[LParrish]

Hi,

Can anyone help me with the above. Thanks.

LParrish

[Demonhood]

um, can you elaborate?
if it's a perfect cylinder, there isn't much you have to worry about.

[jim_stone]

Yes, like what software are you using/have available?. Do you have an existing image of the bottle (if so, do this in Photoshop)? If you're doing this from scratch, tell us what you're working in.

[LParrish]

Hi Demonhood and Jim,

Sorry, it is a perfect cylinder and I would like to apply a label on it, la it is flat and I would like to curve it to fit the bottle (which is a perfect cylinder which already has a label and I would like to cover it with the one mentioned above which has type (not done in photoshop). Software available is Photoshop 6. Both of the above are exisring images. I tried PS 6 help but to no avail, tried 3D transform but that did did not work (for me anyway). I feel rather stupid about this and would appreciate your help. Thanks.

LParrish

[ajk]

# Since the bottle is a perfect cylinder, then the label will be a rectangle (with 90º corners).

# First step is to measure the dimensions of the label you want.

• Make a pen mark on a piece of string, somewhere near one end;
• Place that mark at the top-left corner of the present label and start wrapping the string around the top of the label ’til it comes to the top-right corner of the label.
• Make a second pen mark, on the string, at the top-right corner.
• Take the string off and measure from one pen mark to the other. That is the width.
• Then measure from top-left corner to bottom-left corner of label. That is the length.

# Next, make a new document with those measurements in what ever application that's suitable (Quark, PageMaker, InDesign, Photoshop). Note that if you want the label to be bigger than the original then make the measurements larger.

I hope I helped you out.

[ 06-26-2001: Message edited by: ajk ]

[jim_stone]

OK, to do this in photoshop, open a picture of the bottle. Create a new layer. Scan or import the label art and place it onto the new layer. Then go to Filters -> Render -> 3D Transform.

You'll see your label floating on a grey checkerboard. To the left are tools, including a Square, Circle, and Cylinder. Select the Cylinder tool and draw a cylinder around the label art. (THis is a sort of proxy or the bottle picture on the bottom layer.)

Then take the rotator tool and pull down on the middle of the cylinder you just drew, and you'll see it distort the label. Be prepared to do this many, many times until you get it right, because the 3D distort is not Photoshop's finest tool. Don't start this if you are in a hurry ;-)

When you think it looks ok, hit OK and check it out. When the result looks good, flatten the image and print that sucker.

Hope this has helped. If not, speak up, and please be specific.

[jim_stone]

Oh, and here's another way:
Flip the label on its side.
Go to Filters -> Distort _> Shear. You can move the vertical line back and forth to shear the label, BUT if you click on the line you can add a point. Move the point and the shear becomes a curve. Like changing the letter "I" to a "(" or ")".

Pull on the point until the curvature of the label matches the curve of the bottle.

(This filter only works in a horizontal plane, which is why you first flip the label on its side. )

When you are done, just stand the label back upright and Presto, you are finished.

[LParrish]

Jim

Thank a lot. This is pretty explicit, I am just about to try it.

Louise Parrish

[godzookie2k]

Are you "photoshopping" the lable onto an IMAGE of the bottle? or are you printing out the label and glueing it onto the bottle? if its the latter then forget all that 3D transform business and get the bottle measurements and just make a document that size, print it out and glue that sucker on. However, remember that bottle lables rarely go ALL the way around the bottle because that is just a pain in the but to stick down without creasing. but if you DO do that then remember to measure for a half inch overlap. OR remeber to make the width of the label a little bit shorter as to leave a gap when you are glueing (can't spell that right today can I?) it. Oh, and when adhering, use DuoTac (or Mactac as it is sometimes called) instead of rubber cement or glue, Mactac/Duotac won't disintegrate when/if the bottle gets moist, Glue will. (and its hella easier to stick down) duotac is, FYI, essentially double sided archival sticky paper. any more ?'s you can drop me a line @ buzzgfx@mac.com

good luck

nick

[LParrish]

Godzookie

Thank you.


LParrish

[godzookie2k]

You're welcome

Nick