In this relatively simple and quick Photoshop tutorial, we will try to apply an x-ray effect to an image. Basically, all we need to do is just Inverse the image and also play around with some Layer Blending Options.
Let’s start! Download several images that you would like to stuff in your bag, 🙂 For this tutorial, I used the following images:
Step 1:
Open the images. Invert the pistol which turns images into something that looks like a photo negative. ( Image – Adjustments – Invert ) or just simply clicking Ctrl + I will do. You will see the inverted pistol as below.
So does the Bag image. Next, move the inverted pistol to bag workplace. Transform into the proper size and composite it.
Step 2:
Now we need to do masking, to remove unwanted background of the pistol image. But what we can see here is the pistol background blended in Bag image.
To ease our masking job, first we create a Blue Layer and put it below the pistol layer.
Now, we click the vector mask icon situated at the bottom of the Layers pallete (I’ve mark the icon below). Start masking the area of the black background using the Brush Tool (B).
After masking, change the Blending Options to SCREEN. See the results below, this is what we want it to be 🙂
Step 3:
So we just the step 1 and step 2 for the rest of the objects:
a. Invert the image
b. Bring it to the Bag Workplace
c. Transform and composite it
d. Create Vector Mask
e. Open the Blue Layer ( easier for masking )
f. Brush tool (B) to mask
g.Change Blending Options to SCREEN
Then we have to change the Opacity of each objects in order to make it more “ X-Ray ” feel. It makes the objects overlapping to each other. This is what I have done.
Step 4:
To create a Layer Group, select the layers you want to include. Then go to Layer > Group Layers, and the selected layers will be automatically placed in a newly created folder. For a new Layer Group folder with no selected layers, click the New Group Button (the folder icon) at the bottom of the Layers Palette. It helps to organize the layers and avoid the mess.
Step 5:
The images that I selected at the beginning is different color. That’s why we can see the infrared effects are different color after inverted. Just a simple Adjustment Layer will solve the problem 🙂
By using Adjustment Layers, we can make modifications anyhow, anytime throughout the process.
Okay, do this by clicking on the Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette. Choose Hue and Saturation. Set it to the -100, to desaturate the whole image.
Then apply a little bluish greenish color to the image. Make it more like a scan image.
Lastly, flatten the image. Done!
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