Limit Number of Colors

[Deraj828]

I'm trying to get some pictures simplified to just a few definite and contrasting colors, and am not sure how to go about it. I've searched old topics and have seen this issue come up a few times, but usually with different goals in mind. I found one that looked like just what I needed, but it referred to a plug-in that doesn't seem to be around any more. Many answers referred to the Posterize feature, but... I don't know what that's supposed to do, but it's not workin' for me.

Basically I tell the computer to narrow the image down to however many colors, but it focuses on all the most prevalent ones instead of the most varied ones, giving me several shades of one color and skipping over certain others. Is there a feature or plug-in handy that will allow me to select samples of the colors I want all the shades generalized to?

If this isn't making sense, my goal is to upload it to leftsource.com, click "Print/view your project" and 1) not see a whole mess of intermediate colors on what should be a clean edge between two colors, and 2) not need a dozen different shades of green, brown, red and yellow to do one leaf for example. If you run any image on that site, you'll see what I mean. I just need something that will let me tell the computer how to simplify it.

Any ideas?

[Cookies]

Just asking, is it something like this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_depth if thats the case i will probably upload it later today (have been working on something like that for some time now) but there wont be any dithering like in the images on that wiki page

[Sarkut]

Try this to see if it moves things in the direction that you want.

1)

Adjustments > Hue / Saturation

Saturation --- 125

===========================

2)

Adjustments > Brightness / Contrast

Contrast --- 25

===========================

3)

Adjustments > Posterize

Setting of 2 to 4 Linked

[Ego Eram Reputo]

I'm trying to get some pictures simplified to just a few definite and contrasting colors, and am not sure how to go about it.

...

Any ideas?

This is brand new from @Cookies (as he said above). It should do the job for you: Simulate color depth

[Deraj828]

Hmm... this may be more complicated that I thought. Both of those solutions cleaned up the edges delightfully, but left things looking strange nonetheless. Some images may explain the remaining issue better than I can.

I begin with:

for example.

Then I try these deals, which give me a cleaner but somewhat creepy image, like:

Basically I'm trying to make a rug out of this and other pictures, and while the edge cleanup is a big and appreciated step, it would be exceedingly much easier if the holly was just green, not bunches of greens or yellows, for example. Yes, I could just pretend it was solid green and make it that way, but for reasons that would bore you to hear, I'd really like to do it with the computer first. Any ideas how I can simplify the color scheme but direct the program to ignore his face and just worry about making the holly green and the hat red?Thanks for the help!

[Cookies]

Make a selection around them and do it?  ,  ,   or 

i would make another layer, take the line/curve tool set line width to 1 and antialias off draw the lines/curves around the part of the image i want to be selected and then use magic wand with the lowest tolerance and click inside the "selection" you draw and then use the effects above

[pyrochild]

I think there's a plugin called Selective Palette that lets you pick exactly which colors you want