Selecting a Signature from Photo

[ElizabethM]

Hello!
Yes questions seems to be my favourite thing here doesn't it? Haha

I have been asked to selected a signature out of a paper image, simple stuff I realised. Now my only concern is that when I look at the image at 100%, the edges are very jagged, especially when I try to apply colour overlay to turn it into an all black signature.

Is there any way of making this a smoother transition?

Thanks in advance!

 

[chrisdesign]

Color White Gray Black

Every signature has its own difficulties to be separated from a Background.
Maybe post your "paper image" or just a small part of it.
It is a lot easier then to help you with your problem.

 

[ElizabethM]

I would love too but I don't think I'm allowed to do that as the person who asked me is very particular about what goes up on their net. The background isn't so much of a problem though, it was written on a simple white paper so that was pretty easy to take out.

It's just while the outline was fine, the moment I colorized it the edges became rather jaggered. Is this a normal or should I maybe feather my selection first?

 

[chrisdesign]

Is the original image more like this.

 

[ElizabethM]

The paper was like this:


And the ink looked like this:


Ball-pen consistency so it had a bit of a faded black touch to the colour.

 

[Paul]

Just curious as to why you require to lift a signature and for what purpose would that then lifted signature be used for?

 

[chrisdesign]

Original signature


Use curves tool to make the paper almost white underneath the sig.


Make a selection of the BG, feather it a little, then delete the BG.


Use curves tool in the channels to change the color.

 

[ElizabethM]

Ah curves tool to change the colour and feather for softness, I as so worried that feathering it would take away most of the little selection I had but ahhh! Genius. I was using colour overlay and that just looked sad. Thanks Chris! You're awesome. P/S: Are you German by chance? Because I've never really looked at PS in a different language and it's so cool (yes I'm a dork who finds a lot of thigns cool haha)
Paul: It's used on a little image they have on their website to make it more of a personalise imaged.

 

[chrisdesign]

i'm a real Swiss guy. i'm glad I could help you.