How to Edit a Photo in X-Ray

Create an X-ray effect with a photo editing program.

Most photo editing programs offer a wide variety of options for image creation. If you wish to make your photo look like an x-ray, you can use inversion and layers to create the appropriate effect. Even the simplest photo editing program can create this effect, as long as it offers layers. For the most part, photo editing programs are not used in conjunction with actual X-rays as editing X-rays can lead to misdiagnosis or other medical errors.

Things You'll Need

• Photo editing program

Instructions

1. Double-click on the icon of your photo editing software. If you do not have a photo editing software, download one from the Internet (see Resources).

2. Click on the "File" menu and select "Open." Browse through your photographs until you find the image you want to turn into an X-ray. Click on this file and press "OK."

3. Create a duplicate layer. Right-click on the layer, in the layers box, and scroll to "create duplicate." Alternatively, copy and paste the layer into a new layer. Press "control" and "A" on the keyboard then "control" and "C" to copy the layer. Press the "New Layer" button and click on the new layer. Press "control" and "C" to paste the layer.

4. Invert the new layer. Press the "Effects" menu and scroll to "Invert."

5. Add a layer mask to the inverted layer. Click on the Layers box then click "Add Layer Mask" then "OK." Enter "RGB" for the "Channel" and check the "Invert" box. Click "OK."

6. Add a Hue and Saturation layer. Click on the "Add Layer" button and click "Layer Style" then select "Hue/Saturation." Set the saturation to the minimum.

Tips & Warnings

• You can edit actual X-rays to make certain elements of an X-ray, such as a fracture, more obvious. However, you should not do this without getting permission from medical staff.

References

• Web Design: X-Ray Effect
• Tuts Plus: Creating X-Ray Style Images
• 123 RF: March Tutorial

Resources

• Adobe: Photoshop Trial
• GIMP: The GNU Image Editor