Batch Feathering

[ATV123]

Hi guys. I'm somewhat of a noob. Hopefully my question isn't as noobish as I fear it may be: I sell collectable stamps of all having varying sizes. I draw rectangular selections around the scans of the stamps and use a Crop/Save/Script to speed the process. I also have the Crop set to have a feather of 10 pixels so that the dark colored background around the stamp blends comfortably with the dark colored background on my web site. If I did not do this there would be an awkward looking line/definition between the stamp image and the website background. Ok got that? So everything is working just fine in this regard.

Here's my problem. I've found a different software that will auto-rotate and auto-crop the stamp images for me. That's great. Unfortunately this software does not incorporate any gradient (feathering) features. So, I thought, no problem I can first run a batch process using this other software to crop the images and then I can run a second batch process using PSPs feathering feature. No luck so far. My thinking was to take these already cropped images, use Select All, then add a 10 pixel border and then crop. BUT - When applying the Selection before adding the border the Selection does not expand (allow for feathering) because it's reached the boundaries of the image. So when the crop is implemented there is no feathering - It crops hard to the edge of the original canvas size. No good. I've experimented with using the normal Feathering tool but the Feather Inside option intrudes on the edge of the stamps and the Feather Outside option doesn't help at all. I suspect there may be a solution out there but I don't have the advanced skills and/or experience to grasp it. Can anyone help?

[hartpaul]

Try this:
Starting from your cropped stamp image from the other software.

1. Add border of 10 pixels of the same color as the background of the stamp showing between the perforations. eg black.
2. Layers > Promote Background Layer (this allows for transparency to show)
3. Selections > Select All
4. Selections > Modify > Contract (try 6 pixels)
5. Selections > Modify > Feather (try 4 pixels)
6. Selections > Invert
7. Hit the delete key
8. Selections > None
9. Save As and in Save As type choose png as this will keep the transparency.

[ATV123]

Awesome that is a great help, thanks. I use JPGs though, what would the procedure be if I want it to fade into a color instead of transparency?

[hartpaul]

If you were fading into a color you would make your border of the color of your background exactly, and save that as a jpg. you cannot get semi transparent to transparent pixels in a jpg. It does not support them and when you save as jpg it will convert the tranparent area to black. Or if you do a merge all flatten, it will convert transparent areas to white. I think that is right, try it and test it yourself.

[ATV123]

Yes, thanks. I'm unable to feather the border color with the stamp background though. I use the modify>Feather option and it does nothing. Or, if I use Crop it crops directly to the selection without integrating the feathering as it does when I use a normal selection.

[hartpaul]

I am not understanding where you are having the problems.
Please post some images showing what you are doing.
Perhaps an obvious one would be a link to your website to show what you want to finish with.
First Image should show what you are getting from your other program and working with .

You ask the questions

what would the procedure be if I want it to fade into a color instead of transparency?

Is it the same color througout the website?
Is it the same as the background of your stamp when you scan?

My understanding is so far:

I am presuming that you are starting off with a scan:


Then it is being rotated


Then it is being cropped


Then you are moving it to PSP (no version number mentioned) and adding a border which brings you to step 1 of my previous description.
At which point / step are you having problems.

[hartpaul]

As an alternative, this is what I would do:
Alternative Method
1. Start with a correctly rotated scan including background. Promote the background to a layer Layers > Promote Background layer


2. Select the magic wand tool


3. Use magic wand to select the background with no feather


4. Press the delete key to delete the background leaving only the stamp.


5. Selections> Select None . Make a new transparent layer and drag it below your stamp layer.


6. Select the flood Fill tool and with the bottom transparent layer active fill that layer with the required web background color.


7. Merge the layers to get the final result an image that should merge seamlessly with your site background.


8 As an alternative you could use an effect such as drop shadow to give it a pit of pizzazz.

[ATV123]

Thanks. PSP version X4 14.3.0.3. I've attached an example. Note that the background of the scan consists of uneven gray tones. The objective is simply to have a feathering of this uneveness, of about an eight pixel width, to another more even color (this is actually #201b14) and save as jpg.

[hartpaul]

The Alternative method will work quite well with this. You just need to make sure the background to the stamps when scanned is more contrasty and much darker than the stamp edges. Invest in some black cardboard.

[ATV123]

I don't want to intrude on the outskirts of the perf edges so the alternative method is not an option. Also, I cannot alter the stamp background. Can you see any other way of achieving this?

[hartpaul]

THen make your web page match the background of your stamp. When you get to such magnifications any selection method is goin to intrude somewhat upon your stamp perforation edges. Only other option is to scan at much greater quality so that tou are working with something that is at least twice as large as your image. This would then mean you would have stamps much larger on your page. or perhaps have thumbnails and have them linked to the larger images.

[ATV123]

Thanks. Are you saying that what I'm looking for is impossible using PSP? Does anybody else know how to feather an image with color after having enlarged the size of the original? I'm sure there must be a way.

[hartpaul]

As previously mentioned you are wanting a jpg with feathered edges. Feathered edges means some degree of transparency. ie going from 100% opacity of that color to a lesser % opacity. Having a jpg with some degree of transparency is like asking for a square triangle.

[ATV123]

I believe you are wrong on that because I'm already using PSP to create feathered jpgs. My problem, as above, is simply that I'm unaware how to create them without using the crop tool normally.

[hartpaul]

Your request was to have a jpg which is feathered so that the dark edges blend into the dark background of your web page. Can you give a link to that page to show where you have successfully blended a stamp image.

If the black around your stamp image matches the black of your webpage then you do not need feathering.

To have a feathered image means that the edges slowly become more and more transparent so that the background can be seen through the edges.
This can be seen in your PSP and any decent graphics program.
But it cannot exist in a saved jpg image. The jpg does not support transparency.
The jpg converts any transparency to white.

To show this I placed an image on the workspace and made a rectangular selection with a feathering of about 50.
I promoted the selection to a layer and copied and pasted that to the workspace. (1) It shows transparnt edges.
I saved that as a jpg, renamed it and reloaded it into the workspace (2) . It shows the transparent areas are now white.

I then made a selection with no feathering and promoted it to a layer and copied it to the workspace.
I placed a 50 pixel black border around it then made a rectangular selection with a 50 pixel feather.
I promoted that selection to a layer and again copied it to the workspace (3) . It shows a feathered black border which goes to transparency.

I then saved that as a jpg and reloaded it into the workspace (4). It shows a feathered black border that blends into white.
I placed these as a composite png image for display on this page and you will see that the transparent areas blend into the white of the forum page and you can see no transparency.


To show where the transparency exists I did a screen capture and crop to produce the jpg which is able to show where the transparency did exist. That jpg is not showing transparency but is showing the checkerboard where transparency existed.