Making a pic dynamically?

GeoffW
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Making a pic dynamically?

Post by GeoffW »

I'm looking for a way to construct a picture using text.

Specifically, something like my signboard.

Image

I've been taking pictures of my signboard for a few years, and posted them on my website.

But my camera was stolen, and with it, several months worth of signboard pix.

I have a lot of them electronically, just as text, and I could recreate each one manually, take a picture, and update my website.

But I have seen websites where you can type in text and a picture is created.

Doing this could also make the updating of the website a whole lot easier- and for the "photos" to have a much more standard look.

Is there software where I could take a picture of the signboard and of the letters, and recreate the pictures?

(Letters would need to be proportionally spaced).

Thanks

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Leif
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Re: Making a pic dynamically?

Post by Leif »

A simpler / short-term solution might be to add a photo of the blank signboard to a Word document which has a formatted template matching the rows. If you can find a suitable font, you simply type in the text then do a screen grab (perhaps from a print-preview).

With Snagit, you can even set Snagit to be your printer, so you could print to it and get an (almost) immediate graphic.
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GeoffW
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Re: Making a pic dynamically?

Post by GeoffW »

Leif wrote:A simpler / short-term solution might be to add a photo of the blank signboard to a Word document which has a formatted template matching the rows. If you can find a suitable font, you simply type in the text then do a screen grab (perhaps from a print-preview).

With Snagit, you can even set Snagit to be your printer, so you could print to it and get an (almost) immediate graphic.
Hmm. Possible. I've done stuff like that (with something, like the blank signboard, set as the background).

It was very fiddly, but it did get a result.

How do the websites do it? (eg Captcha)

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Leif
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Re: Making a pic dynamically?

Post by Leif »

GeoffW wrote:How do the websites do it? (eg Captcha)
If I knew, I'd gladly tell you... :grin:
It was very fiddly, but it did get a result.
It shouldn't be too fiddly if you get all your scaling right. I'm sure a man of your calibre could even write a macro for you to enter the text, format it appropriately, and then select/print to Snagit....
Leif

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HansV
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Re: Making a pic dynamically?

Post by HansV »

Perhaps you can find something if you search Google for billboard generator.
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Doc Watson
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Re: Making a pic dynamically?

Post by Doc Watson »

You might take any straight on photo of the signboard, open it in Photoshop or another photo editor with text capabilities and then cut out whatever is in the signboard and create new text as a separate layer.

You can then create new text layers to change the text and then edit them in to change the signboard text on the website or simply have a copy of the photo on your PC, do your edits and swap the photos out on the site.
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StuartR
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Re: Making a pic dynamically?

Post by StuartR »

This Photoshop file has 5 layers, one for the background and one for each line of text.
Signboard.zip
Here is an example of how it looks when exported as a jpeg
Example Signboard .jpg
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Doc Watson
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Re: Making a pic dynamically?

Post by Doc Watson »

Nice template Stuart. I don't have that font on my system, but I'm sure Geoff has the font he likes. I did a quick Google and found the "Subway Font" as freeware. I've attached it for Geoff's convenience.
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GeoffW
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Re: Making a pic dynamically?

Post by GeoffW »

Thanks for the ideas.

The Word one worked best, with a frame over an inserted picture rather than my original thought of inserting the pic as a watermark.

I don't have Photoshop.

I could automate a part of the process with Word VBA- I do have well over 1000 signs, if I wanted to have all of them consistent, and it could take a while.

I looked at a few of the signboard generators which Hans mentioned, but they didn't quite do what I wanted. The Word path gives me a little more flexibility and a little more automation..

I note Snagit has just a one month free trial. I found another program, Snapashot, which is free.

Thanks for the help.
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Leif
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Re: Making a pic dynamically?

Post by Leif »

GeoffW wrote:Thanks for the ideas.
The Word one worked best, with a frame over an inserted picture rather than my original thought of inserting the pic as a watermark.
To be honest, I would suggest if you are going 'digital' you create the whole thing digitally, rather than mixing text graphics over a photograph which looks like you've just digitally altered someone else's photo....

This is an attempt at making it all in Word:
Subway1.jpg
just using simple shapes and a Subway graphic borrowed from the web. The text is entered into four text boxes, and then I printed it to Snagit.

PM me your email address if you want the original Word doc - it's too big with the graphic to upload here.
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GeoffW
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Re: Making a pic dynamically?

Post by GeoffW »

That looks good, and a good idea.

I could get a better photo of the board- but it is getting a bit old and worn. (The photo I have used and patched is a low-res one I had at home).

And to make it really look like the original, I would really need a font where each letter was enclosed by a square. Hardly worth the trouble really.

The only thing I would do for my own comfort is to have a single text box rather than a number of separate boxes. Then I could just paste/type in the whole phrase in one go, rather than have to separate into sections.

For consistency, I could then go back and change the 1200+ already on the website...

BTW, it's OK. No need to post- I have the idea and lots of Subway trademark graphics :grin: - thanks.

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Leif
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Re: Making a pic dynamically?

Post by Leif »

GeoffW wrote:And to make it really look like the original, I would really need a font where each letter was enclosed by a square.
You could perhaps use tables with borders, and there is always Excel.....
Sub2.jpg
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Bigaldoc
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Re: Making a pic dynamically?

Post by Bigaldoc »

GeoffW wrote:And to make it really look like the original, I would really need a font where each letter was enclosed by a square. Hardly worth the trouble really.
Trouble? As much as you USE that signboard, it seems worth it to me. :innocent:

There are some free ones and some that are too expensive at MyFonts. I got this one free ("personal" use) a long time ago:
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Pilgrim
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Re: Making a pic dynamically?

Post by Pilgrim »

Would this meet your needs? >> Zan Image Printer.
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jonwallace
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Re: Making a pic dynamically?

Post by jonwallace »

The free open source PDF Creator (which I'm sure is one of the recommended pdf makers mentioned often over there) also allows you to export as jpeg. It installs as a PDF printer.

Once you have a jpg a little judicious application of blur (I used irfanview) takes that "oh, he created that in Word" off it.
Clipboard01.jpg
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GeoffW
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Re: Making a pic dynamically?

Post by GeoffW »

GeoffW wrote:And to make it really look like the original, I would really need a font where each letter was enclosed by a square.
Not really enclosed by a square- but more towards what I wanted to look. I've used a font creation program to modify an existing font. It's a little closer to what I want.

(I will do a better background and make the letter scaling better later when I have the chance. I get to celebrate Valentines Day by covering an employee with a hangover).
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Doc Watson
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Re: Making a pic dynamically?

Post by Doc Watson »

GeoffW wrote: (I will do a better background and make the letter scaling better later when I have the chance. I get to celebrate Valentines Day by covering an employee with a hangover).
How does one cover an employee with a hangover ?? Like so ??? :barf: :evilgrin:
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