Gradient mask problems for retouch

[ChrisLeeds39]

Hello

I am working on a catalogue for artist paint brushes. For each page I am having to blend (gradient mask) several images together on the same colour background.

This has been quite straight forward until they decided to use a dark grey textured background. When I apply a gradient mask and blend there appears to be a blurred look around the product (brushes), where the image has not blended in properly. Everything was fine until I used this type of background.. is there a way to remedy this problem? Or is this just how it renders with some backgrounds? Please see attached. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

Chris

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Could you please post a screenshot taken at View > 100% and with the pertinent Panels (Layers, Channels, Options Bar, …) visible?

When both images display a noticeable structure the mixture resulting in a »flattening« is nothing unusual.

You could either use less soft Layer Masks or touch up the »seams« on a Layer atop them all.

[ChrisLeeds39]

Thanks for the help..but still can't seem to make this right..

I don't fancy taking all photos again. I wont be using a background like this again.

Cheers though guys.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

How many images are usually on one spread?

Are they at the same scaling or not?

Can you provide one layer file?

Another option might be extracting a Pattern (desaturate, High Pass) from the blank background, set to to Linear Light, Clipping Mask that to a blank Layer (or a flattened, burred copy of the whole image) and paint on that.

[ChrisLeeds39]

Hi

Thanks for your replies. Appreciated.

On average there will be around 3-5 sets per page. I'll will have another go later and post a better example.

Thanks

chris

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Maybe this can help illustrate the point.

When the blending (by virtue if the Layer Mask) results in pixels determined by a mixture of both Layers’ pixels the result in the »soft« areas will be more noticeable the stronger the structure in the two Layers is,

[c.pfaffenbichler]

On closer inspection I noticed another issue – the general background and the background of the image of the brushes seem to be at different scaling (or were photographed with different camera positions).

That might prove difficult to address, especially if the montages combine multiple images of differently sized background structure.

[Martin_Bns]

Hi, usually a quick solution to the kind of problem is flat all the layers, add some low noise and scale few pixels down.

If this is not working or u can't do that for some reasons, you have to use the healing brush tool or the clone in order to "heal" those areas. Another solution is to cut out the brushes (selecting them) and re-create their shadow from scratch. Doing this, you will avoid the blending problem you have.

Please let me know it this sounds reasonable to you,
Martin Benes