I can't tell you the number of times I have tried making a torn paper effect only to end up with a agglomeration of white boxes. I have finally figured out how to brand neat torn edges for any distressed look.

1. Start with your blank document in Adobe Photoshop.

2. Employ the Lasso Tool (freehand) to create the shape of the object y'all want to accept a torn edge and continue the selection across the lower one-half of the document.

3. Select a colour for your newspaper object and paint bucket the selection on a new layer.

iv. With the Lasso Tool still selected, CMD-Click on the mask and select Make Work Path and change the tolerance to 1px.

5. Select a castor (such as the i shown below) from the Brush Tool Menu.

6. In the Brush Options menu, alter the Shape Dynamics settings equally shown to create a newspaper-esk stroke.

seven. With the Pen Tool selected, CMD-Click the path and select Stroke Path from the menu. Make sure the Tool is selected every bit Castor from the drib down and Simulate Force per unit area is off. (Echo as necessary for desired outcome)

8. Create another newspaper object using the Lasso freehand Tool.

9.Paint bucket this selection with a lighter colour than the first object in a new layer.
10 Make information technology a new Work Path past CMD-Click with the Lasso Tool.

11.Use the same brush settings from before and Stroke the Path using the Brush pick to produce more paper.

12. Download a paper texture to give the newspaper a more realistic look.
thirteen. Paste the texture into your document over the newspaper objects. (If the paper is an odd colour use the desaturation tool to remove discoloration.
14. Change the blending mode to return the lite areas of the image transparent.
15. If the texture is likewise heavy for the image, adjust with the brightness and contrast tools.

16. Play with the layer to create a realistic looking paper with creases and folds.
17. Delete the unwanted areas from the texture by

  1. Selecting your lighter colored newspaper layer,
  2. Go to Select > Load Selection.
  3. Inverse the selection
  4. Delete the selection from the texture layer.



18. Merge your layers and add the new newspaper texture.
xix. Voila!

Original Tutorial was written by Web log Spoon Graphics at http://blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/tutorials/create-a-realistic-torn-paper-issue-in-photoshop

It was adjusted by Leah Poole