How to Get the Star Trek Effect in Photoshop

Photoshop can be used to make unusual and creative images. These require some practice but once the basics are mastered the sky is the limit. One effect that most people remember from television is the Star Trek effect. That look of flying faster than the speed of light is not easily forgotten. Photoshop can create that imagery with a few mouse clicks.

Instructions

1. Open a new Photoshop document. Make the canvas size 300 pixels by 300 pixels.

2. Make a new layer. Select the "layer" option from main. Then choose the "new" option and select layer from the "new" menu. After the layer is chosen select "layer" then "new fill layer" and fill the layer with white.

3. Choose the marquee tool from the left menu panel. From the main menu change the style from "normal" to "fixed size". Next change the width to 400 pixels and the height to 10 pixels. Move the mouse over the center of the document and right click. There should be a rectangular box in the middle of the document.

4. Filter the object created with the marquee tool. Select "filter" from the main menu. From the "filter" menu select "noise and the "add noise".

5. Select "image" from the main menu. From the image menu choose "adjustments" then "levels". Change the input levels to 200, 1, 00, and 202 respectively. Do not change the output levels.

6. Transform the image. From the keyboard press ctrl and T. Drag the top of the rectangle to the top of the canvas and drag the bottom of the rectangle. Hit "enter" when the rectangle covers the canvas.

7. Increase the size of the canvas. Select "image" from the main menu and choose canvas size. Now double the canvas to 600 pixels by 600 pixels.

8. Duplicate and merge the image. Copy the layer by selecting "layer" from the main menu and choose "duplicate layer". Repeat this process two more times. There should be four layers. Position each layer until the canvas is totally covered. Flip the layers on the top left and right horizontally. Flip the layer on the bottom left vertically. Select "merge down" from layer menu.

9. Invert the image. Choose "Image" from the main menu and select adjustments. From the adjustments menu click on "invert".

10. Filter the image. Select "filter" from the main menu and click "distort". From the distort menu choose "polar coordinates". Make sure the rectangular to polar option is selected.

11. Apply the radial blur tool to the image. On the main menu choose "filter". From the filter menu select "blur". Click on "radial blur" on the blur menu. Make sure the amount is set at 50, the blur method is "zoom" and quality option is set to "best".

12. Copy the merged image. Select "layer" on the main menu. Then choose "duplicate layer". Check to see that the blending mode is set at "luminosity".

13. Choose the bottom layer from layers dialogue box on the right side pane. Press control and U on the keyboard. Check the colorize box in the lower right hand corner. Set the values to the following: hue:350 Saturation: 40 and lightness -20. These values can be changed and altered depending on what color scheme is needed.

14. Colorize the top layer. Select the other layer from layer dialogue box on the right menu pane. Repeat the previous but set the values as follows: Hue:220, Saturation: 80 and lightness -20.

15. Select the bottom layer and choose "filter" from the main menu. From the filter menu click on "blur" and from that menu select "gaussian blur". The blur number should be 2. Now rotate the image 90 degrees counter clockwise.

16. Render the image. Choose the top layer from the layer dialogue box on the left menu pane. Click on "filter" on the main menu. Select "render" then "lens flare". Set the brightness to 32 percent and make sure the lens type is "35mm prime". Click ok and the star trek effect is done.