colour separation overlay

[Joe Finan]

No-one seems to know this one... is it possible to overlay an image onto a specified colour of another image (similar to the green-screen effect used in films and for weather readers etc.)?

[YrbkMgr]

Well, yes. Of course it's possible, and there are at least three different ways to do it.

Here are the issues. Exactly how you do it depends on: your familiarity with photoshop, the intent of the final image, and whatever is surrounding your "subject" that you wish to place on the green screen.

The easiest example to demonstrate is to take an image. Add a layer beneath it and fill that bottom layer with your favorite color.

Go to the top layer with your image, and make a selection around the subject that is to appear on the new colored background. Hit the Layer Mask button at the bottom of the layers pallet.

The trouble in most cases is accurately selecting, then blending the subject into the new background, but that's another subject...

Peace,
Tony

[Joe Finan]

I was fairly familiar about 10yrs ago. The problem I;ve got is getting the 2nd image. Overlaying a colour or pattern is easy! But another image.....

[YrbkMgr]

Well technically, you do the same thing, only instead of your bottom layer being a color, make it your desired background image.

Just drag your "subject" image onto the "background" image. Then again, it's a matter of selection/masking and blending.

If you post an example of the two images somewhere on the web and tell us the link, you may get more help.