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Free graphics
How to create a figure-ground
diagram in Photoshop
This exercise shows you how to assemble a plan
from four parts and then create a figure-ground
diagram.
Don’t forget to save
your files regularly.
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How to create a figure-ground diagram in to Change the Canvas Size.
Photoshop
Open the second file for the figure-ground. This
is entitled Bloomsbury Base 2. From the Select
Assembling a plan of Bloomsbury from four menu, select All. From the Edit menu, select
parts Copy.
Open your copy of Photoshop. Return to Bloomsbury Base 1 by clicking on this
file’s title.
From the File menu, select Open. Choose
Bloomsbury Base 1 from the UCLeXtend files From the Edit menu, select Paste. This will bring
you have downloaded. the second image into your file and create a
new layer for it. This will allow you to move the
Once opened, you will see the first image for image.
your figure-ground.
Using the Move Tool in the toolbar, carefully
From the Image menu, select Resize and Canvas position Bloomsbury Base 2 to the right of
Size. This will open a new window that will allow Bloomsbury Base 1.
you to increase the size of the working canvas.
Move the image by clicking and dragging on the
As you will be bringing in three further images to image.
add to this file, double the width and height of
the canvas. The width should be set to 22.26cm Repeat this exercise for Bloomsbury Base 3 and
and the height should be 30.97cm. Bloomsbury Base 4.
To position the image correctly, press the upper When these have been carefully positioned,
left-hand corner anchor to allow the canvas you should see a complete plan of part of
to expand away from the image to the right Bloomsbury, London.
and below. These anchors are displayed at the
bottom of the window as a series of arrows When the four images are in position, from
around a box. the Layer menu select Merge Visible. This will
combine the four layers into one, and allow you
Once you have filled in this information, click OK to select similar colours.
Creating the figure-ground
With the Zoom Tool, zoom in closely to one
of the buildings on campus. The buildings are
shown in red.
Select the Magic Wand Tool from the toolbar.
Don’t forget to save Click on the red line to select this colour.
your files regularly. From the Select menu, select Similar. Everything
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in red is now selected. of the drawings in white.
On the right-hand side of the screen, go to the From the Select menu, select Deselect to undo
Layers window and click New Layer. This will the selection.
create a new layer entitled Layer 1. Double click In the Layer window, create a new layer, Layer 3.
of this layers name to highlight and rename as Rename this layer as Buildings.
Building outlines.
From the Edit menu, select Fill Layer. Select
From the Edit menu, select Fill Selection. In the Contents Use as black. Click OK. This will turn
window that opens, click on Foreground Colour your image completely black.
and select black. Press OK to complete this
action. To reveal your figure-ground, in the Layer
window slide the buildings layer downwards until
Go to the Layers window. Turn off the it is beneath the Ground layer. Do this by clicking
Background Layer by clicking on the eye image on the layer and dragging it.
on the left-hand side. This will leave you with the
outline of the buildings. Your figure-ground of Bloomsbury is now
revealed.
Select the Magic Wand tool from the toolbar.
Click on anywhere that is not enclosed by black Use the Zoom Tool to zoom out to see the full
lines. This will select all the open space around image.
the buildings.
Creating a file for use in other applications
In the Layers window, create a new layer, Layer Your figure-ground will be used in the other
2 and rename as Ground. To the left of Building exercises. A flattened image will need to be
outlines layer, click on the eye symbol to turn off prepared to ensure that the file is useable.
the layer’s visibility.
Save your Photoshop image.
From the Edit menu, select Fill Selection. In the
window displayed, adjust the Contents Use to From the Layer menu, select Flatten Image. A
white. window will appear with the option ‘Discard
hidden layers’. Click OK.
Click OK. This will show the streets and spaces
Your drawing has now been flattened. All the
drawing information has been placed on one
layer.
From the File menu, select Save As.
In the window, select the Format as JPEG. Name
this file Bloomsbury Figure-ground . Click Save.
A JPEG Options window will open, Select an
Don’t forget to save Image Options Quality 8 or above. Click OK.
your files regularly.