# Does this software exist?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/226452>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 28, 2004, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/226452 "2004-01-28T19:33:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Omnipresent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@Omnipresent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omnipresent)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/226452/1 "2004-01-28T19:33:14Z")

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Remember “Paint-by-numbers?”

Here’s what I want to do but don’t know if it’s possible:

I want to take a digital picture of something (say, a person’s face) and then I want to put it on my computer and run it through a program that analyzes the colors and assigned a number to the colors in a sort of black and white pencil sketch manner.

Then I want to print it and somehow get it onto canvas where I can “Paint-by-numbers?”

Possible?

If not, can I copyright this idea?

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/226452/2 "2004-01-28T19:43:16Z")

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[Paint By Numbers AM 2.7](http://www.game4share.com/Paint_by_Numbers_AM_27.htm). Free to try three times, $15 to purchase.

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/226452/3 "2004-01-28T19:43:28Z")

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If your paint program can replace colors with bitmaps, how about having it tile bitmaps of the numbers?

You’ll want to reduce the image to 16 colors or fewer by either adjusting the palette or posterizing it.

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/226452/4 "2004-01-28T19:48:44Z")

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If your paint program can replace colors with bitmaps, how about having it tile bitmaps of the numbers?

You’ll want to reduce the image to 16 colors or fewer by either adjusting the palette or posterizing it.