The Microsoft Impressionist Filter (Windows Only)

The Microsoft Impressionist filter is legendary ”or at least the stuff of some legends ”in the Photoshop community. Some call it the finest piece of software ever released by Microsoft.

Though never known to be sold as a Photoshop add-in, and not sold at all at this time, this Microsoft Windows “only filter was written to the Photoshop filter interface standards and has operated well with the last several versions of Photoshop. Capable of hundreds of variations, the Microsoft Impressionist filter s effects are limited primarily by the user s imagination

Getting It

The Microsoft Impressionist filter is included in the now discontinued Microsoft Image Composer product. This product was shipped as part of Microsoft Front Page 97, 98, and 2000.

A legal way to acquire this product is through purchase of a new or used copy of Microsoft Front Page 97/98/2000. Listings for this software regularly appear on auction sites (for example, eBay) at low prices.

Installing It

Because the Impressionist filter was never sold as a stand-alone product, it must be installed by hand. The complete package even includes a Help file.

Locate the Image Composer plug-ins on the Front Page CD by searching for Impres_1.8bf .

Create the following subdirectories under your Adobe Photoshop Plug-Ins subdirectory:

 ..\Plug Ins\Impressionist Accessories  ..\Plug Ins\Impressionist Accessories\Brushes  ..\Plug Ins\Impressionist Accessories\Factory Settings  ..\Plug Ins\Impressionist Accessories\Paper

Copy the following CD files to the indicated locations:

 ..\Plug Ins\Impres_1.8bf  ..\Plug Ins\Impressionist Accessories\imprsnst.cnt  ..\Plug Ins\Impressionist Accessories\imprsnst.GID  ..\Plug Ins\Impressionist Accessories\imprsnst.hlp

Copy the CD contents of \Brushes , \Factory Settings , and \Paper to the corresponding subdirectories for Photoshop.

Using It

After the Impressionist filter is installed properly and Photoshop CS is restarted, the filter appears on the Filter menu, as shown in Figure A.6. After it is started, you are presented with the opening window shown in Figure A.7.

Figure A.6: The Impressionist submenu

Figure A.7: Using the Impressionist filter

The best way to learn about this filter is to use its Run Demo and Help buttons . Run Demo causes the filter to sequence through default settings for its major effects. After that, just have at it. The combination of different brushes, papers, styles, and settings allow for nearly infinite variations.

Here are some samples of effects quickly and easily generated by using the Impressionist filter:

To see it do something a bit more serious, look at Figure A.8, which shows a seashell turned into a fine pencil drawing.

Figure A.8: The Impressionist filter can produce a fine pencil version of your art.