Forge a Million-Dollar Stamp in Photoshop

In this week’s free Deke’s Techniques video, Deke uses Photoshop to turn a scan of the first Airmail stamp (valued at roughly $160) into an almost-million-dollar “inverted jenny.” Along the way, there’s a great deal to learn about intricate masking of fine detail (which is good, because knowing more about forging stamps is a questionable bit of skills development).

Before and after
Before and after

Before I get into detail about this technique, however, I have to show you the joy that arises when a Photoshop genius lets his inner philatelist-nerd out to play. Just look at the unapologetic grin on Deke’s face and the sparkle of delight in his eye:

Happy Photoshop-Philatelist Nerd Deke
Happy Photoshop-Philatelist Nerd Deke

Anyway, this actually useful technique involves masking the blue-inked airplane away from the red frame, and then, of course, turning it upside-down. But the real subtlety and ingenuity comes when Deke stacks layers made from a series of increasingly fine alpha channels, shown here in the Channels panel:

Series of increasingly detailed alpha channels
Series of increasingly detailed alpha channels

Deke then uses those alpha channels to imitate ink passes, thus allowing for the build-up of detail with each virtual “ink pass.”

Simulated ink passes in Photoshop
Simulated ink passes in Photoshop

If you’re a member of lynda.com, then you can watch the follow-up movie in which Deke shows you how to isolate the red-ink frame around the airplane and the perforations of the stamp. If you’re not a member, you can get a free 10-day trial by signing up at lynda.com/deke. And the sky’s the limit on other Deke’s Techniques (and other training videos in the lynda.com library) that you can watch with your trial subscription.

Next entry:Deke’s Awesome New Course on Start-to-Finish Logo Design (No Foolin’)

Previous entry:Styling Type with a Pattern of Vertical Lines

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