UPDATE: TUTORIAL ADDED.
Do you think the screen is really transparent? Some people fall for it.

Transparent screens are an excellent effect on a lot of things, as long as you don’t move the screen around. I recently stumbled upon a Flickr photo account with images of transparent screens.
The image to your left is an example of a “transparent screen”. Browse around the photo album and I will come back later today or tomorrow with a tutorial for a “transparent screen”.

How to Make a “Transparent Screen” Desktop

1. Move your screen away and take a picture of the space behind your screen. Try to take it from where the device would be.
2. Put your device back; careful not to move any wires, etc. Take a picture of it with the device. Upload the pictures onto your computer.
3. Open up any photo editing software (I’m using Adobe Photoshop) and open your pictures.
4. Drag the image with the device onto the one without the device. The image with the device should be on top.
5. Use the Selection Tool to select the screen part. It usually is distorted. Don’t worry; It will turn out alright.

6. Go to your Layers palette and drag the layer with the device into the trashcan. Make a new document the same size as your screen resolution and copy your selection and paste it.
7. Distort the image so that it fills up the whole document (your screen resolution) perfectly. If you don’t know your screen resolution, press alt+Print Screen beside your F12 key and paste it onto a new document in your photo editing software. Check the size. That is your resolution size.
8. Adjust the lighting. This part is tricky. You make it so it looks like a camera lens and not a image.
9. Set the image as your desktop. You have a “transparent” screen! As long as you don’t move it around a lot…

(View Comments…)

Comment posted by Mark
at 6/16/2007 1:13:18 PM

I must confess, I fell for it. Funny thing is, I went back and forth falling for it each time.

I like your blog. I’ll be making other visits. Found you over at Brown Baron’s, another blog buddy of mine.

Comment posted by Link Loves
at 6/15/2007 9:39:50 PM

[…] What does you browser say about yourself. 2. Is that a normal screen with a well made wallpaper or just the frame of the screen? 3. Monitor motion with web cams-good monitoring software if you don’t have enough hard disk […]

Comment posted by Conscious
at 6/13/2007 8:40:49 AM

This is a cool idea…

Comment posted by Sera
at 6/10/2007 9:58:29 PM

That’s pretty wild, I would have fallen for it.

Comment posted by Michelle
at 6/9/2007 8:18:38 AM

Wow cooooooooooooooooool. i didnt know there was such a thing haha. thanks for this! i may wanna try it out sometimes. ;D

p.s: sorry for such a long mia-ness!

Comment posted by Rei
at 6/8/2007 11:29:02 AM

lol, this is by far one of the most interesting tutorials i have ever seen. how awesome! if i have time, i would love to try it out xp

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 7th, 2007| Category: General, Photoshop Tutorials, Tech News | Comment | Trackback