> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://gitbook.bergelsonlab.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://gitbook.bergelsonlab.com/experimenter-1/steps-to-initiate-a-study/making-new-visual-stimuli.md).

# Making New Visual Stimuli

## Finding the Image

* First, familiarize yourself with the kinds of images we tend to use in the lab, both the *raw* images and *final* products.
  * The full set SEEDLingS stimuli can be found in `Fas-Phyc-PEB-Lab/Resources_and_docs/Stimuli` , along with stimuli from other experiments and a library of nonce objects
* Start with the list of images you want to make (after being sure we don't already have an appropriate image in the raw or images folder).
* Open Google Images and click "Search Tools."
* Select Type -> Photo and Size -> "Larger than 1024x768"

![](/files/-LIgzoRPMLQlB_9L8pec)

* Search for your word. You may need to try related queries, e.g. "baby bottle" or "infant cup"
  * The ideal photo is plain and on a plain background already, without watermarks or logos and without a busy backdrop.
  * If the search is not returning very many images, you can try just "Larger than 640x480"
  * Images may require post-hoc Photoshopping to be useable.
* Babies are easily distracted by eyes and faces. For things that are alive (animals, people) **find images where the eyes are looking away from the camera**. For things that come in multiple colors, find a neutral-looking exemplar. 
* When you find a suitable picture, click on the image and then click the View Image button.
* Right click and "Save Image As" and save it to the raw\_images folder on BergelsonLab.
* For each image you download, paste the hyperlink of the website it is found on into this spreadsheet: [new images log](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zThIKEP7fzypQeXSQqxlWm0sY8_ob-KbrJxY8a_dsKo/edit#gid=0)
* Repeat for each image you need.

## Tips

* If you're looking for a specific toy, figuring out its name is critical. Once you know it's the 'fisher price whackadoo fun rattle' or whatever, you can find it more easily by name, so sometimes it's good to just start by not limiting the size settings at all just to find the object, and then to limit the size once you know what it's called.
* Look for a brand name and google with that, e.g. 'playskool bus' will get you further than 'toy bus'
* Use adjectives: plush, plastic, toy, wooden, squishy,
* Things that are easy to change in Photoshop are size, color, etc, so if you find the perfect image but it's the wrong size or color, that's okay -- we can fix it.
* Something we can't do in Photoshop is making an image higher quality than it is, without it just looking terrible and jagged and pixelated.
* You can also try reverse image searches through Google:
  * Click the little camera icon at the end of the Google Image search bar where you type in the word, and then upload a screenshot of the image from the video, make sure it '''only''' includes the object, not people).

## Photoshopping

Photoshop is available to use on Azalea and Wisteria (laptop).

1. **Open** the photos you've saved in Photoshop.
2. **Edit** the photo (the magic wand and magnetic lasso are especially helpful), ending up with a selection of the image you want.
3. **Grey background:** There is a photoshop action loaded that lets you take a selection, and will automatically paste it onto a grey background of 960x960\@300dpi. Hit **Cmd+Shift+F5**.
   * If this action is NOT loaded, you can find it on BergelsonLab -> Stimuli. It's called "Shortcut\_for\_etracking\_stimuli" and [here are instructions on loading it](https://creativemarket.com/blog/how-to-install-use-photoshop-actions).
4. **Resize:** You can resize the object itself after you run this action so it's centered and takes up most of the space with a good bit of gray border.
5. For **animate** objects: make them a little on the smaller side since they're likely more interesting than the inanimates.
6. Once you've successfully edited and grey-background-ed the image, save the file: 
   * as a .psd with layers so you can go back to it and edit more if needed
   * **and** as a .jpg
     * do **not** embed the color profile
     * do **not** save with layers
     * use optimal and highest quality for the conversion settings


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