layers for composite image

[trowe]

I have no idea if this is the right place to post this, so apologies if I am barking up the wrong tree.

Anyway. I need to take a photo apart into it's relevant colours, R,G and B or CYMK, one layer for each colour, print it on to some acrylic and then reassemble the image in a light box.

how can i separate the layers in such a way that there is sufficient transparency between them to allow the colours to blend once they are laid one on top of each other?

I hope that makes sense.

Thanks

[Tony W]

Re: layers for composite image

Not sure how successful you will be with this approach and I am sure I do not understand why you would want to do this rather than just print a full colour image onto the acrylic.

First are you aware that your channels palette containing the relevant RGB or CMY channels are not actually colour but greyscale representations? You can take the channels apart by using the split channels from the channels menu which will give you a seperate image for each colour channel as greyscale

[DJSoulglo]

Re: layers for composite image

Now that is an interesting question.

It would depend on the image, but if you can split the image into 3 or 4 colors, like a DCS file or something similar, then you get 3 channels with color info and when put on top of each other they should recreate the image you have.

This is a very technical process though.... Bit of googling would help you I think. It wont work with RGB, it should work with CMYK... interesting. If I had time I'd try it out.....

[skoobey]

Re: layers for composite image

I suppose you need them to be on a transparent layers so here goes.

make a new layer
choose pure red from your swatches palette
select the red channel from channels palette (cmd(control on pc) + click the icon) - this gives you a selection with marching ants
alt + delete(the key on your keyboard ,del )

Now you have your red layer.

click the eye next to the layer for that layer to become invisible

Repeat the process of creating other two channel layers, this time picking pure green and pure red.

You'll end up with layers containing each color, if that is what you're after. If you want each color to be on white backdrop, then before you select the red channel, make sure you fill your layer with pure white, or black, by going to Edit>Fill>White 100%. If it happens to fill just a portion of the image with white, do a cmd+a (control+a), and try again. This is for the white backdrop, of course you'll have both pure white and pure green on green layer, blue on blue ,and red on red.

Beware: colors do mix, but one being more intensive than the other ,and order of things in a lightbox can affect the final output considerably.