Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

I recently tidied up my collection of Cutouts & Frames and made a set of images to illustrate their appearance.
The collection includes those supplied with Qimage plus others obtained from users and those I made myself. Some of you have a copy of my collection so the images may be of use.
See http://www.pbase.com/tjm04/cutout - click on the thumbs to see larger image or run a slide show for a speedy view.
I probably should have rationalised the names but that was too much work and would have involved cross referencing to my own graphic files for many of them.

I suggest that any new QU users or those unfamiliar with Cutouts, read QU Help on the subject (see list of Functions) and the introduction on my gallery page, link above.
Terry

Terry,

I went through your series of cutouts and frames.  What a variety of uses.

You are right that it is best to click on "slideshow" to get an overview of 'a' to 'w'.

Best,

Vlady

Vlady,
Thanks for looking.
It's only limited by your imagination and ability to use a graphics program to create the cutout and/or frame images. The beauty of the Qimage system is that the use of a particular cutout does not require creating a separate image and it auto adjusts to any image or print crop.  8)
Terry

Way cool, Terry!!  :D

Very helpful, Terry, thank you.

I find myself using one of the "fade-oval" cutouts most often, and I love the ability to specify a custom color, as you have done with several of your cutouts.  Most often, I pick a tone from the photo and use it for the color of the surrounding vignette.  (Doing this is clearly explained in QU help.)  Two examples attached.

Thanks again, Terry.

Owen,
Thanks for sharing your examples.
Over here in the UK amongst camera club circles and competitions, vignettes seem to be in fashion  ::)
Not wanting to be left out  ;) I put these to good effect last week and did well in a competition on the subject of Decay & Dilapidation - 2 prints and 2 digitally projected images (DPI). One print did have a cutout edge applied. I thought, and the judge seemed to agree, that they helped with the mood of the subject.
See attached below.
Terry

Very well-chosen edge on the skull photo, Terry.  Quite appropriate for the subject and theme.

It seems that vignettes have always been popular, even before it was possible to create them with the click of a mouse button.  In some cases, the photographer took the easy way out and matted the photo with an oval cut-out.  I've seen many vintage photos displayed this way.

And occasionally a vignette can do double-duty.  It of course helps direct the viewer's attention to the subject of the photo, but in some cases it's a handy way to get rid of some distracting details which can't be cropped out from the edge of the scene.

I will occasionally use the standard Qimage "fade to white" cutout, but I'm often a bit irked when someone says, "How did you do that?" or "That's a nice effect."  That is, the "effect" is the first thing the viewer notices.  But whenever I've picked an appropriate color from the photo to create a cutout, as in the two photos I posted, I get compliments on the photo but no comment on the "effect."  I have to point it out before anyone notices.

And that's just what I want, for obvious reasons.

Your skull photo is a perfect example.  Because of the subject of this thread, I was of course looking for a cutout--but the cutout wasn't the first thing I noticed about your photo.  It was the striking image itself which got my attention, followed by the thought, "Very appropriate edge treatment."

And that's as it should be, I think.  A special effect should enhance a photo.  It shouldn't attract more attention than the photo itself.

Owen,
Those two shots. one was Terry's house, and the other was what was left over after Thanksgiving dinner, were easy for Terry.
His relatives came for dinner.... not a morsel left!!

Fred

Fred,
Wrong! Didn't you know Englishmen live in castles, see attached below.
Or is it ivory towers?
Some of my relatives do have voracious appetites though.  ::)
Terry

Couple of jokers there :)

Jeff