CBT Cafe > Photoshop > Textures & Patterns

Photoshop CS2: Cool Dots

Version: Photoshop CS2

Level: Easy
Objectives: Learn to create the Photoshop techno-dot effect that can be used for
both text and web graphics.
Tools & Techniques: Channels, Filters, Color Halftone, Selections
Posting Date: 01.27.07
Step 1: Getting Started

Create a New File

Step 2: Creating a New Channel

1. In the channels palette click the Create New Channel button.

2. You can accept the default name of Alpha 1.
Step 3: Creating an Ellipse

1. Make an Oval Selection using the Elliptical Marquee Tool.

2. Fill with white.
3. Deselect by clicking Commmand-D/Control-D
4. Blur by going to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. I used 12 but experiment.
Step 4: Adding the Distortion

Go up to Filter>Distort>Twirl
Step 5: Applying the Color Halftone Filter

1. Filter>Pixelate>Color Halftone
2. I used a Max Radius of 10 but as you experiment with different shapes and
sizes you'll want to also experiment with these settings

Step 6: Loading the Selection

1. Return to the Layers Palette and create a new layer Layer>New Layer
2. Load the selection
3. Go up to Select>Load Selection and load Alpha 1 from the drop down menu
Step 7: Making the Background Color

1. Fill the selection with the foreground color by going to Edit>Fill... and choose
Foreground Color from the Contents option in the popup window
2. Deselect by going up to Select>Deselect or click Command-D/Control-D
Halftone Dots

The 'Pop Art' craze may have been over for a few decades, but that shouldn't stop
you sprucing up your artwork with bold and exciting effects. This tutorial details a
simple method for creating funky halftone dots, great for highlighting text and
graphical objects.

Step 1: Create a brand new document of a suitable size with a single background
layer filled solidly with white, and add your picture/text as a layer above the
background. Using either the Eraser Tool or Vector Masking, remove all 'white
space' around your object so that it is isolated in its own layer, and the background
layer shows from behind.

Step 2: Press and hold CTRL on your keyboard whilst clicking on your object layer
to form a selection around your image. You can now let go of CTRL, but keep the
selection active.

Step 3: Select the channels palette by clicking on its tab as shown in the picture
opposite. Create a new channel by clicking once on the 'new channel' button at the
bottom of the channels palette. You can call this new channel anything you like, but
default names are normally pretty self-explanatory. In the new channel, Edit > Fill
the selection with pure white and then Select > Deselect.

Step 4: Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and enter in a value appropriate to the
kind of effect you want to create. If you are aiming for a large subtle fadeout choose
a large value but, if you desire a sharper effect, keep the value small.
Experimentation is the key.
Step 5: Go to Filter > Pixellate > Colour Halftone and set the max radius to 10. This
number relates to the overall size of the biggest dots, and can be varied to taste.
Your channel should now resemble the image opposite.

Step 6: Press and hold CTRL and click the channel to form a new selection. You
will notice that only your dots are selected. Now go back to your layers palette by
clicking on the layers tab, select the white background layer, and Edit > Fill your
selection with a funky colour of your choice. This effect may not be amazingly
versatile, but it does lend itself to rather funky implementations of layer effects. Just
play around and see what you can create - you may surprise yourself!
Little update: please make sure to set up the image in Grayscale mode before
applying the filter.

And, please, please: it has to be done on a background layer! Don’t create a new
layer.

Create a new document in Photoshop. Make sure it is in equally proportional

dimensions (like 600!600 pixels or similar). Fill it in using „Radial gradient“ from
black (inside) to transparent (outside).

Use „Custom fill“ option, and make gradient as in the image below (or similar).
Now use Filter –> Pixelate –> Color Halftone, and play with the options (for
example radius size depends on the size of your document).