EXPAND your colors without using filters.

[Wildart]

If you have the ability to adjust the transparency of your images, ( I use Inkscape, but there are other free programs out there) these can be realistic scenes or artwork of any kind, [ though it works best when the image has very little white space],  then do this...

In your image editing program, slide the transparency of your image, so that it is about 25% tranparent. (1/4 or 1 fourth down from original) Of course you can make it more transparent if you wish.

Now load this image once saved, into your zazz images and then onto your desired product.

By selecting a background color(cycle through them), you can change the whole feel of your image, make it warmer,cooler,brighter,darker, the world is your oyster! I am sure you can change this up even more by adding in say, a gradient, from your images to the background instead of,or as well as, a base color. I have yet to try this but am excited by this idea too.

The advantage to this technique, is that you get the color/tonal change that you wish without any darkening of the borders, as with some of the zazz filters. this means you can tile you image if you want, add the backgound of your choice and it is all a seamless color filter. 

The other advantage is that you can create a border round your image if you wish, by making the image smaller than your product, and the backgound automatically becomes your border. No filddling around with trying to match things.

Go have some more fun!

Gill

[carulcards]

Sounds interesting, have to try it 🙂

[Windy]

Super cool! I am working with this to see if I can get anything good. In my program, I have tried 25 percent transparency but prefer 75 percent, I think. I am using Procreate. I think your number 25 in this case means 75 in Procreate.

[Wildart]

Heehee prob very true! I think they do both mean the same 

[Windy]

By the way, you mention cycling through the background colors. Is there a way to do this other than clicking on each background color? @Wildart 

[Wildart]

Hi windy no that's what I meant..

[Barbara]

@Wildart  Yours is the perfect method for dealing with the awful sepia filter we have, which is garish and doesn't in any way simulate the sepia found in old photos.

[Wildart]

so true, it would be, thank you for the encouragement, so pleased it is helping. I am off to make some more products using this method too, and to try a gradient background as well, under some artwork or landscapes. should be interesting!  

it is interesting what one can be inspired to try, even after decades of being a zazzler!!

[BKMuir]

In Inkscape, what file format do you use to save the image?

If I save in any of the SVG formats, no image will appear in Zazzle when I import it.

I did get one image saved as PDF to work.

Seems like this might be an interesting process to try, thanks for the suggestion.

[Wildart]

interesting it is!! 🙂

I usually use PDF save but also do PNG,being aware that you cannot really use filters(for any processes other than the method  of this thread) with PNG in Zazzz, but if bi or tri coloured can have other advantages, such as changing the colours on the actual image itself(You may be aware of this)

[WHS_Designs]

I started off with CorelDRAW (1.0) and have a passing familiarity with Illustrator (up to CS 6),
so getting my feet wet with Inkscape was not difficult as the interface and commands are similar.

Inkscape is pretty amazing as an illustrator/vector drawing app, and it's free, too (although the app will crash if the commands get overused -- but I experienced app crashes for both CorelDraw and Illustrator).

I save my Inkscape files in both .SVG and .PNG formats (both are supported and viewable in the Zazzle design tool for me).

free and paid alternatives to Inkscape:
https://marketsplash.com/inkscape-alternatives/

[itchy_feet_club]

I am trying to import plain SVG's from Inkscape as this would be way more convenient for me but for some reason it just imports one flattened element in a single colour (out of many elements that are complex colours and text). I have even grouped the layers but it made not difference. If anyone has any ideas I would appreciate it.

[Wildart]

thanks for the link WHS, the new version of inkscape is miles ahead thatn the old and doesn't crash on me at all. I should try out the svg format on zazz....

[northernmaple]

I'm still learning how to create. It has been a very steep learning curve for me. When I read your explanation above 89.97% went over my head but that's not because of the way you explained it. It's because of my inexperience. I've been struggling now for days with something seemingly simple. I saw a product with a translucent bar across a photograph. I have looked everywhere on how to do this and I just don't know how it's done 😞  Any help would be much appreciated!

[Wildart]

hi There... :)If you are't usedto using any sort of photo manipulation or graphic enhancement, I think your puzzlement is very understandable! You do need one of these things in order to acheive less that 100% transparency (Opaque to you and me) Here's the link to a free online program give it a try  https://app.corelvector.com/

[northernmaple]

I created an account there. Thank you for the link! Is this a program that you use? I was able to put in a transparent bar across a picture but I think that when a customer changes their own picture for the one I have, it will not have that bar in it. How would I create just an opague bar to put over a pic? Right now, it's saving the pic WITH the bar.

[Wildart]

hi, yes i have used Gravilt, but it is not my main program, my main program is inkscape, I would save your BAR ONLY and your IMAGE ONLY, 2 separate items, lock the transparent bar, and buyers can change the pic only. if you want an opaque bar, you can use the shapes (Square or line) option in zazz design too. 🙂 or just design an opaque bar in gravit and save as this bar shape only.

[northernmaple]

Hi,

I'm sorry to trouble you so much but I'm trying really hard to get this to work and it's just not working. I uploaded a pic to corel vector, then I hit create rectangle and i made it the size I want. It has a blue line to show the shape. I hit opacity to 70%. On the left sidebar, there are 2 layers: rectangle and image. I don't know how to save each separately. I tried but it keeps showing them together.

[Wildart]

no worries ... I cannot help further with gravit..i am locked out...however I would try to creat these 2 items separately...then add them one by one into zazzle. if dimension is the issue, creat your strip by these dimensions, or you can crop later in the zazz design tool... Message me if I am not understanding this correctly, and we can chat about the solution..

Gill

[northernmaple]

Thank you. I just don't know how to save the opaque strip. When I save it it saves with a big white box around it. I just need an opaque strip to save to my desktop so that I can upload it to Zazzle. I was trying to send you a picture of what I was creating but it wouldn't let me upload it for some reason 😞  I tried creating it with shapes in Zazzle but they only have fully transparent. There's no controls for increasing or decreasing the transparency. Anyway, I am looking to create a translucent strip something like this except not a peach colour...just a translucent white.

https://www.zazzle.ca/custom_photo_year_puppys_first_christmas_snowflake_pewter_christmas_ornament-2...

Pat

Pat

[ColsCreations]

@northernmaple 

I made you a white strip at 50% opacity, which was as close to the opacity of the example you posted above as I could eyeball. It looks like this:

The "strip" is actually 3000 x 1500. After uploading to the Design Tool, you can use a combination of cropping and re-sizing to make it whatever size & proportion you need.

You can download it here:
https://colscreations.com/SharedFiles/50TransStrip-3000x1500.png 

* Anyone is welcome to download & use this.

[northernmaple]

Thank you SO much, ColsCreations! I just tried to apply it and crop it and it works perfectly! Thank you also to Gill for all the guidance and the link to corelvector. I appreciate all your help! Pat

[VivianD117]

thank you - just saved it and will think so kindly of you when I use it.