How to Get a Picture Turned Into an Etching in Photoshop

Photoshop 1.0 first shipped to the public in 1990.

Adobe Photoshop allows you to change the lighting, color, sharpness and other details in a photo to create the desired effect. One option allows you to change the picture to an etching, in which the background is dark and the lines of the image are a lighter color. This gives the appearance that the picture was scratched into the background.

Instructions

1. • 1
     Open the picture in Photoshop. Select "File" and "Open." Scroll through your available images and choose the desired picture.
   • 2
     Select "Filters," "Edge-Detect" and "Edge." A drop-down menu with the title "Edge Detection" will appear.
   • 3
     Choose "Sobel" under the drop-down, next to the word "Algorithm." Change the "Amount" to "2.0." Select "Smear" toward the bottom of the box. Select "OK" to lock in your changes.
   • 4
     Select "Colors" from the menu on the top of your screen, followed by "Desaturate." A small box titled "Desaturate" appears. Select "Lightness" followed by "OK" to lock in your changes.
   • 5
     Reselect "Colors" from the top of your page, followed by "Levels." Inside the "Levels" box, select and drag the "Input Levels" all the way to the right. Click "OK" to lock in your changes.
   • 6
     Choose "Filters" from the top of your page, followed by "Enhance" and "Unsharp Mask." You'll see three choices -- "Radius," "Amount" and "Threshold." Input "5.0," ".50" and "0," respectively. Click "OK" to complete your etched image.