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Hide the icon Layer, then create a new Layer and, with that selection still active, paint with black within the bounds of the icon selection. Choose black and adjust the settings until the icon has a clear selection around it that separates it from the white background. Go to the Select menu, and then to Select Color Range. Once the effect is applied, we need to remove that white background we created behind the icon. Simply adjust the settings until the edges of a very subtle, paper-like texture. To recreate paper textures we recommend using the Spatter Filter. Select the icon Layer and open up the Filter Gallery. Smart Objects allow us to easily adjust or remove any Filters we apply without damaging the Layer itself.
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Go ahead and Merge the icon Layer and the white rectangle Layer we just created, and then convert the newly merged Layer into a Smart Object. You’ll end up with the icon on top of a solid white rectangle. Create a new Layer underneath the icon Layer, use the Rectangular Marquee Tool to create a rectangle around the icon, and then fill that rectangular selection with white. But before we can apply Filters to our icon, we need to create a solid white background behind it. We can recreate the texture of the paper using some effects in the Filter Gallery. We’ll need to transfer this texture over to our icon if we want it to look as though it’s actually part of the scene. The paper in our sample photo has a nice and noticeable texture.
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In our example, we want to create a mockup of a restaurant menu, complete with an embossed logo at the top of the page. When it comes to integrating designs into photographed surfaces, texture is the most important to analyze and try to replicate. While Photoshop Layer Styles make effects like this seem straight forward, there are some extra steps you’ll want to take in order to get the most realistic result possible. Whether you want the design to look as if it was pressed into paper or cut from the stone, the process is more or less the same. An embossed effect is a great way to integrate text, logos, and icons into real, photographed environments.
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