just a little side info i discovered yesterday when learning about layermodes:


to answer my own question:
instead of using 'Grain Merge', you can also set the mode to 'Hard Light' because its a mode that combines Multiply and Screen:
http://www.pegtop.net/delphi/articles/b ... dlight.htm

it gives you a slightly brighter result

Multiply basically darkens everything by multiplying the values of both layers, while Screen does the opposite and makes everything brighter

when you have a look at the layerfx-script, shadows are mostly set to Multiply and highlights to Screen

Selecting the layer mode depends on what you want to do.

Grain merge preserves the colour saturation better, whereas hard light gives more intense shadows and highlights. I wrote a short description/tutorial about all the layer modes a while back, it might be somewhere around the forums if you look around.

this one ?
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4579

Interesting, DD thanks for the info and esper thanks for the link.

Thanks! Great tutorial!

Couple of years ago I found a tutorial using emboss to do this in the opposite direction (in to out)... and I have spent hours trying to find that tutorial or figure it out
I'd share the pic but I'm too new. (Now I remember why I haven't come back here.) I don't remember whether or not I made two squares and did embossing on the edges of the outer one ??? As in, did the math thing where you find the area of the ring around it by taking big minus little? Then take that layer and "emboss up" and lay it on top of the plain one?

I hate this part of learning -- when there is something big to do, and you decide you're stuck and should try something different, only you get another idea I'll give it half an hour... I'm just posting this because the only way to become not a new user is to post for the sake of posting, which is spammy IMHO, but whatever.

Well, if you really want to post a graphic now, try using the attachment method. The site is having trouble with posting graphics in the message window currently.

That's what I'm trying to do with an image, too - make it sunk relief rather than raised relief

I did this tutorial and it got me much closer to where I need to be, so huge thanks for that!

If anyone has ideas about how to do that, I'd love to hear them!

Esper,
Awesomely done tutorial! Quick and easy to follow, with excellent outcome!

Hi,
I just registered to say thank you @dd and @Esper for this tutorial. I am designing a cover for an audiobook on LibriVox and the FX bevel and emboss filter just didn't want to work. I tried the "normal" emboss before but done this way here it looks so much better