How to Make Silhouettes from Digital Photos Using Free Online Photo-Editing Tools & a Printer / Scanner

Make Silhouettes

Since we were making Silhouette Self-Portraits today, the kids and I decided to try to make some basic Silhouettes using our iphone camera and our available computer gear. We don’t have Photoshop, so we used the free, online photo editing site http://www.fotoflexer.com [you can also try ipiccy.com] to get our pictures to a point at which we could print them out and jimmy up a few good silhouettes. Here’s how we did it.

Phase One
Take a Digital Photograph of a person Standing against a White wall or a piece of white poster paper.
Pose the subject in the position (facing right or left) opposite to the one you would like to produce as a silhouette.
20121218-172522.jpg 20121218-172529.jpg

Phase Two

Use the free photo editing site, http://www.fotoflexer.com [you can also try ipiccy.com] to transform your picture into something you can cut into a silhouette. [If you have Photoshop or Photoshop elements, apparently, the process is much easier. You can easily google a web tutorial to show you how to make your silhouette from a standard photo.]

2.1: Upload your photo into your computer.
2.2: Go to http://www.fotoflexer.com and upload your photo onto the site.
2.2 Click on the “Effects” tab and click the “More” button until you see the “Sketch” Button.
2.3 Click on the “Sketch” Button. And, once the photo has transformed into a sketch, click “Apply.”
2.4 [Optional] Staying on the “Effects” tab, Click the “Duo Tone” Function.
2.5 [Optional] The photo will change to tan and black. Click the arrow under the tan square at the top and scroll down to choose the white square, changing the photo, then, to black and white.
2.6 [Optional] Still in the “Duo Tone” process, click the “Advanced Options” tab and move the “Contrast” ticker to about the 3/4 mark (i.e. to the right).
2.7 [Optional] Once the photo has changed again, click the “Apply” button.
2.8 Save the photo to your computer by clicking the “Save” button towards the top of the page. Then, continue to choose to “Save the file to your computer” option until you have done so.
aaaaaaaatobsketch bisha

Phase Three
Print your image in Black and White onto a very dark piece of paper. [We used brown card-stock].
20121218-172536.jpg

Phase Four
Cut out your Silhouette without removing your scissors from the page, i.e. in one stroke. Feel free to leave out delicate bits like stray hairs and the like.

20121218-172546.jpg 20121218-172601.jpg

Phase Five
Place your silhouette on a piece of white paper with the printed side up/away from the glass and photo-copy or scan it into your computer in true black and white. Do the same thing in reverse if you so choose: Place the paper that you cut away from the silhouette onto white paper and photo-copy or scan it into your computer in true black and white.

You now have a lovely silhouette!
Toby's Silhouette Bea's Reverse Silhouette Beatrice's Silhouette Toby's Reverse Silhouette

P.S. If you liked this post, you might also like our  Pop Art Name Plates and our  Homemade Childrens’ Bookplates:

popartnameplatespartycraft   

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2 Responses to How to Make Silhouettes from Digital Photos Using Free Online Photo-Editing Tools & a Printer / Scanner

  1. Cynthia November 29, 2016 at 10:22 pm #

    Thank you for this!!! 3 years ago, I paid $25 +shipping to get a maternity photo silhouette with my first pregnancy. Today, I made my own with my second for free!!

    • roseye@rogers.com November 30, 2016 at 8:17 am #

      THIS MAKES ME SOOO HAPPY! FANTASTIC!