How to Merge or Blend Two photos in PSPX3

[Phil47]

Well I have tried all the video tutorials and instructions found on the net but NOTHING works as yet.
As far as the printed results from net searches go I get so far along and then the instructions cannot be followed because the item it says is on the menu is just not there on MY menu. Aaaaaargh!

What I want to do is to take a portrait from one photo (Freehand Selection tool to select JUST the face?) and blend/merge it on the background photo. I want to be able to change the size and opacity of the face so that I get the EXACT result I want.

Can any kind person please put me in the right direction please? Please? Please? Maybe a video tutorial that is just the thing?

Thanks so much.

Phil.

[hartpaul]

A number of ways of doing it.
1. Copy the portrait (Right click the image snoose Copy) and paste it as a new layer on the other image (Right click and then Paste as New Image) . Then use the eraser tool to erase around the portrait to get what you want.

2. Use the background Eraser tool on the portrait image to remove what you want and then Copy and paste it.


3. Place the two images side by side and place a new raster layer on top of the target and clone what you want from the portrait onto the raster layer on top of the target , Make sure the Alligned mode box on the end of the Tool options bar is ticked. You right click on the middle of the portrait and then left click and paint on the target.

4. Do the freehand selection as you have done, Go back to the Pan tool and Righ Click Copy on the selection. Go to your target image and Righ click and Paste as New Layer . Then choose the Pick tool (underneath the move tool) and resize the copied image as you will.

All of these methods could be used to put a face in a flower or a head on an animal or in a couple of group shots transferring one face to replace where that person has closed their eyes.

[teknisyan]

Here's a quick tutorial that I created using PSP 2, but you can still apply it on the PSP x3 and X4 version. Just visit http://abielonline.blogspot.com/2009/01 ... p-pro.html

[Phil47]

Thanks for both your replies - I will be trying them both out ASAP.
However, I have just posted another plea for help as I cannot view my layers list as shown on the RH side of the workspace. (As seen in your tutorial Abiel)
Any ideas how to do that please and yes, I have checked it in View>Palettes>Layers.
Thanks again.

Phil

[Phil47]

Found the layers hidden on the extreme RH side.

[Phil47]

Abiel, Thanks for your tutorial link. I thought I followed it step by step and managed to get the cut-out from pic 2 onto the background pic and move it around AND change the opacity. Great.
However the cut out face retained the exact shape of where the Freehand Selection tool drew it's dotted line. On your tutorial only the person is seen on the background with no "border" where the dotted line was made around her. Perhaps there is an easy way for me to remove this "border"?

Thanks again,

Phil

[LeviFiction]

It looks to me like Abiel went back and make a better selection before copying and pasting which is not shown in his video.

Since the background around the head is pretty uniform you should be able to use something like the background eraser tool to get rid of that color. The tool is pretty easy and very powerful.

Just make sure that the center of the brush is on the color you want to erase, and let the edge of the brush go over the hair so that the brush can tell which area is the background and which is the foreground. Go slowly and it'll erase only that background.

If you're interested I made two videos on the basics of this tool:
Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRgHaVMx ... plpp_video

Part 2 = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHfk6VIJ ... plpp_video

[Phil47]

Thanks LeviFiction. Yes I did end up using the background eraser again and got a reasonable result. I watched several of your vids and will do again as times demand. Thanks for that too.
Learning slowly but surely!
Cheers,

Phil.