| As we have mentioned earlier, most of the images on our CDRom are part of complete ads which include text and layout, (as opposed to being individual clipart images on their own). Some customers have expressed concern that it might therefore be difficult to use the images by themselves. | ||
 here
we'd like to explain just how easy it is to take parts and pieces out of
these ads, and use them as individual clipart pieces. To our right we have
image #829, exactly as it appears in our catalog. |
 |
Before you begin editing, you should first convert the image to greyscale, and then to RGB (if you want to apply color). This high resolution file will balloon to 45 megs in size, so you'll have to reduce the file size (ppi) substantially in order to make the image easier to work with. |
 |
Next, we isolate the
'fella', because we've decided this is the 'clipart' image we really want
to use. This is as easy as drawing a marquis around the face in Photoshop,
then selecting 'inverse', and deleting the surrounding area.
After that we can easily colorize the image and background, then perhaps add our own text. In this case we've used the font 'Churchward Brush', because it really has that serious 'retro' look. |
| Now we can take it even one step further. This time we've added color to our 'fella' by filling areas on a layer below him in Photoshop. Once again we can add some text using retro-friendly fonts, and finally we place a graduated tone in the background which ties all these elements together rather nicely. |  |
 ...to having such high-resolution files as are found on our CDRom is that you can isolate a small part of any image and still be left with a very high-resolution file. When browsing through this collection you will find hundreds of items that could easily be separated from their respective ads and treated as individual clipart. So don't be afraid to chop'em up! |
| One of the great values of a collection such as Retro Ad Art© is the fact that it is jammed full of complete graphic layouts. Other Retro clip art collections which feature mostly separate clipart images, are limited in their usefulness, because they provide you with no idea of how to integrate text and layout in the authentic style of the '50s. |
 |
In this animation of image #213 from our collection, we see how easy it is to add color and apply your own custom text on to an existing layout. |
|
We've received a few inquiries as to which fonts are the most suitable when modifying retro images, so we've started a list of the ones we've found which seem to fit the best. So far, we've got:
|
||
|
Avant Garde |
Churchward Brush |
Freehand |
|
|
||
 |
|
 |