2 Colour Tail Number Decal - How to?

[+ianh755]

Hi there, I've only just started making decals and this has got me stumped (which means it'll be an easy fix usually!). I can make single colour decals but I'm trying to make tail number decals in 2 colours i.e a Red Tail Number with a Black shadow around it or the opposite like below (the AJW)

 

Can someone break in down into a simple how-to in PS for me? Cheers!

 

[Svetlin]

Hi, hope that helps:

http://www.simmerspaintshop.com/forums/f37-photoshop-tutorials/making-outlined-numbers-used-luftwaffe-651/

[+russouk2004]

I use paintshop pro 7.04 for pre decal and skin work.

as the programme allows you to type letters or numbers with an edge colour of any thickness you like.

Edited February 15, 2012 by russouk2004

[+ianh755]

Thanks for the tips, I've now got borders but I'm still having issues with the transparency affecting the whole tail (told you I was a noob at this). I'm using this tutorial from CombatAce SF1 KB for making simple Decals and I can't seem to make the bordered numbers effect I'm after using it. Any idea's on what I can do differently?

 

I suppose I'm asking Once I've typed out what I want how do I mask off the letters from the transparent background as the method I'm using only allow you use the letters as a mask for the plain background beneath it?

 

This is what my PS screen looks like but when added to the game the whole tail is white with just this code on it -

 

Edited February 15, 2012 by ianh755

[+Fubar512]

 

This is what my PS screen looks like but when added to the game the whole tail is white with just this code on it -

 

Follow the size format used by the default decals....judging by the image you've posted, your's are probably too big.

[+Major Lee]

Don't forget the alpha channel... You can edit "scale" in the decal ini...

[+Sundowner]

Get your hands on photoshop 7.0 m8...it'll make your life so much easier for making decals.

[+FLOGGER23]

I have an issue, when i add the alpha channel and save i get the decal with a white background, what i'm i doing wrong? I'm unable to upload the tga, so, i did as jpg.

[+Wrench]

remember, the alpha channel acts like a 'hold-out matte', that blocks all but the image in the center...

 

i've zoomed up the image, so you can see it little better.... (yes, that's Rose from Dr. Who). Now, when I did these these for the P-61, the actual size of the working image was huge .... 2048 or above, then resized down to 256 or so for the actualy decal (some were even larger, with 10+ layers)

 

this is the nose art decal, with just the background image. you can see the white background

 

 

this is JUST the alpha channel, without anything else

 

 

and this is all 4 channels, RGB plus the alpha

 

 

I picked a nose art to show, as they usually are oddly shaped, and multi-colored.

I type in the lettering in black, then block it off with one of the marquee tools (usually the rectangular), then use the paint bucket on the lettering to change the colors. This is done BEFORE adding/creating the alpha, and any color other than black with change the opacity down and not show as 'bright' as it should be.

 

To get the image centered, I cut the lettering/image out and then paste it back into the background layer. For some reason, PS automatically centers the image; then merge it down flat. Then, copy the background (with the image), create the new alpha, the paste the image into the alpha channel. But there's still more to do...

 

For LRRH Herself, to keep her quite visible, no changes in opacity on the RGB layer are attempted ... we want her to shine!!!.

After creating the alpha, I had to 'paint out' or remove any of the alpha INSIDE the figure (as can be see in the alpha-only image) - it's pure white, to allow her to come through in all her glory. The edges are painted using a 1 pixel hard round brush, following the outline of the body. Then, the interior gets painted out.

 

It can take some time, but the end product is well worth it.

[+ianh755]

Cheers I think! The decal is 160x160 (just blown up big in the pic) and it's the Alpha channel "cut-out" that I can't get. When I add the alpha channel it's solid, so how do I "cut-out" the AJ-G lettering from the alpha channel so it looks like Wrench's B&W picture?

 

***EDIT***

 

Sorted it, the "Stroke" option was putting the red band around the outside of the letters which meant my Alpha mask wasn't adding the extra 2 pixel width to each letter (I just got the black letter with no red border). However, I used the "Inner Glow" in blending options to make the red border inside the letter and it works fine at 160x160. It's not the best image or the easiest way but it works!

 

Edited February 16, 2012 by ianh755

[+Wrench]

as long as the end result is what's wanted, who cares how ya get there!!

[+Fubar512]

I have an issue, when i add the alpha channel and save i get the decal with a white background, what i'm i doing wrong? I'm unable to upload the tga, so, i did as jpg.

 

It's easy, just set the defaults in whatever paint program you're using, to 32-bit alpha. I have paint.net setup so when I select and "erase" a background, then save the file as a .tga, it defaults to a 32-bit tga and already has the proper alpha channel.

 

32bit_alpha.zip