Fake ASCII

Ascii artistes can produce very amazing results with just text... This is a nice, quick way to achieve a similiar effect in photoshop :)

1. Open your picture, we have used the famous "Weeping Woman." Make sure your picture is set the RGB ( Image > Mode > RGB Colour ). Now, unlock the layer (layer > new > background from layer)

2. Make a new layer, and grab your text tool. Click off of the canvas *top left* and drag it right to the bottom right. Now, type some random letters (copy and pasting helps) This can be any colour. For the best results, i reccomend size 6 or 7 font, which is simple like.. verdana.

3. Go back to your layer with the picture onit, and click "add layer mask" on the layers palate:

4. Next, if you hold CTRL on your keyboard, and click the T (see above on the layers palate) on your text layer. This will bring marching ants all the way around your text. But we want the opposite of that, so click: Select > Inverse. Now, you can click the little eye on the text layer (see above, next to the T)

5. With your selection still selected, set your foreground colour to black ( D X ) and click Edit > Fill - Foreground colour. You will notice allot of your picture dissapears.. nothing to worry!! Now deselect : Select > Deselect.

6. Finally, click Layer > New layer. Then, on the layers palate.. drag your layer to the bottom of your first layer. So the layer order (from the top) goes Text, Picture, Layer we just made. Now, fill this black (Edit > Fill)