Sketch filters

Filters in the Sketch submenu add texture to images, often for a 3D effect. The filters also are useful for creating a fine-arts or hand-drawn look. Many of the Sketch filters use the foreground and background color as they redraw the image.

Bas Relief Transforms an image to appear carved in low relief and lit to accent the surface variations. Dark areas of the image take on the foreground color, light areas use the background color.

Chalk & Charcoal Redraws an image's highlights and midtones with a solid midtone gray back-ground drawn in coarse chalk. Shadow areas are replaced with black diagonal charcoal lines. The charcoal is drawn in the foreground color, the chalk in the background color.

Charcoal Redraws an image to create a posterized, smudged effect. Major edges are boldly drawn, while midtones are sketched using a diagonal stroke. Charcoal is the foreground color, and the paper is the background color.

Chrome Treats the image as if it were a polished chrome surface. Highlights are high points and shadows are low points in the reflecting surface. After applying the filter, use the Levels dialog box to add more contrast to the image.

Conté Crayon Replicates the texture of dense dark and pure white Conté crayons on an image. The Conté Crayon filter uses the foreground color for dark areas and the background color for light areas. For a truer effect, change the foreground color to one of the common Conté Crayon colors (black, sepia, sanguine) before applying the filter. For a muted effect, change the background color to white with some foreground color added to it before applying the filter. (See Using texture and glass surface controls.)

Graphic Pen Uses fine, linear ink strokes to capture the details in the original image and is especially striking with scanned images. The filter replaces color in the original image, using the foreground color for ink and background color for paper.

Halftone Pattern Simulates the effect of a halftone screen while maintaining the continuous range of tones. There are line, circle, and dot options for the pattern type.

Note Paper Creates an image that appears to be constructed of handmade paper. The filter simplifies an image and combines the effects of the Stylize > Emboss and Texture > Grain filters. Dark areas of the image appear as holes in the top layer of paper, revealing the background color.

Photocopy Simulates the effect of photocopying an image. Large areas of darkness tend to copy only around their edges, and midtones fall away to either solid black or white.

Plaster Molds an image from 3D plaster, and then colorizes the result using the foreground and background color. Dark areas are raised, light areas are sunken.

Reticulation Simulates the controlled shrinking and distorting of film emulsion to create an image that appears clumped in the shadow areas and lightly grained in the highlights.

Stamp Is best used with black-and-white images. The filter simplifies the image to appear stamped with a rubber or wood stamp.

Torn Edges Is particularly useful for images consisting of text or high-contrast objects. The filter reconstructs the image as ragged, torn pieces of paper, and then colorizes the image using the foreground and background color.

Water Paper Uses blotchy daubs that appear painted onto fibrous, damp paper, causing the colors to flow and blend.

Applying Filters and Effects > Sketch filters