Removing black from black and white graphic!

[PixelWizard]

Hey!

I have made a few graphics which i want to print on t-shirts, but i have a problem i cant seem to be able to solve. The graphics are white and the background is black, but i didnt only use white color in the graphic. I also used black in some layers to shape and style the graphic to look like i wanted it to. For example i have a white square which i made torn edges on by using a brush and black color. Now when i want to take the graphic and print it on a shirt i dont want to print the black at all, i just want to print the white. But since i have used black here and there to make the white look like it does, i dont know how to remove the black "background" without screwing everything up. Can anyone help me or give me some tips?? I would really appreciate it.

[Corey Barker]

It would be easier if I could see something, but here's two options you can invert the image Image>Adjustments>Invert or if you have numerous layers you can load just the light areas of your image as a selection by pressing option/alt-command-~(this is next to the Number 1 Key) this will load all the white area as a selection. Then make a new layer then fill with black.

[PixelWizard]

Thanks for trying to help me out. I found that i can do Select/Color Range which makes it possible to select only the white for example, maybe this is what you are talking about (I didnt really get how to do it the way you said, with the quick command). The problem with this is that the areas that are dark grey wont get selected, and also the text and/or other black spots on the white gets a bit pixelated. The entire graphic just looks a bit more rough and pixelated after trying to do it this way, which kind of turns me off to the whole method. Maybe there isnt really a good way of getting around this problem, maybe i just painted myself into a corner by working out the graphic without thinking about the printing part until it was too late. Now when i make new graphics i dont use black anymore, i just use the different brushes with the eraser, it works, but at the same time i have to work with the same layer alot. Doesnt leave as much room for mistakes, but atleast i eliminate this problem.

Thanks for your input and for taking time to help!

[NEMESIS]

Hello,

This is tough one tip but i saw you have knowledge :-)
Go to Channels palette and look one by one channel and find one with most contrast and duplicate it by pulling it into new channel icon at the bottom of channels palette. After that go to Calculations under IMAGE>CALCULATIONS and for source one in channel pull down menu choose your most contrasting channel after that bellow that is source two and in that channels pull down menu choose copy of your contrast channel which you made it before. Just to remind you you are still in CALCULATIONS dialog box and for blending try to choose MULTIPLY and for result set for NEW CHANNEL and now press OKwhich action will multiply those two channels and duplicate shadows on resulting channel because of MULTIPLY blend mode you have selected. Than select that new channel in Channels palette and choose the DODGE tool and in option bar set the range for example on Shadows if you want to dodge the Shadows and if you want to Dodge the Highlights just choose the highlights. Same thing works for BURN tool jus choose what you want to burn and start to paint on your channel (don't worry is not destructive) and with that painting you should separate those blacks from whites. Than load that channel as selection and i suppose you'll get the desired result.
I told you is tough one, needs practice but with this technique when you learn it you'll be able to select virtually anything on your photos to extract. You will find that also that you can use other blend modes, to have more than one resulting channel, to multiply them too to get selections you want.

I hope it was helpful

[NEMESIS]

Hello,

This is tough one tip but i saw you have knowledge :-)
Go to Channels palette and look one by one channel and find one with most contrast and duplicate it by pulling it into new channel icon at the bottom of channels palette. After that go to Calculations under IMAGE>CALCULATIONS and for source one in channel pull down menu choose your most contrasting channel after that bellow that is source two and in that channels pull down menu choose copy of your contrast channel which you made it before. Just to remind you you are still in CALCULATIONS dialog box and for blending try to choose MULTIPLY and for result set for NEW CHANNEL and now press OKwhich action will multiply those two channels and duplicate shadows on resulting channel because of MULTIPLY blend mode you have selected. Than select that new channel in Channels palette and choose the DODGE tool and in option bar set the range for example on Shadows if you want to dodge the Shadows and if you want to Dodge the Highlights just choose the highlights. Same thing works for BURN tool jus choose what you want to burn and start to paint on your channel (don't worry is not destructive) and with that painting you should separate those blacks from whites. Than load that channel as selection and i suppose you'll get the desired result.
I told you is tough one, needs practice but with this technique when you learn it you'll be able to select virtually anything on your photos to extract. You will find that also that you can use other blend modes, to have more than one resulting channel, to multiply them too to get selections you want.

I hope it was helpful