stage (the colouring) can be done manually, but the easiest method once you have the vector shape, is to take this into photoshop and simply add two 'gradient maps' to the overlapping elements. You can set the custom blend colours as you wish and PS will do the rest.

Good luck!
 

Hermes Monster

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 4, 2010
1,204
552
UK
Thanks guys! Just when I think I'm getting to grips with PS..

illustrator is out of the question I'm afraid, ADOBE aren't exactly wallet friendly are they :p
 

wheezy

macrumors 65816
Apr 7, 2005
1,280
1
Alpine, UT
Use a Clipping Mask

To achieve this you'll need to use a "Clipping Mask" in the Layers Palette. What this essentially does is allow you to place 1 or more layers inside of a base layer, and anything that sticks outside the bounds of the base layer is "Clipped", or hidden.

hermes-monster.jpg


This has 2 layers. The Main Text layer which also has a dark gradient applied to it via Layer Effects, and the wave layer. The wave layer is a Vector Box Shape that I added extra points (via the Add Anchor Point Tool) to create the wave.

In the Layers Palette, position the Wave layer on top of the Main Text layer and then right click and select "Create Clipping Mask"

Screen%20shot%202010-11-09%20at%204.52.58%20PM.png


This will "Clip" the wave into the text layer, HOWEVER, because of the Gradient Layer Effect added, the wave will just plain disappear. There is one more step to do (and you'll do this anytime you have a layer effect applied).

In the Layer Effects popup there is a section labeled "Blending Options" which is above any of the layer effect checkboxes, you'll need to click on this. In the middle section there is "Advanced Blending Options" with 5 checkboxes, with boxes 2 and 3 checked. You'll need to uncheck box 2 and then check box 1. This will allow any Clipped layers to be displayed along with the Effects.

Screen%20shot%202010-11-09%20at%204.45.18%20PM.png


I hope this made sense! I've attached the .psd of the graphic here:

http://cl.ly/3B6k

Good luck!
 
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wheezy

macrumors 65816
Apr 7, 2005
1,280
1
Alpine, UT
And I just realized I told you how to do something entirely different of what you were looking to achieve. :D
 

Hermes Monster

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 4, 2010
1,204
552
UK
Thanks anyway - very useful to know :D

On to another question, as I don't want to start a new thread....

I'm using a trial of PS CS5 at home currently (I use CS3 at work), and as I'm in the market to give adobe an unreasonable amount of money :p I want to make sure i'm buying the right software...so back to the question..

Should I buy photoshop or illustrator?

At home I'll be doing light design work such as logos, and will likely never do anything with photos. I've never used illustrator, but I hear good things. Is it a similar tool set, and will the skills I've picked up in PS transfer to AI??

Thanks again!!,
 

Designer Dale

macrumors 68040
Mar 25, 2009
3,950
100
Folding space
The basic difference is that Illustrator creates images from scratch while PhotoShop modifies existing images. The tool sets in each are similar, but Illustrator has more and the functions are different. Illustrator is very much not a "click and see what happens" thing. You start with a blank canvas and go from there. Download the trial from Adobe and see what you think. I found the learning curve on AI steeper, but then I'm a photographer so a lot of what PS did came natural to me.

Dale
 

lucidmedia

macrumors 6502a
Oct 13, 2008
702
37
Wellington, New Zealand
Thanks anyway - very useful to know :D

On to another question, as I don't want to start a new thread....

I'm using a trial of PS CS5 at home currently (I use CS3 at work), and as I'm in the market to give adobe an unreasonable amount of money :p I want to make sure i'm buying the right software...so back to the question..

Should I buy photoshop or illustrator?

At home I'll be doing light design work such as logos, and will likely never do anything with photos. I've never used illustrator, but I hear good things. Is it a similar tool set, and will the skills I've picked up in PS transfer to AI??

Thanks again!!,

Photoshop and Illustrator share tools, but are fundamentally different.

Photoshop is a bitmap graphics editor. It allows you to edit the matrix of pixels that make up an image. It is essentially a modern, high resolution mosaic tool.

Illustrator is a vector drawing tool. The core tools generate curves, lines and shapes that are defined mathematically. Export your illustrator file as an EPS and open it up in a text editor to see the PostScript code.

Photoshop "draws" with dots. Illustrator draws with math. Photoshop works at a fixed resolution. Illustrator drawings using vectors can be scaled up or down without loss in quality (because they are math)

Illustrator does support the placing of images. Photoshop supports vectors. But the core philosophies of the programs should be kept separate.

If you are editing photographs, or otherwise manipulating pixels Photoshop is the tool of choice.

If you are designing logos, setting small amounts of typography, or doing technical drawings Illustrator is your tool of choice.

Photoshop is (in my opinion) an easier program to work with even though its toolset and features are far larger than illustrator. This is because the majority of tools within Photoshop are based in reality. The toolbar is full of tools you may have used before (airbrush, paintbrush) and many of the effects and processes are rooted in traditional processes (unsharp masking is a technique taken from the stat camera for example).

Illustrator is more difficult because the interface metaphors are less familiar and more abstract. You cannot find or use a "Bezier pen" in the real world, as it does not exist. The bezier pen also requires a learned facility with the mouse (a symphony of clicks and click drags) to use it efficiently and quickly.

Photoshop is by far the most popular tool, because it is used by many many industries. More than just a photo editor, web and interactive designers use it for a layout tool, animators and video editors use it for special effects, 3d modelers and animators use it to create textures, etc.etc. There are few creative businesses that do not somehow intersect with this tool.

Illustrator has a much smaller (actually shrinking) market share. It is still primarily used for the creation of print-based graphic artwork like logos and logotypes and the creation of single page layout projects.

For the types of work that you are looking to do, however, Illustrator looks like a good choice. Download the CS5 demo and see what you think. The good news (I suppose) is that Adobe has not really been pushing Illustrator development, so if you can buy an older version of illustrator for cheaper (CS3 or CS4) do so. The differences between the versions are not tremendous and for the work you are looking to do, the new features are negligible.
 

Hermes Monster

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 4, 2010
1,204
552
UK
The basic difference is that Illustrator creates images from scratch while PhotoShop modifies existing images. The tool sets in each are similar, but Illustrator has more and the functions are different. Illustrator is very much not a "click and see what happens" thing. You start with a blank canvas and go from there. Download the trial from Adobe and see what you think. I found the learning curve on AI steeper, but then I'm a photographer so a lot of what PS did came natural to me.

Dale

Thanks DD, I do all my designs from scratch anyway, never use any images which is why the idea of Illustrator was in my head. It seems to me that while the "whats" are similar but the "hows" are different, yet you can end up with the same final affect, is at right?
 

Hermes Monster

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 4, 2010
1,204
552
UK
Photoshop and Illustrator share tools, but are fundamentally different.

Photoshop is a bitmap graphics editor. It allows you to edit the matrix of pixels that make up an image. It is essentially a modern, high resolution mosaic tool.

Illustrator is a vector drawing tool. The core tools generate curves, lines and shapes that are defined mathematically. Export your illustrator file as an EPS and open it up in a text editor to see the PostScript code.

Photoshop "draws" with dots. Illustrator draws with math. Photoshop works at a fixed resolution. Illustrator drawings using vectors can be scaled up or down without loss in quality (because they are math)

Illustrator does support the placing of images. Photoshop supports vectors. But the core philosophies of the programs should be kept separate.

If you are editing photographs, or otherwise manipulating pixels Photoshop is the tool of choice.

If you are designing logos, setting small amounts of typography, or doing technical drawings Illustrator is your tool of choice.

Photoshop is (in my opinion) an easier program to work with even though its toolset and features are far larger than illustrator. This is because the majority of tools within Photoshop are based in reality. The toolbar is full of tools you may have used before (airbrush, paintbrush) and many of the effects and processes are rooted in traditional processes (unsharp masking is a technique taken from the stat camera for example).

Illustrator is more difficult because the interface metaphors are less familiar and more abstract. You cannot find or use a "Bezier pen" in the real world, as it does not exist. The bezier pen also requires a learned facility with the mouse (a symphony of clicks and click drags) to use it efficiently and quickly.

Photoshop is by far the most popular tool, because it is used by many many industries. More than just a photo editor, web and interactive designers use it for a layout tool, animators and video editors use it for special effects, 3d modelers and animators use it to create textures, etc.etc. There are few creative businesses that do not somehow intersect with this tool.

Illustrator has a much smaller (actually shrinking) market share. It is still primarily used for the creation of print-based graphic artwork like logos and logotypes and the creation of single page layout projects.

For the types of work that you are looking to do, however, Illustrator looks like a good choice. Download the CS5 demo and see what you think. The good news (I suppose) is that Adobe has not really been pushing Illustrator development, so if you can buy an older version of illustrator for cheaper (CS3 or CS4) do so. The differences between the versions are not tremendous and for the work you are looking to do, the new features are negligible.

Thanks also lucid, a very constructive and well articulated response, which I've read about five times!:p

You sell the benefits of both pieces of software very well, and if anything I feel you may have blurred the lines even more!! :confused:

As mentioned above, and as is my intention I'll download the trial and see if we get along!

Additionally, if I do like it, it would seem I can get a copy of illustrator 10 and upgrade to CS3 for a much better price than buying CS5 :D

Thanks guys!!
 

Designer Dale

macrumors 68040
Mar 25, 2009
3,950
100
Folding space
I'm not sure you can upgrade to PhotoShop from Illustrator. Your best bet might to find Design Studio Standard al level CS3 or 4. The suite includes PhotoShop, Illustrator and InDesign, a top flight page layout tool. Adobe isn't really helpful when it comes to creative upgrade solutions.

Dale
 

Hermes Monster

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 4, 2010
1,204
552
UK
Sorry I meant illustrator CS3, the suites are out of the price range I'd be willing to spend currently, even for CS3/4. I'm only doing my design work part time, and haven't made enough money from it so far to justify the larger outlay
 
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