Aging paper

[libra]

Please when someone has the time, can someone do a tutorial on how to age paper. I have just been trying it and besides doing numerous layers of dirty yellow multipied onto an image I have no idea how to tackle it.

This image is fantastic btw, I wouldn't know where to start with accomplishing something like this.... http://www.pixeladdiction.com/pp/showphoto.php?photo=327&sort=1&cat=all&page=1

[Scott]

I think she found that on the web and just changed the words.. but we'll see what we can come up with.

[libra]

Thanks Jolt, short of throwing tea over my screen I am clueless ;-)

[PDG]

Here are some suggestions off the top of my head real quick. Maybe you can run with it.

1. Create a plain white layer (this will be your paper) and fill with your choice of color.
2. Choose a brush that 'breaks' and looks really ragged and run around the edges making it torn. If it isn't broken enough, use Free Transform > Distort to really screw up the edges.
3. Duplicate this layer like 3-4 times.
4. Render clouds on each layer separately in various colors. (use hue-saturation)
5. Start playing with the various Layer effects until you get a juicy combo. Maybe multiply, overlay and screen will be best.
6. For the finishing touch, add texture to the paper via the Filter menu on a final duplicated layer and overlay it.
7. Add a drop shadow for graphicity's sake. (I'm allowed to make up words :))

Like I said, I thought of this in about 3 minutes. Hopefully it'll work our trigger some ideas for ya. ;)

[PDG]

Option # 2...

Take a sheet of plain paper. Wrinkle it up, tear it...abuse it.
Get a match.
Carefully Burn the edges (not your house, please).
Scan it and mess with it using a few of the techniques listed above.

[Dave]

Get PSP7 it has an "aged paper" effect that works quite well :)

But not as well as Maiden's great image.

[TrinityOfOne]

Have a look at the aged photograph tutorial here (http://www.howtocheatinphotoshop.com/samples.html), it's not exactly what you're after but could be modified to suit - it's kind of a mixture of the 2 suggestions PDG made!

[libra]

[QUOTE=TrinityOfOne]Have a look at the aged photograph tutorial here (http://www.howtocheatinphotoshop.com/samples.html), it's not exactly what you're after but could be modified to suit - it's kind of a mixture of the 2 suggestions PDG made![/QUOTE]

Thanks everyone! Will definitely play with those...

Was so close to buying that book when we were on holiday in Florida over the Christmas period TrinityOfOne... looks like I should have.

[TrinityOfOne]

I'd recommend it, libra. It shows a lot of good techniques and image editing shortcuts - what it doesn't do is teach you photoshop in its entirety. The author does montages for the Telegraph, Independant, etc. - it's a UK book, so it's available from Amazon.

[calamityjane]

There's also tons of PS brushes of aged and torn papers out there

[Siouxie]

these are also maybe kind of helpful
http://www.psd-fx.com/main.php?psd=tutorial/burntedges

this one is very nice effect
http://www.thewebmachine.com/index.html?menu=photoshop_menu.html
if link doesn´t work go on the site to photoshop and then scroll down in the left menu until you find the burnt paper sign