Paint Shop Pro support - Removing text

Author

Removing text

ScrubsFan

2005-02-13, 11:18 pm

I have an image that I created with a white background, a design, and
two small lines of black text. I now wish I had put the text somewhere
else and made it gray instead of black.

If I use the selection tool around the text, and then "cut" the text
out, it's replacing it with white and it LOOKS perfectly fine. But I
just need some reassurance that this method won't cause problems when
the image is printed on ceramic. Can I be sure that there will be no
trace of the text in its original location? Will it look like it's been
edited? Or would it be better to recreate the entire image from scratch?

Thanks. Oh, I'm using PSP8.

2005-02-13, 11:18 pm

I would think that it should look like it does on your screen. But you can
also eliminate the text by using the clone tool and filling the space with
whatever bg the text is on.

ab

"ScrubsFan" <nospam@bogus.fake.com> wrote in message
news:0vMPd.7169$mG6.835@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> I have an image that I created with a white background, a design, and
> two small lines of black text. I now wish I had put the text somewhere
> else and made it gray instead of black.
>
> If I use the selection tool around the text, and then "cut" the text
> out, it's replacing it with white and it LOOKS perfectly fine. But I
> just need some reassurance that this method won't cause problems when
> the image is printed on ceramic. Can I be sure that there will be no
> trace of the text in its original location? Will it look like it's been
> edited? Or would it be better to recreate the entire image from scratch?
>
> Thanks. Oh, I'm using PSP8.

Kris Zaklika

2005-02-13, 11:18 pm

ScrubsFan wrote:
>
> I have an image that I created with a white background, a design, and
> two small lines of black text. I now wish I had put the text somewhere
> else and made it gray instead of black.

If you had created the text as vector originally and saved your
image in PspImage format the text would have remained editable
to your heart's content. If you had created raster text but
placed it on its own layer you could have deleted it, moved
it, or recreated it without affecting the rest of the image.
Bear these approaches in mind for the future.

> If I use the selection tool around the text, and then "cut" the text
> out, it's replacing it with white and it LOOKS perfectly fine.

Looks can be deceiving. A lot depends on exactly what you are
doing and on the format of the file. If, for example, you saved
your file as JPEG then you will have created artifacts around
the text that will persist after the text is moved. It sounds
to me as if your image is a single background layer. When you
cut or erase something on the background layer, the object is
replaced with the background color currently specified in the
Material palette. This may exactly match the color around the
text or it may not. That is something you should check. Your
ability to see small color differences, especially in bright
colors like white or near-white, depends very much on how well
your monitor is set up. I'm not saying that you will have any
problem in your case, only that it is hard to say whether you
will or not given the available information and a guess at
your overall familiarity with the program.

> But I
> just need some reassurance that this method won't cause problems when
> the image is printed on ceramic. Can I be sure that there will be no
> trace of the text in its original location? Will it look like it's been
> edited?

You can select the text and cut or delete it. At this point
you will still have a selection active in your image. With
the Eyedropper tool you can sample the color of the background
just outside the selection. Then you can use the Flood Fill
tool with the Match Mode set to None to fill the selection
with this color. That should ensure a match of the former
text area to the the surroundings (absent JPEG artifacts).

> Or would it be better to recreate the entire image from scratch?

If that is an option it is the most unambiguous way to make
sure everything is fully under control. This time use vector
text or layers to avoid the hassles you've had. Be sure to
save the file in a lossless format, practically speaking
pretty much anything other than JPEG or GIF. TIFF would be
a good choice if you are giving the file to someone who does
not have PSP.

> Thanks. Oh, I'm using PSP8.

ScrubsFan

2005-02-17, 6:51 pm

Kris Zaklika wrote:
> ScrubsFan wrote:
[color=darkred]
> If you had created the text as vector originally and saved your
> image in PspImage format the text would have remained editable
> to your heart's content. If you had created raster text but
> placed it on its own layer you could have deleted it, moved
> it, or recreated it without affecting the rest of the image.
> Bear these approaches in mind for the future.

Thank you. I will! I created, and saved, the file as a jpeg.

[color=darkred]
> Looks can be deceiving. A lot depends on exactly what you are
> doing and on the format of the file. If, for example, you saved
> your file as JPEG then you will have created artifacts around
> the text that will persist after the text is moved.

That's what I was afraid of. Let me explain that I do NOT have a
graphics background at all, so this is all really new to me. It's been
a learn-as-you-go process. I've HEARD of "jpeg artifacts" but really
didn't know much about them.

>It sounds
> to me as if your image is a single background layer. When you
> cut or erase something on the background layer, the object is
> replaced with the background color currently specified in the
> Material palette. This may exactly match the color around the
> text or it may not. That is something you should check. Your
> ability to see small color differences, especially in bright
> colors like white or near-white, depends very much on how well
> your monitor is set up. I'm not saying that you will have any
> problem in your case, only that it is hard to say whether you
> will or not given the available information and a guess at
> your overall familiarity with the program.

Since I created the original image with a white background, and am now
replacing the text with a white background, it SEEMS to me that there
should be no difference. But if I were sure about that, I wouldn't be
here asking! :-) Note that both the original and replacement whites
are true white (#ffffff).

[color=darkred]
> You can select the text and cut or delete it. At this point
> you will still have a selection active in your image. With
> the Eyedropper tool you can sample the color of the background
> just outside the selection. Then you can use the Flood Fill
> tool with the Match Mode set to None to fill the selection
> with this color. That should ensure a match of the former
> text area to the the surroundings (absent JPEG artifacts).

I haven't tried this method but will.

[color=darkred]
> If that is an option it is the most unambiguous way to make
> sure everything is fully under control. This time use vector
> text or layers to avoid the hassles you've had. Be sure to
> save the file in a lossless format, practically speaking
> pretty much anything other than JPEG or GIF. TIFF would be
> a good choice if you are giving the file to someone who does
> not have PSP.

I dread doing it, but may just go ahead in order to be sure.

I omitted something that may be important in this particular case, since
we're talking about a background color of white. As I mentioned, the
image in question is to be printed on a ceramic item. This is a white
tile and the printing method does not involve white ink. In other
words, anything in an image consisting of white is NOT printed on the
item. So if a section is white, it's basically ignored when printed.
My original text was black, and I'm now replacing that area with white.
Since the printing method doesn't use white ink, what if any impact
will this have on the final result? And can I test it by printing the
image on my color printer? If the former text area LOOKS blank on
paper, is that a good enough test?

Thanks, and I really appreciate the very detailed, informative response.

Kris Zaklika

2005-02-17, 6:51 pm

ScrubsFan wrote:
>
> Kris Zaklika wrote:
>
>
> Thank you. I will! I created, and saved, the file as a jpeg.
>
>
>
> That's what I was afraid of. Let me explain that I do NOT have a
> graphics background at all, so this is all really new to me. It's been
> a learn-as-you-go process. I've HEARD of "jpeg artifacts" but really
> didn't know much about them.

Open your image. Go to File > Export > JPEG Optimizer. The
right preview of the dialog shows how the image will look
after compression. Crank up the compression level and watch
what happens. Once you see the ugliness press Cancel so as
not to save the file. This will allow you to get a sense
of what the artifacts look like. At low compression levels
zoom in at 300% on the edges of text. Compare the right
preview with the left one, which shows the original image.
Then crank up the compression step by step to past 50. Now
you will know what you are looking for when the word "artifact"
is mentioned in connection with JPEG.

>
> Since I created the original image with a white background, and am now
> replacing the text with a white background, it SEEMS to me that there
> should be no difference. But if I were sure about that, I wouldn't be
> here asking! :-) Note that both the original and replacement whites
> are true white (#ffffff).
>
>
>
> I haven't tried this method but will.
>
>
>
> I dread doing it, but may just go ahead in order to be sure.
>
> I omitted something that may be important in this particular case, since
> we're talking about a background color of white. As I mentioned, the
> image in question is to be printed on a ceramic item. This is a white
> tile and the printing method does not involve white ink. In other
> words, anything in an image consisting of white is NOT printed on the
> item. So if a section is white, it's basically ignored when printed.
> My original text was black, and I'm now replacing that area with white.
> Since the printing method doesn't use white ink, what if any impact
> will this have on the final result? And can I test it by printing the
> image on my color printer? If the former text area LOOKS blank on
> paper, is that a good enough test?

If there is no black or grey junk around the text when it is
printed on paper and the edges of the text look even the
chances are you won't have a problem with the "ceramic item".
Except for some specialty ceramics, most such items have
relatively rough surfaces and involve rather simple imaging
procedures both of which would hide any minor imperfections.

> Thanks, and I really appreciate the very detailed, informative response.

No problem. I want you to get the most out of the software.