Andromeda's Cutline produces the effects you've seen on images used in newspapers like the Washington Post - all those wavy cut-lines which produce a very cool image.
The cutline parameters are completely adjustable, from cutlines that follow the entire image, the highlights, or the shadows. Lines 'per inch' are adjustable also.
This is a plugin that takes some practice getting used to what it can do, but well worth the effort. The cutline effect, which can be wavy, elliptical, wavy+elleptical, and cut, is dependent upon image content of color and contrast. Some images look better left in color, while others look better in black and white. Also, running your lines per inch closer together, or even farther apart, does not always improve the image. There are happy mediums that will give you a great cutline effect. The plugin dialog box has a preview area, where you can see in real-time what your effect will be like. It's a generously sized preview, with zoom capability to see if you are getting the effect you want.
Here are some examples of Cutline:
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I used one of my free wallpaper backgrounds for this. The original image is comprised of many vertical and horizontal lines, plus flat surfaces. Cutline does a remarkable job of creating the effects on a complex image such as this. |
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Next, are the two originals I used to compare FX of complex and simple scenes. |
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| Above. I left both images in
color, and as you can see, the more complex image has a whole lot more for
your eye to discern, while the facial portrait is easier to look at.
Both FX have their place depending on your needs. You'll need to
'train' your eye to look ahead at what the final FX will be.
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| Above. After desaturating
both images, the cutline effect takes on a wholly unique look. If you
back away from your monitor, the images actually look a lot better.
Try it.
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If you add more and more lines, you can create cartoon like FX. |
If you're doing any sort of home-based desktop publishing, and would like to add a professional touch to your publications, this is the plugin to get. It's easy to work with, and the results are fantastic.