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You are here: MacNN Forums > Enthusiast Zone > Art & Graphic Design > Pixelmator advice: layer “templates”?

Pixelmator advice: layer “templates”?
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OreoCookie
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Aug 27, 2020, 10:42 PM
 
I'm just designing a book cover with a friend for my next book: read, my friend is the illustrator and she did 99.9 % of the work. She did all the artwork, and I helped shuffle it around. I really, really love it. Right now, it looks something like this:



Right now each element has its own layer, and the layers are group by person. So the layer group Newton consists of his portrait, the Apple and Newton's equations. We'd like to add some color, but I'd like to be easily able to change the color scheme. So I'd like to e. g. make all equations gray rather than black. Or I'd add a color gradient.

Of course, I could break up all the layer groups and group everything by type. But then if we decide to tweak the positions, that would get very messy. Is there a way to apply something like a template to layers so that e. g. I can choose a color or a gradient for e. g. all equations but leave the layer groups intact? Or should I do things another way?

I'm using Pixelmator if that helps.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
     
andi*pandi
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Aug 28, 2020, 12:40 PM
 
if this were photoshop, I'd say apply a greyscale filter to the equations and copy it to the other equations.

I don't know anything about pixelmator though.

are these vector or pixel images?
     
OreoCookie  (op)
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Aug 29, 2020, 01:52 AM
 
I'm asking about a whether I could use a template, because I'd like to quickly try many different colors and/or shades of gray. Would there be a way to be smart/lazy in Photoshop?
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Thorzdad
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Aug 29, 2020, 08:38 AM
 
(in Photoshop. I also know nothing of Pixelmator) Well, you could use the magic wand to select the equations, then save that selection. That would give you a "template" of sorts, that you could use/reuse to try different color ideas. Thing is, if the art is raster (i.e. not vector ala Illustrator) the selection/template is going to be kind of rough, owing to the inherent anti-aliasing of pixel-based art. But, it'll give you something to play with to try ideas. I certainly wouldn't use it as final art, though.
     
andi*pandi
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Aug 29, 2020, 09:19 AM
 
you could copy all the equation layers to a new group just to experiment with color.
     
reader50
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Aug 29, 2020, 01:11 PM
 
Or copy the file, and experiment on copies as needed. No pixelmator experience here either, sorry. I use an old copy of PS Elements, occasionally supplemented with GIMP.

Yet another reason not to "upgrade" to Catalina. My PSE is 32-bit, so I'd have to jump fully to the GIMP.
     
OreoCookie  (op)
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Aug 29, 2020, 11:08 PM
 
Originally Posted by andi*pandi View Post
you could copy all the equation layers to a new group just to experiment with color.
That might actually be a good idea, probably the best simple solution with my limited skills.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
     
   
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