Overlay Pictures

Layering images over one another is a great way to give a photo a new background, juxtapose unlikely images, or fake a photo-op with your favorite celebrity. Whether you're trying to add a few decorations to a holiday card, or fool someone with a faked photograph, you can use free software to accomplish your goal. Follow these steps to superimpose one picture onto another.

Steps

Simple Photos

  1. Use this method for simple collages. Follow this method to put together simple pieces of photos into one image, quickly and easily. This method is not for convincing photoshop jobs, but may be what you're looking for to create a fun holiday card or similar amateur creation without taking a lot of time.
    • For best results, download free photo manipulation software such as GIMP, Paint.NET, or Pixlr. If you happen to own professional software such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro, you can of course use them, but purchasing them is not at all necessary.
    • Because this method requires only a few tools, you can use this method with simple software not mentioned above, such as Windows Paint. However, you may not have access to a "feather tool" to create a more attractive result, and without "layer" functionality, it will be easier to mess up and cover portions of your photos you meant to keep.
  2. Open the background image first. This is the image that will serve as a background for the image or images you will superimpose. Use your photo editing software to File → Open it.
    • Use File → Save As to save it under a new name if you want to keep the original version. You can also do this after you're done, but if you do it in advance there's no risk of forgetting and overwriting your file.
  3. Open the image you want to superimpose. You will transfer part of this image on top of the background image. Use the same program to open the second image in a new pane. For this one, you'll definitely want to File → Save As now under a new name to avoid altering the original.
  4. Select the circular selection tool. You should see a grid of buttons with different images on it, usually to the left of the screen. These are your tools. Click the circle or oval made of dashed or dotted lines, usually located near the top of the list.
    • You can hover you mouse cursor over a tool and wait for the name to appear to confirm your selection. It may be called "ellipse selection", "ellipse select", or a similar name.
    • If you can't find that selection tool, you can use the rope "lasso tool" or the square "rectangle select" tool instead.
  5. Click and drag around the portion of the image you wish to transfer. Drag around the person, animal, or other piece of the image you want to overlay onto a different background. Try to find a selection that looks attractive, with the subject centered and no incongruities included (like someone else's arm coming in from the side).
    • Most photo manipulation programs come with a Invert Selection command, which selects everything except what you currently selected. This is handy for seeing what your selection looks like by itself: use Ctrl + Shift + I (or command + Shift + I on a Mac) to invert selection, then Edit → Cut to remove everything but the image you'll be transferring. Be ready to Edit → Undo so you can try different selections.
    • If you dislike every selection, you may need to follow the steps for Overlaying a Detailed Image.
  6. Soften the edges of the selection (optional). The resulting image may have harsh or strange-looking edges, which can make the final result seem unnatural or obviously manipulated. You can adjust this by using a "feather tool" or "feather setting" to soften the edge, but be aware that different programs require you to access the feather ability in different ways:
    • In Photoshop, right click the selection and click Feather.[1]
    • In Gimp, use the top menu: Select → Feather.[2]
    • In Paint.NET, you will need to download the Feather Plugin and open that plugin's menu to use this tool.
    • In Pixlr or Paint Shop Pro, click the selection tool and alter its feather setting before making a selection.[3]
    • In any program, you should see an option to enter a numeric amount determining how extreme the feathering effect will be, measured in pixels. Start with 1 or 2 pixels for this method to avoid losing fine details.
  7. Once you find a selection you're happy with, copy and paste it onto the background image. You can do this with the Edit → Copy and Edit → Paste commands, making sure to select the desired background image you opened earlier before pasting.
    • If everything but the selection gets copied, you need to use the Invert Selection command a second time to get back to the original selection.
  8. Re-position and re-size it to scale. Select the move tool, which looks like a cursor arrow or a four-point compass, then click and drag the superimposed image to the desired location. If you need to change the size of the overlaid image, follow these steps:
    • Go to File → Free Transform (or hit Ctrl + T) to transform the image.
    • A box should appear around the superimposed image; click and drag the sides and corners to change the size and shape. To maintain the proportions, hold Shift while clicking and dragging a corner.
    • If the wrong thing moves, make sure you’re on the right layer by going to View → Layer or Window → Layer, then clicking the layer that contains the superimposed image.
  9. Use File → Save As to save the result under a new name. Make sure that you've selected the image that contains the final result before saving. It should be in front of any other images.
    • You can add additional pictures to this picture in the same way, no matter how many times it's been altered.
    • In order to change which pictures are placed over or under other photos, reveal the Layers menu with View → Layers or Window → Layers on the top menu, then drag each photo thumbnail higher or lower on the list. The lowest layer should always be the background image, while the highest layer will always show up in full on top of everything.

Detailed Images

  1. Consider how complex the original picture is to determine which steps you need to follow. This method will instruct you to use the "magic wand" tool, which quickly removes sections of your picture in a particular color so you can isolate the portion you want to transfer. However, this will work much better on images with a simple one color background with little shading, or when transferring portions of an image with a strong outline to set it apart from the background.
    • If the portion you want to remove is on a complex background, you may need to skip straight to "Choose a selection tool" in this method and outline the piece you want to transfer by hand.
    • For a quick and easy method without making a convincing photo merge, see Overlaying Photos Quickly.
  2. Download a free photo editing program if you don't have one. The best way to overlay pictures is to use photo manipulation software. If you don't own a professional program such as Photoshop or PaintShop Pro, you can download a free alternative like Pixlr, GIMP, or Paint.NET.
    • If you use a Mac, search your computer for GIMP before downloading one of these programs. You may find your computer came with it already installed.
    • Of the free alternatives, GIMP is the most similar to professional programs.[4] If you're only interested in overlaying photos, the other free programs may be simpler to use.
    • Before you try to use software not listed here, make sure it supports layering. Do this by searching for "Layers" in that program's Help menu, or reading the features description on the program's website.
    • This method will not work for MSPaint, Windows Paint, or Inkscape.
  3. Open the background image using that program. This is the picture that will serve as the background for the smaller picture you add on top of it.
    • If double clicking the image file doesn't take you to the photo editing program, you may need to open the photo editing program first and use the File → Open command from the top menu to select the image file.
  4. In a new window, open the second image. This is the one that contains elements that will be superimposed onto your background. If you go to File → Open from within your photo-editor, it should open the second image in a new image pane automatically, leaving your first one intact. From here on out, you can toggle between the two, clicking and dragging one off to the side slightly if it makes each pane easier to see. You can also resize each pane by dragging the bottom right corner.
    • The easiest image to work with is one in which the object you are selecting contrasts sharply with the background.
  5. Save the second image under a different name. Go to File → Save As and change the name of this image to anything you like. Now you can edit this image without destroying the original.
    • You need to select Save As and change the name in order to create a duplicate file. If you only click Save, or click Save As but fail to change the name of the file, you will still be working on the original.
    • Once you have the new file, remember to save changes to it frequently with File → Save to avoid losing your work.
  6. Select the magic wand tool to remove undesired portions. Click the image of the magic wand on the grid of tool images on the left hand side. This is a tool that allows you to select large swaths of color within a certain color range simply by clicking on any part of the image; the pixel you select will establish a baseline for the color range being selected.
    • The magic wand image looks like a glowing light at the end of a stick. If you aren't sure whether you've chosen the right tool, keep your cursor over the image for a couple seconds until the tool name appears.
    • In GIMP, this is called the "fuzzy select" tool, but has a similar image.
  7. Adjust the magic-wand settings. The settings should appear above the image when you select the tool. Make sure that the “Contiguous” box is checked so you only remove groups of nearby pixels, instead of pixels in that color range from anywhere in the image. Adjust the tolerance in accordance with how uniform the background is and how much it contrasts with the image you wish to select: low tolerance will limit the amount of color selected and is good the fore- and background are similar colors, whereas high tolerance will result in a broader color selection and is good for images with sharp contrast.
  8. Select the undesired portions surrounding the image to be transferred. First, click a color in the undesired portion of the image to select an area in that color. You should see a flashing line outlining the area you've selected. Hold down Shift or Ctrl as you click additional areas until you've selected most of the unwanted area immediately surrounding the image to be transferred.
    • You will most likely need to adjust the tolerance a few times as you go, using the settings on the magic wand tool. Adjust it to a lower tolerance if it selects pieces of the image you want to transfer, and higher tolerance if it selects tiny areas.
    • Click Edit → Undo whenever an undesirable selection is made. This should undo the result of your last click, not return to the original image. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard: press Ctrl + Z on a Windows computer, or command + Z on a Mac.
    • If you cannot successfully select sizeable portions of the undesired section without including pieces of the image you want to transfer, you probably need to skip straight to "Choose a selection tool" and manually trace your image with the lasso tool.
  9. Soften the edges of the selection (optional). The resulting image may have harsh or strange-looking edges, which can make the final result seem unnatural or obviously manipulated. You can adjust this by using a "feather tool" or "feather setting" to soften the edge, but be aware that different programs require you to access the feather ability in different ways:
    • In Photoshop, right click the selection and click Feather.[1]
    • In Gimp, use the top menu: Select → Feather.[2]
    • In Paint.NET, you will need to download the Feather Plugin and open that plugin's menu to use this tool.
    • In Pixlr or Paint Shop Pro, click the selection tool and alter its feather setting before making a selection.[3]
    • In any program, you should see an option to enter a numeric amount determining how extreme the feathering effect will be, measured in pixels. Start with 1 or 2 pixels for this method to avoid losing fine details.
  10. Hit Delete to remove the selection. You can also use the Edit → Cut command on the top menu. It's a good idea to do this periodically as you select pieces of the picture, instead of trying to select the entire area at once and deleting it in one go. This makes it easier to avoid mistakes and do a thorough job.
    • Once you've only got a small amount of unwanted picture left around the part of the image you want to transfer, you may want to zoom in for greater detail before trying to delete it. The Zoom In button looks like a magnifying glass with a "+" inside it. You may also find this command in the top menu: View → Zoom.
    • When you delete a selection, that portion of the image may appear as a "checkerboard" pattern or as a solid color. Either way, the overlay should work fine.
  11. Choose a selection tool. Usually near the top of the tool list, these look like a square, circle, and rope lasso. The square and circle tools select a portion of the image in that shape, while the lasso tool can be traced in any shape. The lasso tool makes it easier to avoid undeleted portions of the background if there are still some near the image you're trying to transfer.
  12. Click and drag around the image to select the portion you wish to transfer. If you've deleted the background around the image, make sure not to include any undeleted portions. You can safely include portions of the solid color or checker colored background that replaced it; they will not be selected.
    • If you were unable to remove a complex background with the magic wand tool, zoom in with the top menu command View → Zoom and slowly trace the image you want to transfer with the lasso tool. This may take several minutes to achieve accurate results. After copy-pasting your first selection onto the new background, you will probably need to use the lasso tool again to cut away excess areas you included by accident.
  13. Copy the selected area, switch to the background image pane, and paste. This can be done with keyboard commands (Ctrl + C to copy, Ctrl + V to paste), or the Edit Menu. If the image still looks too "sharp" or unnatural, undo the paste and increase the amount of feathering by a few pixels.
    • See instructions directly above, labeled "Soften the edges", in order to learn how to feather the selection.
    • If you're sure you pasted your image but you don't see it, open the Layers Palette by going to Window → Layer or View → Layer. You should see a layer with a thumbnail image that looks like the image you pasted, on top of a checkerboard pattern. Drag this layer up to the top of the layer list to ensure it is placed on top of, rather than beneath, the background image.
  14. Re-position and re-size it to scale. Select the move tool, which looks like a cursor arrow or a four-point compass, then click and drag the superimposed image to the desired location. If you need to change the size of the overlaid image, follow these steps:
    • Go to File → Free Transform (or hit Ctrl + T) to transform the image.
    • A box should appear around the superimposed image; click and drag the sides and corners to change the size and shape. To maintain the proportions, hold Shift while clicking and dragging a corner.
    • If the wrong thing moves, make sure you’re on the right layer by going to View → Layer or Window → Layer, then clicking the layer that contains the superimposed image.
  15. Use File → Save As to save the result under a new name. Make sure you are saving the final superimposed image. Don't accidentally select the pane that contains nothing but a chopped-up image missing the piece you transferred.

Additional Effects

  1. Select the superimposed layer. Open the Layer menu with View → Layer or Window → Layer and select the layer containing the superimposed image. You can now explore many options for altering its appearance.
    • There are many photo manipulation programs and they each organize their large variety of options differently. To find the common suggestions below, or experiment with your own effects, try the Filter and Layer menus.
  2. Adjust-Opacity-in-Adobe-Photoshop. More subtle transparency can also make several superimposed images look better, if you used the Quick overlay method. This is a simple additional adjustment that requires little work.
    • Near the list of layers, which you learned how to view in an earlier step, there should be a box labeled Opacity. Here you can enter a number from 0 (invisible) to 100 (completely opaque), or adjust a slider to change the transparency gradually.
  3. Add a drop shadow to make the superimposed image look grounded in the background. The Drop Shadow effect adds a new shadow layer beneath the object to make it appear part of the background, although you may need to follow the suggestions below to make it appear more natural.
    • In GIMP, this option is found under Filter → Light and Shadow.
    • In Photoshop, find it through Layer → Layer Style → Drop Shadow.
    • Select the shadow layer to adjust it. If necessary, use the Filter → Blur command to make the shadow less sharp.
    • You can use the Edit → Free Transform command to change the shadow's position and shape to match the direction of light in the background photo.
  4. Play around with additional effects. There are countless additional effects in each major photo manipulation program. Play around with the Blending Options to make the superimposed photo appear more natural, or with any of the effects elsewhere for silly or artistic alterations.

Tips

  • You can use the erase tool to erase minute aberrations, or large areas that are distant from the object.
  • The help box is useful when trying to find out how to do things.
  • If a solid color is appearing after you delete a selection of the background, and it's interfering with your ability to select the rest of the background, open the Layers Palette (View→Layers, or Window→Layers) and find the "Background Layer" that is responsible for the solid color. If it has a padlock symbol on it, double click it and click OK to unlock it. Now drag it to the trash bin at the bottom of the Layers Palette or right-click it and select Delete Layer. You should now see a checkerboard pattern instead.

Warnings

  • Never save over original photo files.
  • If you're trying to Invert Selection as described in one of the above steps, and you're getting strange color alterations instead, you're using the Invert command instead.[5] Find the Invert Selection command, under the Select menu in most programs, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + I (command + Shift + I on a Mac).

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOLCVdmMciE
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxVNWg5kESI
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Pixlr_Editor/A_few_concepts
  4. ↑ http://www.steves-digicams.com/knowledge-center/how-tos/photo-software/free-photo-editing-programs-that-compare-to-photoshop.html
  5. ↑ http://docs.gimp.org/en/gimp-layer-invert.html
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