Photoshopping out Number Plates.

STi Nut · August 16th, 2007, 6:43 AM

Hey all,

Now that I am starting to get into my photography I ask the people that I take the pics of there cars if they don’t mind me sharing them on the internet. Most of them simply ask to get rid of there number plates. I am no Photoshop expert but know how to sortta use it and am happy to give stuff a try. Every attempt I make I am not that happy with as it looks fair bad.

I want to know what is the best way of getting rid of a numberplate.

Thanks in advance.

cvrefugee · August 16th, 2007, 6:51 AM

Do you want to blur the numbers or make the plate disappear?

TomCat · August 16th, 2007, 6:55 AM

Use the original plate color and just blank it out.

I hate when people take awesome photos of cars, then put a giant black box over the plate.

Austere · August 16th, 2007, 7:31 AM

I use paint shop pro. I usually just use the 'retouch' tool to smudge the plate until it can't be read.

Like This:

Totally removing the plate is more difficult. A friend of mine totally removed the number plate in this pic. He used Photo Shoppe.

^I don't know how to do that myself.

turbo lag · August 16th, 2007, 9:05 AM

Its not too hard. Its just a matter of smudging the body around the number plate images/smilies/smile.gif

LeMans GTR · August 16th, 2007, 9:08 AM

^ That works, but I prefer the clone brush tool better.

STi Nut · August 16th, 2007, 11:25 AM

Well i personly hate it when you get a awesome pic but just has a black square over the number plate. thats why i want it to look nice and clean. this is one pick that i am trying to play with, it is a low res version of it but you get the idea.

Alok · August 16th, 2007, 11:35 AM

Here is my method in photoshop:

a) Use the polygonal lasso around the borders of the license plate so that you are selection the rectangular bit where the numbers are. This is to keep the airbrush strokes from painting over the car.

b) Use brush, on the top left, there are brush presets, choose Airbrush. Now use the Ink dropper tool and pick a color from one corner of the license plate and airbrush out the numbers.

c) Repeat process at all corners and make it look smooth so that there are not jagged edges at the corners. You can use the keys I and B to switch between brush and ink dropped mode.

Like so.
http://alokharidas.googlepages.com/sa.swf

IceBone · August 16th, 2007, 1:16 PM

I do this:

http://icebone.dyndns.org/photo/auto/amdb9.jpg

http://icebone.dyndns.org/photo/auto/jagxjs.jpg

First, draw a shape around the numbers of the number plate (but don't go outside) with the polygon selection tool, then fill it with the gradient of the colours from the licence plate from side to side, then just a little more touch up with a brush to lighten/darken it up so the transition is smooth.

STi Nut · August 16th, 2007, 1:19 PM

See that is nice but that is harder to do on the image that i posted above. you got no shadow on the number plate, i got a slight shadow thats my problem...

IceBone · August 16th, 2007, 1:23 PM

http://icebone.dyndns.org/white_porsche.jpg

<-- 2 minute job with the clone tool

matt2000 · August 16th, 2007, 4:03 PM

wow they are really good ice.

i hate it when someone puts black box over it, and smudging it makes me really want to know what it is.

but i have an idea for people who don't want number plates on their photos... BUY A SCREWDRIVER! images/smilies/mrgreen.gif

Alok · August 16th, 2007, 4:08 PM

Sti Nut, have you checked the swf file i posted? Thats a video capture of how I do it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by IceBone

2 minute job with the clone tool

check how much time it took me images/smilies/tongue.gif

IceBone · August 16th, 2007, 5:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alok

Sti Nut, have you checked the swf file i posted? Thats a video capture of how I do it.

check how much time it took me images/smilies/tongue.gif

Meh, it was a guesstimate anyway, took as long as yours. images/smilies/tongue.gif

And if there's a gradient to it, like in my aston pic, your quick solution won't work completely. images/smilies/wink.gif

Oh, and i prefer the alt+click for the eyedropper. It also works as the source for cloning and healing tool.

Alok · August 16th, 2007, 8:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IceBone

And if there's a gradient to it, like in my aston pic, your quick solution won't work completely.

why not?

IceBone · August 16th, 2007, 8:49 PM

Cause you just did a solid fill, not a gradient. images/smilies/tongue.gif

flamingice · August 16th, 2007, 8:52 PM

Just a hint... when you're using the eyedropper, it's often best to take a 3x3 sample, or 5x5 sample... will give a more accurate representation of the overall colour than a 1x1 sample.

Alok · August 16th, 2007, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IceBone

Cause you just did a solid fill, not a gradient. images/smilies/tongue.gif

Thats why I have steps 2 and 3, to repeat the process around the different edges so that the gradients are taken care of.

Quote:

Originally Posted by flamingice

Just a hint... when you're using the eyedropper, it's often best to take a 3x3 sample, or 5x5 sample... will give a more accurate representation of the overall colour than a 1x1 sample.

How does that work?

KaJuN · August 17th, 2007, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt2000

but i have an idea for people who don't want number plates on their photos... BUY A SCREWDRIVER! images/smilies/mrgreen.gif

Yeah I've never understood what the big deal about them is. I mean it's not like someone who sees my car in person can't write the number down and look up stuff later. The plate number is out in the open all the time so it's hardly private information. But I guess some people like to be paranoid.

STi Nut · August 18th, 2007, 8:05 AM

ok thats for all the help guys, tell me what you think of these 2, and i will be posting all my pics up when i get time to do all the number plates.

Both GT3's, RS had a black plate and the notmal GT3 was the same as Before

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/8125/dsc0094my2.jpg

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/2410/dsc0139vm1.jpg

August 16th, 2007, 6:43 AM	#1
STi Nut Joined: Dec 30th, 2005 Last Online: November 18th, 2009 Location: Adelaide, Australia Age: 19 Posts: 988 Car: 2008 Toyota Yaris 1.3L 5 Door Auto Rep Power: 17	Photoshopping out Number Plates. Hey all, Now that I am starting to get into my photography I ask the people that I take the pics of there cars if they don’t mind me sharing them on the internet. Most of them simply ask to get rid of there number plates. I am no Photoshop expert but know how to sortta use it and am happy to give stuff a try. Every attempt I make I am not that happy with as it looks fair bad. I want to know what is the best way of getting rid of a numberplate. Thanks in advance.

August 16th, 2007, 6:55 AM	#3
TomCat Joined: Dec 11th, 2005 Last Online: 5:56 AM Location: Arizona Age: 25 Posts: 4,173 Rep Power: 70	Use the original plate color and just blank it out. I hate when people take awesome photos of cars, then put a giant black box over the plate. __________________

August 16th, 2007, 9:08 AM	#6
LeMans GTR Previously Known As CSL Joined: Dec 20th, 2006 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Australia Age: 14 Posts: 2,727 Car: Aston Martin DBS (I wish) Rep Power: 38	^ That works, but I prefer the clone brush tool better. __________________

August 16th, 2007, 11:35 AM	#8
Alok The TomTom did it. Joined: Apr 1st, 2005 Last Online: 11:34 AM Location: Bruchsal, Deutschland Age: 22 Posts: 3,665 Rep Power: 87	Here is my method in photoshop: a) Use the polygonal lasso around the borders of the license plate so that you are selection the rectangular bit where the numbers are. This is to keep the airbrush strokes from painting over the car. b) Use brush, on the top left, there are brush presets, choose Airbrush. Now use the Ink dropper tool and pick a color from one corner of the license plate and airbrush out the numbers. c) Repeat process at all corners and make it look smooth so that there are not jagged edges at the corners. You can use the keys I and B to switch between brush and ink dropped mode. Like so. http://alokharidas.googlepages.com/sa.swf __________________ Click me not! Last edited by Alok; August 16th, 2007 at 12:23 PM.

August 16th, 2007, 1:16 PM	#9
IceBone Experienced Crash Test Dummy Joined: Jan 14th, 2007 Last Online: 7:14 PM Location: Slovenistan Age: 25 Posts: 9,301 Rep Power: 186	I do this: First, draw a shape around the numbers of the number plate (but don't go outside) with the polygon selection tool, then fill it with the gradient of the colours from the licence plate from side to side, then just a little more touch up with a brush to lighten/darken it up so the transition is smooth. __________________ Bridge to Gantry time: 11:07 Last edited by IceBone; August 16th, 2007 at 1:19 PM.

August 16th, 2007, 6:51 AM	#2
cvrefugee Joined: Aug 16th, 2004 Last Online: 3:46 PM Location: Corona, CA Age: 29 Posts: 3,761 Car: 2005 Scion xB Rep Power: 86	Do you want to blur the numbers or make the plate disappear?

August 16th, 2007, 7:31 AM	#4
Austere Joined: Nov 26th, 2006 Last Online: 6:20 PM Location: Adelaide, Australia Age: 26 Posts: 2,371 Car: 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280S Rep Power: 187	I use paint shop pro. I usually just use the 'retouch' tool to smudge the plate until it can't be read. Like This: Totally removing the plate is more difficult. A friend of mine totally removed the number plate in this pic. He used Photo Shoppe. ^I don't know how to do that myself.

August 16th, 2007, 9:05 AM	#5
turbo lag Joined: Aug 1st, 2007 Last Online: November 15th, 2009 Location: Melbourne Age: 15 Posts: 38 Car: Subaru Liberty (Legacy) 2.5 08' Rep Power: 11	Its not too hard. Its just a matter of smudging the body around the number plate

August 16th, 2007, 11:25 AM	#7
STi Nut Joined: Dec 30th, 2005 Last Online: November 18th, 2009 Location: Adelaide, Australia Age: 19 Posts: 988 Car: 2008 Toyota Yaris 1.3L 5 Door Auto Rep Power: 17	Well i personly hate it when you get a awesome pic but just has a black square over the number plate. thats why i want it to look nice and clean. this is one pick that i am trying to play with, it is a low res version of it but you get the idea.

August 16th, 2007, 1:19 PM	#10
STi Nut Joined: Dec 30th, 2005 Last Online: November 18th, 2009 Location: Adelaide, Australia Age: 19 Posts: 988 Car: 2008 Toyota Yaris 1.3L 5 Door Auto Rep Power: 17	See that is nice but that is harder to do on the image that i posted above. you got no shadow on the number plate, i got a slight shadow thats my problem...

August 16th, 2007, 1:23 PM	#11
IceBone Experienced Crash Test Dummy Joined: Jan 14th, 2007 Last Online: 7:14 PM Location: Slovenistan Age: 25 Posts: 9,301 Rep Power: 186	<-- 2 minute job with the clone tool __________________ Bridge to Gantry time: 11:07

August 16th, 2007, 4:03 PM	#12
matt2000 Hedgehog Sandwich Joined: Feb 17th, 2006 Last Online: 6:21 PM Location: Meerkat Harborough, UK Age: 19 Posts: 5,612 Car: 1977 lol sprung Land Rover shed LFS Status: Rep Power: 101	wow they are really good ice. i hate it when someone puts black box over it, and smudging it makes me really want to know what it is. but i have an idea for people who don't want number plates on their photos... BUY A SCREWDRIVER! __________________ Forza 3 Owners Club

August 16th, 2007, 8:49 PM	#16
IceBone Experienced Crash Test Dummy Joined: Jan 14th, 2007 Last Online: 7:14 PM Location: Slovenistan Age: 25 Posts: 9,301 Rep Power: 186	Cause you just did a solid fill, not a gradient. __________________ Bridge to Gantry time: 11:07

August 16th, 2007, 8:52 PM	#17
flamingice Joined: Nov 25th, 2005 Last Online: November 15th, 2009 Location: It's complicated. Posts: 865 Rep Power: 17	Just a hint... when you're using the eyedropper, it's often best to take a 3x3 sample, or 5x5 sample... will give a more accurate representation of the overall colour than a 1x1 sample. __________________

August 18th, 2007, 8:05 AM	#20
STi Nut Joined: Dec 30th, 2005 Last Online: November 18th, 2009 Location: Adelaide, Australia Age: 19 Posts: 988 Car: 2008 Toyota Yaris 1.3L 5 Door Auto Rep Power: 17	ok thats for all the help guys, tell me what you think of these 2, and i will be posting all my pics up when i get time to do all the number plates. Both GT3's, RS had a black plate and the notmal GT3 was the same as Before

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