Photoshop Request Threads

2013Participatory forum tradition / image editing memeclassic

Also known as: Photoshop Battles · Photoshop Trolls · PS Request Threads

Photoshop Request Threads are a forum meme format where users request photo edits, with trolls deliberately misinterpreting requests for comedic effect—popularized by 'We Do Phoshop' in 2013.

Photoshop Request Threads are a long-running internet tradition where users post photos on forums and ask skilled editors to make specific changes, ranging from car modifications to removing people from backgrounds. The format dates back to the early 2000s forum era and became a meme in its own right when "troll" editors started deliberately misinterpreting requests for comedic effect. The Korean "We Do Phoshop" Facebook page, launched in June 2013, turned request trolling into a viral art form10.

photoshop request memesphotoshop memestrolling memesforum era memes

Overview

Photoshop Request Threads follow a simple pattern: someone posts a photo and asks anyone with Adobe Photoshop skills to make a specific edit. Requests range from practical (visualizing car modifications, removing blemishes) to personal (brightening faces, erasing unwanted people from travel photos). The format thrived on internet forums throughout the 2000s and early 2010s, where communities of amateur and semi-professional editors would fulfill requests for free.

The meme dimension kicked in when editors started taking requests literally or absurdly. Ask to "make me look cool while grilling"? You might end up as an action hero grilling on a volcano. Ask to "erase the people in the background at Disneyland"? The editor might replace them with something far more chaotic10. This creative misinterpretation became the joke itself, turning earnest requests into comedy gold.

Photoshop request threads emerged organically across internet forums in the early 2000s as Photoshop skills became more common among hobbyists. Car enthusiast forums were especially prolific. On Honda Prelude Online, users would ask editors to visualize aftermarket wheels on their cars, specifying rim models, sizes, and even suspension drops1. Similar threads appeared on VW Vortex3, the Lotus Cars Community5, NewCelica.org6, and Mercedes-Benz forums where owners wanted to preview modifications like smoked-out tail lights before committing to the real thing7.

Something Awful was an early hub for Photoshop culture, with its "Photoshop Phriday" feature encouraging creative image manipulation and troll edits2. Tech communities like the Ars Technica OpenForum also hosted casual request threads where users asked for things like goatees digitally added to their faces, fully expecting creative liberties to be taken11.

A dedicated site, PhotoshopRequest.com, formalized the concept as a free service run by college and university students looking to build their portfolios8. The site framed fulfilling requests as practice for real industry work, bridging the gap between forum fun and professional development.

Origin & Background

Platform
Internet forums (Something Awful, car enthusiast forums), Facebook (troll variant)
Key People
Unknown, "We Do Phoshop" page admins
Date
Early 2000s (forum tradition), 2013 (viral troll format)

Photoshop request threads emerged organically across internet forums in the early 2000s as Photoshop skills became more common among hobbyists. Car enthusiast forums were especially prolific. On Honda Prelude Online, users would ask editors to visualize aftermarket wheels on their cars, specifying rim models, sizes, and even suspension drops. Similar threads appeared on VW Vortex, the Lotus Cars Community, NewCelica.org, and Mercedes-Benz forums where owners wanted to preview modifications like smoked-out tail lights before committing to the real thing.

Something Awful was an early hub for Photoshop culture, with its "Photoshop Phriday" feature encouraging creative image manipulation and troll edits. Tech communities like the Ars Technica OpenForum also hosted casual request threads where users asked for things like goatees digitally added to their faces, fully expecting creative liberties to be taken.

A dedicated site, PhotoshopRequest.com, formalized the concept as a free service run by college and university students looking to build their portfolios. The site framed fulfilling requests as practice for real industry work, bridging the gap between forum fun and professional development.

How It Spread

The format spread across virtually every type of internet forum through the 2000s. Automotive communities were particularly active, with threads appearing on forums for nearly every car brand. The requests followed a predictable template: post a photo of your car, link reference images of the desired parts, and hope someone with skills had free time.

Beyond car forums, the tradition moved to general-purpose communities. Ars Technica users would post selfies asking for humorous transformations, while Something Awful developed an entire subculture around competitive Photoshop editing.

The troll variant went international in 2013. On June 26, a Korean-language Facebook page called "We Do Phoshop" appeared and began soliciting requests. The page's editors consistently delivered results that technically fulfilled the request while wildly missing the spirit. As Kotaku reported, the tradition had roots in Chinese internet culture, where people would ask "Photoshop masters" to make them taller or cooler, and editors would deliver trollish results instead. The Korean version quickly amassed around 29,000 Facebook likes.

Korean forum site Instiz also hosted Photoshop request threads where users made earnest asks like "please erase the people on the right side" or "make the baby look like it's flying". These requests, when fulfilled by troll editors, produced some of the most widely shared results.

The concept later found its biggest modern home on Reddit's r/PhotoshopBattles subreddit and similar communities, where the troll approach became the default rather than the exception.

How to Use This Meme

Making a sincere request:

1

Post a clear, high-resolution photo

2

Describe exactly what you want changed (specific parts, colors, modifications)

3

Include reference images when possible (e.g., the exact wheels you want on your car)

4

Wait for a skilled editor to respond

5

Take someone's sincere request and interpret it as literally or absurdly as possible

6

The edit should technically fulfill the words of the request while completely ignoring the intent

7

High production quality makes the joke funnier. Sloppy edits are less effective.

8

Common moves include: making things comically huge or small, placing the subject into absurd scenarios, or removing the "wrong" element from a photo

Cultural Impact

Photoshop request threads bridged the gap between internet humor and practical skill-building. PhotoshopRequest.com explicitly marketed itself as career preparation for design students, turning meme culture into a portfolio-building exercise.

The format influenced how creative communities operate online. The tradition of skilled strangers helping others for free, and sometimes trolling them in the process, became a template for later platforms like Fiverr and Reddit's various help-oriented subreddits.

PewDiePie, before becoming YouTube's biggest creator, was deeply involved in Photoshop culture. He entered Photoshop contests and nearly earned an apprenticeship at a Scandinavian advertising agency based on his skills. He funded his early YouTube career partly by selling limited edition prints of his photoshopped images, making him one of the more notable figures to emerge from the Photoshop enthusiast community.

The Korean troll variant specifically crossed over into mainstream media coverage. Kotaku ran a feature on "We Do Phoshop" in July 2013, noting the page's rapid growth and the comedic quality of its output. The article highlighted how the tradition connected Chinese and Korean internet humor traditions.

Fun Facts

Mercedes-Benz forum users would request multiple versions of the same edit (e.g., just the reverse strip smoked, all red parts blacked out, or everything blacked out) to compare options before modifying their real cars.

The Ars Technica user who requested a goatee Photoshop preemptively asked for devil horns and glowing red eyes too, knowing the forum would take creative liberties anyway.

PhotoshopRequest.com was run entirely by college students who treated free requests as job training, building skills they'd need "when working in the industry".

PewDiePie sold prints of his Photoshop art to buy the computer he used to launch his YouTube career.

The Korean "We Do Phoshop" page operated in Korean only, limiting its direct audience but gaining international attention through media coverage.

Derivatives & Variations

Photoshop Phriday (Something Awful):

A recurring feature on Something Awful forums where users competed to create the funniest Photoshop edits, often using a weekly theme[2].

"We Do Phoshop" (Korean Facebook):

A Facebook page launched June 26, 2013 that became the most visible example of the troll variant, accumulating ~29,000 likes[10].

Chinese Photoshop Trolls:

A predecessor tradition where Chinese netizens would trollishly fulfill requests from people asking to be made "taller or cooler"[10].

r/PhotoshopBattles (Reddit):

A subreddit that formalized the troll approach into a competitive format where users submit increasingly creative edits of the same source image.

Car Forum Visualization Requests:

A practical sub-genre where automotive enthusiasts used the format to preview modifications before buying parts[1][3][7].

Frequently Asked Questions

Photoshop Request Threads

2013Participatory forum tradition / image editing memeclassic

Also known as: Photoshop Battles · Photoshop Trolls · PS Request Threads

Photoshop Request Threads are a forum meme format where users request photo edits, with trolls deliberately misinterpreting requests for comedic effect—popularized by 'We Do Phoshop' in 2013.

Photoshop Request Threads are a long-running internet tradition where users post photos on forums and ask skilled editors to make specific changes, ranging from car modifications to removing people from backgrounds. The format dates back to the early 2000s forum era and became a meme in its own right when "troll" editors started deliberately misinterpreting requests for comedic effect. The Korean "We Do Phoshop" Facebook page, launched in June 2013, turned request trolling into a viral art form.

photoshop request memes photoshop memes trolling memes forum era memes

Overview

Photoshop Request Threads follow a simple pattern: someone posts a photo and asks anyone with Adobe Photoshop skills to make a specific edit. Requests range from practical (visualizing car modifications, removing blemishes) to personal (brightening faces, erasing unwanted people from travel photos). The format thrived on internet forums throughout the 2000s and early 2010s, where communities of amateur and semi-professional editors would fulfill requests for free.

The meme dimension kicked in when editors started taking requests literally or absurdly. Ask to "make me look cool while grilling"? You might end up as an action hero grilling on a volcano. Ask to "erase the people in the background at Disneyland"? The editor might replace them with something far more chaotic. This creative misinterpretation became the joke itself, turning earnest requests into comedy gold.

Photoshop request threads emerged organically across internet forums in the early 2000s as Photoshop skills became more common among hobbyists. Car enthusiast forums were especially prolific. On Honda Prelude Online, users would ask editors to visualize aftermarket wheels on their cars, specifying rim models, sizes, and even suspension drops. Similar threads appeared on VW Vortex, the Lotus Cars Community, NewCelica.org, and Mercedes-Benz forums where owners wanted to preview modifications like smoked-out tail lights before committing to the real thing.

Something Awful was an early hub for Photoshop culture, with its "Photoshop Phriday" feature encouraging creative image manipulation and troll edits. Tech communities like the Ars Technica OpenForum also hosted casual request threads where users asked for things like goatees digitally added to their faces, fully expecting creative liberties to be taken.

A dedicated site, PhotoshopRequest.com, formalized the concept as a free service run by college and university students looking to build their portfolios. The site framed fulfilling requests as practice for real industry work, bridging the gap between forum fun and professional development.

Origin & Background

Platform
Internet forums (Something Awful, car enthusiast forums), Facebook (troll variant)
Key People
Unknown, "We Do Phoshop" page admins
Date
Early 2000s (forum tradition), 2013 (viral troll format)

Photoshop request threads emerged organically across internet forums in the early 2000s as Photoshop skills became more common among hobbyists. Car enthusiast forums were especially prolific. On Honda Prelude Online, users would ask editors to visualize aftermarket wheels on their cars, specifying rim models, sizes, and even suspension drops. Similar threads appeared on VW Vortex, the Lotus Cars Community, NewCelica.org, and Mercedes-Benz forums where owners wanted to preview modifications like smoked-out tail lights before committing to the real thing.

Something Awful was an early hub for Photoshop culture, with its "Photoshop Phriday" feature encouraging creative image manipulation and troll edits. Tech communities like the Ars Technica OpenForum also hosted casual request threads where users asked for things like goatees digitally added to their faces, fully expecting creative liberties to be taken.

A dedicated site, PhotoshopRequest.com, formalized the concept as a free service run by college and university students looking to build their portfolios. The site framed fulfilling requests as practice for real industry work, bridging the gap between forum fun and professional development.

How It Spread

The format spread across virtually every type of internet forum through the 2000s. Automotive communities were particularly active, with threads appearing on forums for nearly every car brand. The requests followed a predictable template: post a photo of your car, link reference images of the desired parts, and hope someone with skills had free time.

Beyond car forums, the tradition moved to general-purpose communities. Ars Technica users would post selfies asking for humorous transformations, while Something Awful developed an entire subculture around competitive Photoshop editing.

The troll variant went international in 2013. On June 26, a Korean-language Facebook page called "We Do Phoshop" appeared and began soliciting requests. The page's editors consistently delivered results that technically fulfilled the request while wildly missing the spirit. As Kotaku reported, the tradition had roots in Chinese internet culture, where people would ask "Photoshop masters" to make them taller or cooler, and editors would deliver trollish results instead. The Korean version quickly amassed around 29,000 Facebook likes.

Korean forum site Instiz also hosted Photoshop request threads where users made earnest asks like "please erase the people on the right side" or "make the baby look like it's flying". These requests, when fulfilled by troll editors, produced some of the most widely shared results.

The concept later found its biggest modern home on Reddit's r/PhotoshopBattles subreddit and similar communities, where the troll approach became the default rather than the exception.

How to Use This Meme

Making a sincere request:

1

Post a clear, high-resolution photo

2

Describe exactly what you want changed (specific parts, colors, modifications)

3

Include reference images when possible (e.g., the exact wheels you want on your car)

4

Wait for a skilled editor to respond

5

Take someone's sincere request and interpret it as literally or absurdly as possible

6

The edit should technically fulfill the words of the request while completely ignoring the intent

7

High production quality makes the joke funnier. Sloppy edits are less effective.

8

Common moves include: making things comically huge or small, placing the subject into absurd scenarios, or removing the "wrong" element from a photo

Cultural Impact

Photoshop request threads bridged the gap between internet humor and practical skill-building. PhotoshopRequest.com explicitly marketed itself as career preparation for design students, turning meme culture into a portfolio-building exercise.

The format influenced how creative communities operate online. The tradition of skilled strangers helping others for free, and sometimes trolling them in the process, became a template for later platforms like Fiverr and Reddit's various help-oriented subreddits.

PewDiePie, before becoming YouTube's biggest creator, was deeply involved in Photoshop culture. He entered Photoshop contests and nearly earned an apprenticeship at a Scandinavian advertising agency based on his skills. He funded his early YouTube career partly by selling limited edition prints of his photoshopped images, making him one of the more notable figures to emerge from the Photoshop enthusiast community.

The Korean troll variant specifically crossed over into mainstream media coverage. Kotaku ran a feature on "We Do Phoshop" in July 2013, noting the page's rapid growth and the comedic quality of its output. The article highlighted how the tradition connected Chinese and Korean internet humor traditions.

Fun Facts

Mercedes-Benz forum users would request multiple versions of the same edit (e.g., just the reverse strip smoked, all red parts blacked out, or everything blacked out) to compare options before modifying their real cars.

The Ars Technica user who requested a goatee Photoshop preemptively asked for devil horns and glowing red eyes too, knowing the forum would take creative liberties anyway.

PhotoshopRequest.com was run entirely by college students who treated free requests as job training, building skills they'd need "when working in the industry".

PewDiePie sold prints of his Photoshop art to buy the computer he used to launch his YouTube career.

The Korean "We Do Phoshop" page operated in Korean only, limiting its direct audience but gaining international attention through media coverage.

Derivatives & Variations

Photoshop Phriday (Something Awful):

A recurring feature on Something Awful forums where users competed to create the funniest Photoshop edits, often using a weekly theme[2].

"We Do Phoshop" (Korean Facebook):

A Facebook page launched June 26, 2013 that became the most visible example of the troll variant, accumulating ~29,000 likes[10].

Chinese Photoshop Trolls:

A predecessor tradition where Chinese netizens would trollishly fulfill requests from people asking to be made "taller or cooler"[10].

r/PhotoshopBattles (Reddit):

A subreddit that formalized the troll approach into a competitive format where users submit increasingly creative edits of the same source image.

Car Forum Visualization Requests:

A practical sub-genre where automotive enthusiasts used the format to preview modifications before buying parts[1][3][7].

Frequently Asked Questions