3.20.2011

How To Recolor A Subway Art Image

It was fun to read all of your favorite spring words and colors, thanks for all of your suggestions, it really helped me!  As I read through them all though, I realized that there was no way that I'd be able to make prints in all of your favorite colors.  So instead, I'm going to show you how to change the colors of the subway art so you can print them in whatever color you want.  It's really quite easy to do too!

Will you believe that you can get this image:


From this?


It took only a few minutes to first change it to look like the image below.

For the image above, I changed the color of the image first, then clicked on the background and made it transparent.  Then you can either click on the fill icon and fill it with color, or insert a rectangle from AutoShapes into the document, fill it with color, and place it behind the words.  You can learn everything that you need to know to do this in the information in this post. 

For the next image, I added a digital scrapbook paper behind the image and then downsized the words to show a border. 


Just follow the steps below for the program that you have.  The new birthday subway art prints that I made are saved at high resolution if you'd like to use them.

In paint not only can you change a solid colored background, but you can change each word to a different color if you'd like as well.  As far as I know, you can only recolor solid colors in paint.  A patterned paper would not be easy to change.  If you have an image with a patterned paper, color the paper in another program and then copy and paste the image into Paint if you want to make the words different colors.  When you're done editing it in Paint, click on select all, then copy, and paste it into a document where you can size and print it.

How to change the colors of an image in Microsoft Publisher
Publisher is what I use to make the prints.  Photo shop is on my wish list. :)  In Publisher, when you change the image color, it will be monochromatic.  If you start with a medium shade, you can go lighter when you recolor, but not a whole lot darker in shade.  Also, you're not able to change individual words to different colors, you'd have to copy and past it into Paint to do it.
To recolor an image:
1.  Right click on the image
2.  Select 'format picture'
3.  Click on recolor
4.  Select the color that you want to color it in.  You can choose your own color and shade by clicking on 'more colors'.  Click on the color you want to use.
5.  Click on 'apply' (if you need to go back to the original color of the image, click on 'restore original colors)
6.  If the image is the color that you want, click on 'ok', and then on 'ok' again and it's your new color.
I don't know if this tutorial is accurate (since I don't have this program), I hope it is!  I'll check into it.
Click on the link and then scroll down to where it says 'Recolor a picture' and read that section.
or
1. Right click on the image, it will say 'format picture' in your tool bar.
2.  Click on 'recolor' in the tool bar.
3.  You can either choose a shade already provided, or click on 'more variations' to choose your own color.
***How to change the color of the words and insert a digital scrapbook image for the background (in Microsoft Publisher, and Word)

1.  Insert one of the subway art images with black words on a white background into a document.
2.  Recolor the image following the steps above.
3.  Click on the 'set transparent color' icon in your tool bar and then click on the background of the image.  It will become transparent.
4.  Choose your digital paper and place it behind the words and size it. 
Feel free to change the colors on any of my subway art prints. 
I ask that you continue to print them for personal use only and that you not repost them on your website. 

Knowing how to recolor an image will open up so many possibilities.  You can design the prints to fit your own personalities and home decor by adding your favorite digital scrapbook paper.  I think you'll see why I've had such a hard time narrowing down the number of prints that I post too. :)

Today's Fabulous Find...How To Recolor An Image


*I thought that I would be able to have the spring subway art done by now, but haven't gotten it quite finished yet.  I'll post them sometime on Monday. 

5 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for these instructions, definitely on my list of things to try.
    I gave the red birthday subway art to my sister, and she loved it.
    Thanks
    Judy

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  2. THANK YOU!!! I am having so much fun adding my own background to match my decor! :D

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  3. In Reply to Joleen: You're welcome, I'm so glad you're having fun! My favorite part of the whole process is seeing how the look of the print changes just by choosing a different color and background.

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  4. Thank You!!! I LOVE your subway art. I first found your blog while searching for St. Patrick's Day subway art. I received numerous compliments from your printable and have refered many of my friends to your blog. I'm very excited to try this tutorial. I'd uploaded the Birthday art for my daughters first birthday but haven't ordered it yet. Perhaps I'll have to play with the colors and background. I love that there are such creative people who post such detailed tutorials online. Thank you for all you do!

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  5. These are wonderful. Thankyou so much. Lynne

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