Outlining lines is way too thick

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
January 22, 2022
3 replies
3007 views

Greetings:

I've been outlining a few pictures, but no mattewr what, the lines are way too thick, and this in the lowest thickness (bar all the way to the left).
It's horrendous!!!

Been looking for an outlining action, but to no avail:
All yield the same thick effect.

How can I fix this?

Thank you.
Ben

Windows

This topic has been closed for replies.

josephlavine

Community Expert

You can apply a Stroke down to a single pixel. However, keep in mind that how thick the line appears is relative the ppi of an image. For example, a 10 pixel stroke will seem much thicker on an 72 ppi image then 10 pixel stroke on a 300 ppi image.

warmly/j

X

Xogroroth666Author

Known Participant

Thank you for replying.
I am aware on the quality of a picture influencing the thickness of a line, sir.
One cannot a finer work than that of the quality of the photo.
The photos are around 1000p x 1800p x 300dpi.
Which is why I am so annoyed by the result of the lines given.

I do not think that a 1 pixel line will show in this case, being them too fine (if that is what the issue is, I wiill go check right now).

So, it went from 10 to 1, but it makes no difference in the photocopy from the filter gallery.
Made it 100, still no difference, sir, the lines just stay the same?

It is if as photocopy has it's own minimum setting it refuses to pass by.

Oi?
Now not only the lines did not change, but the photocopy turned inverted:
Original:

became:

... and this happens now with all pictures.
These now "auto-invert" apparently ...
Weird, all I did was mess with the line thickness? o_O
Any idea what is going on, please?

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Xogroroth666Author

Known Participant

Ok...

I think it would help if you learned some of the terminology first, and undersand how the tools work, I inserted some links to the help files, and recommend for you to peruse it, and also the photoshop essentials site that I find very didactic.

One thing you can try to get less detail and thinner edges is to use the lowest possible setting in Photocopy, hit ok, then hit CTRL+L for levels, and move the midtones slider you see under the graph all the way to the right, to increase the contrast of the resulting image.

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/levels-adjustment.html

You also need to understand that photocopy will find edges based on existing contrast, and it might struggle on the image with the shadows across the car.

On that matter, I suggested to use dodge and burn techniques.

The fastest method, but that is destructive is to use the dodge and burn tools found in the toolbar, their shortcut is "O"

They use is to alter the tones of the image. You can select to darken the light areas only, or the other way around, to decrease the contrast in some areas.

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/dodge-burn-image-areas.html

Here is a way that is non destructive, it means it does not change your existing image. It is better to work that way, once you understand what you are doing, but it is more complicated as you move the edits on separate layers.

https://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/dodge-burn/

I suggested earlier to change the physical size of the image (the number of H horizontal and V vertical pixels), since the very old photocopy filter you use works by contrast detection, and you seem to have too much detail. Go to Edit>Image size, make sure that the link icon is present, between Width and Height only, and that resample is checked (if unchecked, W, H and resolution will be linked, and you do not want that), then select either one's value, and add *2 behind, it will double the number of pixels in both directions.

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/image-size-resolution.html

You could also build your own version of the photocopy filter, and select the rendering aspect you want with this tutorial: https://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-effects/portrait-to-sketch/

Thank you, Sir.

Will trythis ASAP.
Will keep you posted. 🙂

Thank you, again.

Leslie Moak Murray

Community Expert

Do you mean you're applying a stroke?

-Select>All

-Edit>Stroke

And from the dropdown menu that appears, choose the pixel width. - Edit- And you can choose the color of the stroke

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Xogroroth666Author

Known Participant

Thank you for responding.
Apologies for the late reply, things have been very hectic here.

"Do you mean you're applying a stroke?"
Excuse me, I am not familiar with drawing program terminology.

So, I load an image, as per the Youtube video that I follow.
Then (if needed) make it 8-bit (odd, that in this time of age, 16 or 32-bit cannot be done in Filter Gallery: most pictures are no longer of 8-bit), go to Filter Gallery, make photo copy, slider of detail to left ... and here all goes very weird:
Where in the video a nice thin-lined picture appeares, mine is thick-lined, making it horrible.
And I mean, HORRIBLE (I am autistic, and these thick lines trigger me immensely, especially since in the video, the result is so nice).
No matter what I try, these lines just won't slim down.

So, figured to get me an Action, such as Concept Sketch, Construct Photo Action or Sketch Photoshop Action, which are free until you select them which brings you to a payment bill (since when is free no longer free, for that matter? o_O ), so I cannot get this.
Reason is:
The computer belongs to the company (logical), and I cannot instal anything on it (also logical).
And these actions are "not in the line of what the company uses", wich means, it is not used enough to bother and get it.

Which in turn means, I am a wee stuck.

How can I proceed now, please?

Thank you.
Ben