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azguy63

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 13, 2013
5
0
I'm not sure this is the right spot for this, so if I'm wrong, I apologize.

I just bought an imac and want to be able to modify images like the attached one.

What program, and how can I add that band and the text inside of it on images?

Thank you in advance,
Mike
 

Attachments

  • i00197_N_toothache2.jpg
    i00197_N_toothache2.jpg
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CrickettGrrrl

macrumors 6502a
Feb 10, 2012
985
274
B'more or Less
I'm not sure this is the right spot for this, so if I'm wrong, I apologize.

I just bought an imac and want to be able to modify images like the attached one.

What program, and how can I add that band and the text inside of it on images?

Thank you in advance,
Mike

Pixelmator (currently on sale for $15 in the Mac App Store)
http://www.pixelmator.com/

There is also a free trial from their web site, and tutorials.

Basically, you want to do this using layers.

Open your image file in Pm, add a layer.

Use the Rectangular marquis tool, fill it with a brownish black with the Paint Bucket tool. Adjust the opacity slider on this layer for more transparency.

Then use the Text tool, drag a text box over the stripe, choose your font and white for the text color.

The Pixelmator site has a ton of very helpful tutorials and they are quite responsive to user questions.

:)
 

Drew017

macrumors 65816
May 29, 2011
1,254
11
East coast, USA
I'm not sure this is the right spot for this, so if I'm wrong, I apologize.

I just bought an imac and want to be able to modify images like the attached one.

What program, and how can I add that band and the text inside of it on images?

Thank you in advance,
Mike

Here's a free app that I've been using forever called Seashore.

BTW, you can do actually do some of this in Preview, using annotations, though not as good with a separate image editor in my opinion.
 

azguy63

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 13, 2013
5
0
Would you be so kind to give me a couple of instructions for Seashore on how to duplicate the image above?

Here's a free app that I've been using forever called Seashore.

BTW, you can do actually do some of this in Preview, using annotations, though not as good with a separate image editor in my opinion.
 

Drew017

macrumors 65816
May 29, 2011
1,254
11
East coast, USA
Would you be so kind to give me a couple of instructions for Seashore on how to duplicate the image above?

Sure- change to video to 720p to view it better ;)


1. Set the dimensions of your image
2. drag your image into the blank document
3. Create a new layer (layer> new layer)
4. Create the color for the background by clicking the black box on the top right. If you want opacity, that is the slider on the bottom.
5. Click on the paint bucket tool and click on the image. The new layer that you created (now on top of the image) is a different color. This can serve as the background for your text.
6. To make the text background more like the strip in your image, click the first tool then click and drag over the parts of your text background layer that you don't need then press delete. It would be easiest to select the above and delete, then select below and delete.
7. Add text by clicking the "T" button. Click on the image and start typing in the box at the top. Change the font color and size by clicking the edit button. click the gear button and click "color" to change color.
8. If the text isn't quite in the right place, click the "move" button and use the arrow keys to move.
9. Click save as a PNG or JPEG or TIFF etc

Note: there are probably other ways to make the text background, but this is one that works.
 

azguy63

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 13, 2013
5
0
it seems the video ended abruptly without finishing the task.

:(

Sure- change to video to 720p to view it better ;)

YouTube: video

1. Set the dimensions of your image
2. drag your image into the blank document
3. Create a new layer (layer> new layer)
4. Create the color for the background by clicking the black box on the top right. If you want opacity, that is the slider on the bottom.
5. Click on the paint bucket tool and click on the image. The new layer that you created (now on top of the image) is a different color. This can serve as the background for your text.
6. To make the text background more like the strip in your image, click the first tool then click and drag over the parts of your text background layer that you don't need then press delete. It would be easiest to select the above and delete, then select below and delete.
7. Add text by clicking the "T" button. Click on the image and start typing in the box at the top. Change the font color and size by clicking the edit button. click the gear button and click "color" to change color.
8. If the text isn't quite in the right place, click the "move" button and use the arrow keys to move.
9. Click save as a PNG or JPEG or TIFF etc

Note: there are probably other ways to make the text background, but this is one that works.
 

snberk103

macrumors 603
Oct 22, 2007
5,503
91
An Island in the Salish Sea
Pages (the Apple word processor) can do that too.

Drag the photo into a blank 'Page layout' document, add a rectangular object. Adjust the colour and opacity of the object. Add a text box. Done.

People underestimate the power of Pages for this kind of thing.
 

Drew017

macrumors 65816
May 29, 2011
1,254
11
East coast, USA
Pages (the Apple word processor) can do that too.

Drag the photo into a blank 'Page layout' document, add a rectangular object. Adjust the colour and opacity of the object. Add a text box. Done.

People underestimate the power of Pages for this kind of thing.

Very good point ;) and IMO people underestimate the power of Preview as well
 

azguy63

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 13, 2013
5
0
Okay, I tried it in pages, and almost came out with something exceptable, but how do you then save it as an image within pages?

Very good point ;) and IMO people underestimate the power of Preview as well
 

Drew017

macrumors 65816
May 29, 2011
1,254
11
East coast, USA
Okay, I tried it in pages, and almost came out with something exceptable, but how do you then save it as an image within pages?

You can't really… it will be in the document. I mean you could create the image, then screenshot it, but it's not going to be the best.
 

azguy63

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 13, 2013
5
0
That's what I thought.

What I want to do to these images shouldn't be this hard.

Would love to learn how to add that band and text.

It's the band I'm having trouble with. Text is easy.

You can't really… it will be in the document. I mean you could create the image, then screenshot it, but it's not going to be the best.
 

Drew017

macrumors 65816
May 29, 2011
1,254
11
East coast, USA
That's what I thought.

What I want to do to these images shouldn't be this hard.

Would love to learn how to add that band and text.

It's the band I'm having trouble with. Text is easy.

try playing around with seashore… I'm pretty sure there are easier ways to add the band.
 

snberk103

macrumors 603
Oct 22, 2007
5,503
91
An Island in the Salish Sea
Okay, I tried it in pages, and almost came out with something exceptable, but how do you then save it as an image within pages?

You can't really… it will be in the document. I mean you could create the image, then screenshot it, but it's not going to be the best.

:rolleyes:
You mean like this? All done in Pages and Preview. Took me 8 minutes to put two text messages on (including finding a suitable photo from the web and writing this note... :eek:)

You Save/Export from Pages as a PDF. Open in Preview... crop if necessary though if you set the page size in Pages as your intended final size then you don't need to crop). Then Save As TIFF, JPG, etc. if you need it as picture format. Although you can print directly from the PDF and save a step if you need it printed.
 

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CrickettGrrrl

macrumors 6502a
Feb 10, 2012
985
274
B'more or Less
If you're having trouble creating the stripe or band --perhaps it's more mouse-related than software-related.

Once you have Rectangle tool selected, click and hold the mouse button down at the top left section of where you want your rectangle, then continuing to hold the mouse key down, drag diagonally to where you want the lower right corner of the rectangle to be, then let go.

Some programs (like Preview & Pages) will let you readjust the sides of the rectangle by clicking & dragging on the tops and sides.

Just keep trying, it gets easier.
 
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