GF3 - Tutorail 1 - Using images as backgrounds & fills. A Manual process for any bitmap or painting applications which use fonts.

This tutorial is done with Adobe Photoshop™, however this exact process can also be done in GIMP or even with the "Paint" application included on most PCs. This tutorial uses Highgrounds "Wildstyle" font family and images from the Graffiti Fonts™ 3.0 collection.

• In this sample you will learn how to combine font styles to create simple outlines & fills with or without layers in any image editor.
• This sample then demonstates a basic process for importing images as backgrounds or fills.

Many applications provide masks or image sampling abilities that can accomplish this effect in a few clicks. This sample demonstrates a manual process that can be done in nearly any bitmap application.

Create a new document at 300 dpi. Try 8 by 10 inches for the size. Find a few stock images to use for this sample.
For the best results choose a font with both outline and fill styles such as RaseOne, FatCap or WildStyle.

Step 1:

Type in the desired word or phrase and type in any extra symbols or letters you want to include.

Note: If each letter or symbol is placed on a layer of its own much more advanced work is possible. In this example the fonts are left exactly as typed and a minimal number of layers is used.

Once you have the text you want copy it or duplicate the layer or layers. If you are not using layers just paste it in front of the other objects.

Step 2:

On the new layer change the font style from outline to fill and change the color to any desired color.

Align the fill style directly on to of the outline style.

We will be selecting areas by color so it is best to use colors with high contrast like the black & white shown in this example.

Step 3:

Repeat that basic process untill you have all the words, phrases or symbols you want for you layout.

If you are working in high-end software like Photoshop™ you will want to merge each fill layer with its corresponding outline layer so that each piece of graffiti is one object and can be easily moved around.

Step 4:

Open up one of your stock images like this simple fire image from the GF3 collection.

Copy the image or enough of it to cover the desired area and paste it into your layout

Step 5:

Move the imported image to the back layer and into the desired position in your layout.

At this point you could just delete the white area within your text and the flames will show through. instead ...

You will most likely want to delete the areas of the flame image around the outside of the piece so procede to the next step.

Step 6:

Use the selection tool to select the empty space around your graffiti

Change layers to the layer that contains your imported image while keeping the selection active.

Simply hit delete to clear the areas of the image showing from behind your graffiti text.

Step 7:

Use the selection tool to select the white fill area of your font and again just delete it.

You will see the image now showing through and the outline still in place.

Again you should merge or group the fill and the outline so they are one object.(after making color adjustments and applying effects to the outline and fill to get the desired look)

Bring in a second image to fill the entire background and you are basically done.

The sample shown here uses no effects and has no particular colorscheme or look however this basic cookie-cutter process can create a variety of 2D & 3D effects in many different apps.