Passing to Interlaced Mode

The somewhat barbaric term "interlaced mode" actually hides a very simple technique. Televisions and certain video games only scan one line out of every two on your screen so as to accelerate their display, each line of the image alternating with a solid black line. When applied to Web graphics, this effect gives the impression of an image captured on a television screen. What's more, this process is very simple to do, so why do without it?

Create a new image measuring 100 x 50 pixels with a Transparent background, zoom into this image at 1,600%, then:

1. Select a line on your image using the Single Row Marquee Tool.
   
   
2. Fill the selection with black.
   
   
3. Move the selection frame downwards so that it is below the black line you just created and adjacent to it.
   
   
4. Fill the selection with white.
   
   
5. Deselect the selection.
   
   


Figure 5: We are going to use these two lines to create the interlaced mode effect.

The rest of the process involves creating a pattern. But then, you are already acquainted with this method:

1. Ctrl-click on Layer 1 to select the two lines you just created.
   
   
2. Select Edit > Define pattern.
   
   
3. Go back to the title you created earlier and create a new layer on the image (Layer 1).
   
   
4. Select Edit > Fill and apply the following settings: Use Pattern, Opacity 100% and Mode set to Normal.
   
   
5. Set the mode for Layer 1 to Soft Light.
   
   
The Soft Light option makes the white lines transparent, so that the black lines give the impression of hiding one out of every two lines of pixels.

And there you have it, your X-Files title is finished. Are you thrilled by this use of interlaced mode effects? Well enjoy it, as you can create several other variants using this method...



Figure 6: Just like on TV!