SOFTWARE:

Photoshop CS6+
CC2018+ Recommended
(Mac + Windows)

Illustrator CS6+
CC2018+ Recommended
(Mac + Windows)

LANGUAGE:
Included Actions run
in English only

HARDWARE:
2.4GHz processor
8GB RAM or Higher
16GB+ RAM recommended

SKILL BASE:
Suitable for
intermediate to expert
Photoshop users

BITMAP TEXTURE
USER GUIDE

INSTALLING THE PHOTOSHOP

TRANSPARENCY ACTION
We’ve included a handy Action for quickly removing
the white background from your bitmap texture files
ready to copy into your Photoshop documents.

To install the action take the following steps.

1 In Photoshop open the Actions Panel

(Window > Actions).

2 Click the fly-out menu in the top right

corner of the Actions Panel.

3 Choose 'Load Actions' from the list.

4 Locate and select the .atn file in the

‘Install This File’ folder. Click Open
to complete the installation.

HOW TO USE BITMAP TEXTURES

IN ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR.
Designed with illustrator users in mind our bitmap textures are super high resolution and
low file size ready to be placed directly into Illustrator where they can be colored, used
transparently as graphic elements or combined with clipping masks to add detailed texture
effects to your vector artwork.

If you’re new to using bitmap textures in Illustrator check out our simplified guide below.

1 Placing a bitmap texture

in Illustrator.

Open an Illustrator file and go to

File > Place then locate and select a bitmap
texture file on your hard drive.

Click the Place button to finish. The texture

image will appear on your pasteboard.

2 Recoloring a bitmap texture.

Because our bitmap tiff textures have only a

black channel they can be recolored just like
any vector object.

Just select your texture and with the fill

color selected in the toolbar, choose a color
from your swatches palette or the color picker.

NOTE: You cannot apply a stroke, pattern fill

or gradient to any bitmap image.

3 Transparency.

You'll notice that the white background of

your bitmap textures is ignored when placed
in illustrator and will appear transparent
when another object or background is placed
behind it.

This can be really useful when combining

multiple bitmap textures and vector objects
to create layered texture effects.

4 Using clipping masks.

Clipping masks are a great way to use bitmap

textures to create unique texture effects and
shading within your vector artwork.

STEP 1
Copy (Edit > Copy) any object you want to
use as a clipping path and paste it in
place by going to Edit > Paste In Place.

The pasted object will be placed on top of

the original object in exactly the same
position on the pasteboard.

STEP 2
If your object is a group of objects such as
outlined type, ungroup the objects (edit >
ungroup) then combine them into a single
shape by pressing the unite button in the
pathfinder palette.

Finally go to Object > Compound Path > Make

to convert the object to a compound path.

STEP 3
Place a bitmap texture behind the
pasted object and select both the
object and the texture.

STEP 4
Go to Object > Clipping Path > Make to mask
the bitmap texture into the top object.

You’ll notice that the original object

(shown here in black) can be seen in the
background behind the clipping mask.

To release a clipping mask, select the

Clipping Path object and go to
Object > Clipping Path > Release.

HOW TO USE YOUR BITMAP TEXTURES

IN ADOBE PHOTOSHOP.
There’s no single correct way to use our bitmap textures in Photoshop but for those new to
Photoshop or finding their textural groove, follow our simplified process guide below.

Bitmap-Texture-001.tif (Bitmap)
Using the transparency action
to quickly prep your textures.

Your texture pack includes a handy transparency

action to instantly remove the white background
from your bitmap texture images ready to paste
into your working Photoshop files.

To use the action take the following steps:

1 Open the bitmap texture you’d like to

use in Photoshop.

2 In the Actions Panel (Window > Actions)

locate the True Grit Transparency Action
group (see above for installation
instructions) and expand the main folder.

Select the “Remove White Background” action

and press the Play Action Button.

Bitmap-Texture-001.tif (Bitmap)

3 The white background has been removed leaving

only the black texture ready to be copied and
pasted into your working Photoshop files.

TIP:
To pre-copy the texture to the clipboard
ready to paste into a your working files, run
the Remove White Background + Copy Texture
action instead.

Demo-Illustration.psd (RGB)

4 Finally, paste the texture into your

working Photoshop file (Edit > Paste).

TIP:
Because of the bitmap textures very high
resolution (1200dpi), you will most likely
need to scale the pasted texture down to
fit your canvas.

Manual Method.

You can also copy the black pixels of your texture

manually by clicking the Load Selection button in
the Channels Palette (Window > Channels).

Then inverse the selection (Select > Inverse)

and copy the texture to the clipboard
(Edit > Copy).

Changing the color of your textures

in Photoshop.

1 In the Layers Palette, (Window > Actions)

select the filled pixels of the texture
layer using the following shortcut:

Mac: Command + Click Layer Thumbnail

Win: Control + Click Layer Thumbnail.

NOTE: Do not use Select All.

Demo-Illustration.psd (RGB)
2 You’ll see “marching ants” appear around
the selected area.

Set your background color to the color

you’d like to change your texture to
then fill the selected area:

Mac: Command + Delete

Win: Control + Delete

Finally, deselect the recolored texture:

Mac: Command + D
Win: Control + D

Masking your texture using

a layer mask.

1 Select the artwork you’d like to mask

the recolored texture into.

Mac: Command + Click Layer Thumbnail

Win: Control + Click Layer Thumbnail.

Demo-Illustration.psd (RGB)

“Marching ants” will appear around

the selected area.

Note that we’ve also scaled and

rotated the texture layer to ensure
there is good texture coverage
inside the water droplet graphic.

2 Select the texture layer in the

Layers Palette.

Then click the Add Layer Mask button.

You’ll notice a black & white layer

mask thumbnail appears next to the
texture layer thumbnail.

Demo-Illustration.psd (RGB)

SUCCESS!

The recolored texture has been masked into

the layer below.

Notice how the white area of the layer mask

reveals the texture whilst the black area
conceals it.

This is a great rule to keep in mind if you

want to edit your layer masks using brushes
or the Lasso tool (more on that below).

Masking your textures

manually using brushes.

1 Select your texture layer in the

Layers Palette and click the
Add Layer Mask button.

A blank layer mask thumbnail will

appear on the texture layer.

2 Select the Layer Mask thumbnail

then go to:

Image > Adjustments > Invert

The layer mask will invert to black,

concealing the texture completely.

3 Select the brush tool (Shortcut = B) Demo-Illustration.psd (RGB)

and choose a brush to use on your

layer mask.

Then set your foreground color to

white and brush on your canvas to
reveal the texture.

TIP:
Always double check that the layer
mask thumbnail is selected to ensure
you are painting on the layer mask,
not on your texture.

GOT A QUESTION OR NEED SOME HELP?

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