Handwritten Recipe

[RobinSpitzer]

Is there a fast way, to get only the handwriting?  I need to remove everything EXCEPT the handwriting (remove the background, lines and typed words).

[hatstead · Accepted solution]

You can do it fairly rapidly if you retain the lines:

1. Open the file
2. Duplicate the background layer and work on the Background copy layer
3. Go to Filter>Adjustment>Threshold. I moved the slider to 225 to optimize the handwriting
4. Activate the magic wand tool. On the tool's option bar, set tolerance to 10, and uncheck contiguous. Next left click in a white area in the background, and hit delete on the keyboard.
5. Press CTRL+D to get rid of the marching ants
6. Continue on in the Background copy layer, and with the eraser tool, erase the typed text.
7. This will leave you with the handwritten recipe. The checkerboard pattern indicates transparency.
8. If you wish to save this for subsequent use/editing, save it in a format which preserves transparency, e.g. PSD