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Author Topic: Combined Picture of Obverse and Reverse  (Read 4122 times)

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Offline Schatz

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Combined Picture of Obverse and Reverse
« on: January 09, 2010, 09:19:02 am »
Hello all,

now this is a silly question, and it may have been dealt with in a much earlier thread - so, please, forgive me if this is an old hat to you, but ... How does one combine the two shots of the obverse and reverse of a coin into one rectangular image, the way one sees coins presented almost everywhere? Is my suspicion correct that one needs Photoshop to do this? Or are there other editing programs that permit you to do this?

Dying to know,
Schatz

Offline gb29400

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Re: Combined Picture of Obverse and Reverse
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2010, 09:59:31 am »
this are 2 photos added in one with photoshop or other picturing software...
I do it that way

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=10878




Offline Schatz

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Re: Combined Picture of Obverse and Reverse
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2010, 12:27:09 pm »
Yes, but how? I don't have Photoshop, and was not planning to buy the software. I have iPhoto and could download Picasa again, but I don't recall any such feature in either program. I noticed several free downloads of Photoshop 7 and 8 in Google but I am reluctant to download something for free that normally costs $ 100. Where is the snag, I wonder. Are these pirated or virus-infected versions of a brand-name software? Or are they baits to get you to buy the program after a test period?
You see I am rather naive in these matters but I would like to archive my coins properly and, if possible, without installing more software.

Offline Akropolis

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Re: Combined Picture of Obverse and Reverse
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2010, 01:11:04 pm »
I don't know it this image illustrating the steps is too large for a FORVM attachment, but here goes.
PeteB

Offline Schatz

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Re: Combined Picture of Obverse and Reverse
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2010, 02:15:17 pm »
Great, Pete,

these are the step-by-step- instructions I was hoping to get. Now I have the weekend ahead of me to experiment and see if the image-manipulating features in my photo programs will do all of this.
Thanks for the attachment, it fitted perfectly.
Schatz

Offline areich

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Re: Combined Picture of Obverse and Reverse
« Reply #5 on: January 09, 2010, 04:31:45 pm »
Wow, that's a lot of steps.
I still use Irfanview, once you have your cropped pictures of obverse and reverse it's one step to combine them into one picture.
Andreas Reich

Offline Schatz

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Re: Combined Picture of Obverse and Reverse
« Reply #6 on: January 09, 2010, 05:35:42 pm »
Yes, Pete's steps will take some time, especially since I am looking at 300+ coins. Unfortunately I have a Mac, and Irfanview does not come in a Mac version as far as I know. But perhaps there is someone out there ho does it on his iMac?

Schatz

Offline dougsmit

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Re: Combined Picture of Obverse and Reverse
« Reply #7 on: January 09, 2010, 08:11:02 pm »
http://www.pbase.com/dougsmit/coincombo
My link shows how using Photoshop Elements but the same method works on most programs.  It is a common technique.  With practice, you can do one in a few seconds.  It is a little more complex but can be done in Microsoft Paint that comes with Windows.  Mac?  I have no clue!

Offline slokind

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Re: Combined Picture of Obverse and Reverse
« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2010, 02:29:58 am »
Photoshop was created for Macs and even today is easiest of all on Macs, partly because Mac users are attuned to its way of working.
Pat L.

Offline Schatz

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Re: Combined Picture of Obverse and Reverse
« Reply #9 on: January 10, 2010, 09:04:04 am »
Thanks, everyone, for your advice and tips. I have now found an earlier thread  (Nov.2008) which deals with the same question. It looks as if I will not get around buying a Photoshop version. If I remember correctly, my Mac came with a shortened version of PS6, but I ditched it because I didn't have the patience for things like the lasso tool and similar devices. Perhaps I can reload it and learn to understand the layer technique. They say it is never too late.

Schatz

Offline slokind

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Re: Combined Picture of Obverse and Reverse
« Reply #10 on: January 10, 2010, 08:17:32 pm »
Right!  Never too late to learn!  ANY version of Photoshop will do, and you don't need to use any of the options that are needed by graphic designers to vie in effects for full-page color ads and album covers (if there are any albums any more).  As always, and as with cameras, the professional equipment that looks daunting ends up doing the job most easily as well as best.
Mac makes sure that kids can use their machines, as well as their great grandparents: that's great and good for NASDAQ, too, which is good for R&D.  But, also, Macs do facilitate the work of that minority of minorities: scholars.  And, of course, artists.  But for coins, I assure you, you only need a bit of Photoshop.
Here is my advice.
As Akropolis said, start with a very good coin.
Start by mastering your camera. Focus and exposure and lighting.
Start by learning to optimize the best and most essential features of Photoshop.  Their manual is aimed at graphic artists, the "cool" stuff, but you don't need to worry about its full potential.
Don't get fancy till you are comfortable and skillful in the basics.  Then you can start doing 'interesting' things, both with lighting and with post-processing.
Pat L. (the voice of experience, starting with a lousy camera and Photoshop 3 and having struggled with every transition the industry can throw at us--that is why mastery of the basics is the most important).

Offline museumguy

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Re: Combined Picture of Obverse and Reverse
« Reply #11 on: January 10, 2010, 08:50:29 pm »
I have an iMac and use Photoshop Elements 3 (1990-1994) and it works perfectly fine for me.  I might be wrong but I think Elements is a bit cheaper than regular Photoshop but nevertheless it IS an expense you might not want.  Check Ebay.  There is a Panorama feature which easily allows you to merge two pictures together.

Steve

Offline Schatz

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Re: Combined Picture of Obverse and Reverse
« Reply #12 on: January 11, 2010, 01:00:39 pm »
Again,
thanks for pointing me in the right direction and for peeling off some layers of awe for PS. I will try to reload the PSElements that came with my Mac and start playing.

Schatz

bruno v

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Re: Combined Picture of Obverse and Reverse
« Reply #13 on: March 02, 2010, 02:58:48 pm »
Hi,
you could use paint (microsoft).
Steps: open obverse file with paint. Then "image" then "properties", then approx. double the width of your obverse, then import the reverse in "edition", position the two parts against each other, save and you have it done.
Cheers,
Bruno

Offline Schatz

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Re: Combined Picture of Obverse and Reverse
« Reply #14 on: March 03, 2010, 12:45:10 pm »
Bruno,

thanks for your tip. Before I download yet another program, though  (and I don't know if Paint comes in a Mac version) I have decided to try my luck with the Photoshop Elements 6 that I discovered came with my scanner. The problem there is that it does not come with a manual, and my library does not have the Dummy guide for PE 6. All the other PE guide books I looked at (and bought, in some cases) manage to obscure what I am looking for, and I do admit to not really wanting to study the entire spectrum of picture manipulation for this one job I want to do. It appears impossible to understand the basics about PE from those manuals. I have looked into adult education classes on PE but they are already on version 8.

Hopefully I will find a couple of undisturbed hours for experimentation. If not I will start using my scanner to take coin pics and follow Pete's steps.

Regards,
Schatz

 

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