A sparse typographic edge texture with directional glyphs and dark negative space. Replace image or video and edit cell size, edge threshold, tone, ink and optional carving. Original Canvas 2D renderer.
How this texture works
Ghost Script traces your image or video with small characters on a near-black background. Each cell measures how sharply the brightness changes at that point and places a dot or a colon there, so edges and outlines are drawn in type and flat areas stay dark. The ink is a soft off-white. Cell size is small here, which gives a fine, almost handwritten texture. Motion is off by default.
Tips
- Raise Edge threshold to keep only the strongest outlines and clear the rest of the frame.
- Line glyphs replaces some dots with horizontal and vertical line characters that follow the edges. This preset keeps it at 0 for a dotted look.
- Cell size sets the size of the characters. Larger cells make a bolder, more graphic trace.
- Turn Animate on and raise Carving to make the outline shift and breathe. Carving speed sets the pace.
Questions
How do I make a text outline effect from a photo?
Load your picture into the Image slot. The characters are placed along the edges of the picture, so a subject with clear outlines against a plain background traces best. Raise Edge threshold to simplify the drawing.
What does Carving do?
When Animate is on, Carving moves the edge threshold up and down across the frame in a wave, so parts of the outline appear and disappear over time. At 0 the trace stays still.