main_block.png for advanced photoshop dummies

[Rivers]

OK, firstly, thanks to all the developers, total respect.

Second, I do totally get the philosophy of using the stylesheet functionality to window into a sub area of the combination graphic main_block.png that contains all the tricky rounded corners, grads and edges. Having understood that, the next step for me would be to create a modified version adapted to the theme colors of the particular site I'm working on.

I have photoshop CS5 and a good editing setup but to be a photoshop hot dog you really need to be doing it for your day job, which I'm not, I is a programmer in other areas. I do know enough PS to understand any helpful hints you might post here.

So what I'm asking is this. Given the zillion permutations of image adjustment functionality available in photoshop, which ones should I be looking at to do a semi-global, or detailed, color replacement, including nice grads and edges?

I have to go from the default blues to another palette of hues, see below. I have tried some 'bulk' approaches and the results were pretty unsubtle, do I need to work on each element in main_block.png individually?

To see our forum as it is today: hxxp:weeniecampbell.com/mambo/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=128 [nonactive]

Any tips much appreciated,

Rivers.

[ARG01]

The easiest, fastest way to edit the main_block.png file in PS is to use the Magic Wand tool. Set the tolerance to 100%. Click on the part of the image that you want to change. Then, without moving the mouse,  right click, Copy and Paste. This will give you a new image layer to work with and customize any way that you want.
Repeat each step for each section of the image.

Hint: To make it easier to see the edges of the image, since part of the main_block.png is transparent I chose a color that is totally different from the image colors and create a rectangle the entire size of the image and place it as the bottom layer. I normally chose a bright red or green. This just helps see image edges more clearly in PS that may have transparent sections. Unselect the bottom layer before saving the image.

[Rivers]

Thanks ARG, that does seem like a logical workflow to be able to focus on each element.

Also I had not realized there were transparent areas. Creating a solid color layer underneath makes perfect sense for spotting the transparent areas.

I will take that approach and see how I go.

Thanks again,

Rivers.

[ARG01]

Glad to help. I have seen many Photoshop tutorials over the years and found that the majority take an enormous amount of steps that are not necessary. In these cases it just usually confuses the reader more often than it helps them.
I try to explain PS tutorials in the least amount of steps as possible. Usually you will get very similar, if not the same results as those that go way beyond of what is actually needed. I am far from being a PS pro but I guess some explain things the hard way just to make themselves appear as if they are.

[Yourmum90]

the only thing i would add is i find the trace action in isslustrator works better as you could create a vector image from it, if you want to make your new image bigger.

[Rivers]

Interesting idea, thanks  Yourmum90. That might well come into play when we wrap the forum later and find ourselves constrained by the standard graphic's width. I don't have Illustrator (yet) but have considered picking it up.

ARG, yes, I do know what you mean. I'll experiment with your suggested approach tonight.