Do you think this is possible

Aug 17, 2016 22:27:35 GMT ipbr21054 said:

I've been thinking on how to scale the key photo to be correctly placed under the grid line layer ?

Hi ipbr21054,

I am not sure this is what you want but . . . you could use the Scale command in Elements (Image>Resize>Scale).

www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-photoshop-elements-11-scale-command.html

You could also use the Free Transform command (Ctrl-T, Cmmd-T on a Mac).

www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-transform-layers-in-photoshop-elements-9.html

Aug 17, 2016 22:27:35 GMT ipbr21054 said:

My work includes cutting car keys.
Some keys I read by eye so I can then cut them on my cutter.
The key cuts are made up of horizontal & vertical spacings.
Quite a few times I read the key wrong so wondering if I can make a template in the form of a layer.
This layer would look like grid lines at certain increments.
I would take a photo of the key in question then import it into my work sheet so the grid line layer would be on top the key photo layer.

ipbr21054,

I may be wrong (and, please, correct me if I am) but I got the impression that you need a highly customized grid template for your project -- "grid lines at certain increments".  If so, I would suggest you create your grid file taking advantage of the Grid feature in Elements.

1. Create a new document for your grid template in the dimensions appropriate for your project. (Background Contents = White).
2. Turn on the Grid (View>Grid).
3. Activate the Pencil tool. In the version of Elements you have (version 7) the Pencil tool is nested with the Brush tool (Shortcut = N).
4. Choose the Pencil color and width (pixels) appropriate for your grid template.
5. Create a new layer and draw your grid lines on this layer.

NOTE: To draw a straight line -- Click where you want the line to start. Hold the Shift key and click where you want the line to end.

This technique will provide you with lots of editing flexibility.

- You can also turn on the Rulers (View>Rulers) to help you more with the spacing of the lines.
- You can adjust the settings of the Grid and of the Rulers to suit your project. helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/using/rulers-grids-guides.html
- You can draw horizontal, vertical, and also diagonal lines (if needed).
- You can create a new layer for the horizontal lines and another one for the vertical lines.
- You can use different Pencil colors and different sizes.
- You can create as many grid templates as you want with different spacing for the lines.

NOTE: If you want to have the grid lines on different layers, when you are done creating these layers, you need to do the following:

1. Hide the background layer.
2. Make sure the layer at the top of the stack is selected.
3. Run the Stamp Visible Command by pressing Shift-Alt-Ctrl-E.

NOTE:

When you run the Stamp Visible command, Elements automatically creates a new layer at the top of the stack and then fills it with the contents of the other layers. This layer is called a composite layer. The advantage of having a composite layer is that, if you decide to go back and redo the layers with the lines for your grid template, you can just delete this composite layer and create a new one reflecting the changes you made.

Once you have created your template, save your file in the PSD format with all the layers intact. To use it in your project . . .

- Use the Move tool to drag your key file onto your template file or do a Copy/Paste job.
- In the Layers panel drag the key layer underneath the grid template layer.
- Follow the suggestions I posted earlier in this thread to scale, reposition, etc. the key layer as needed.

ipbr21054,

Thanks! I see what you mean. Do you think this approach would work?

1.  Draw the grid the way you want on a sheet of white paper. Use a very contrasting color for the lines (black?).

2.  Scan your template and open it in Elements.

3.  Use the Wand tool to select the white areas and press the Delete key. Make sure the "Contiguous" setting is turned off in the Tool Options bar.

4.  Save your template in a format which supports background transparency (PSD, TIFF, PNG, or GIF).

Aug 18, 2016 16:18:51 GMT ipbr21054 said:

I think this is going to be impossible.
Im not able to draw the lines by hand due to them being so close together.

ipbr21054,

I am afraid I have run out of options re using Elements to accomplish what you want. If no one else comes up with a suggestion which will meet your needs, I would strongly recommend you consider other alternatives.

Have you thought about finding (hiring) someone who is into graph design to create the template you need? If there is a Tech School in your area, they may be able to help you. Sometimes they won't even charge as they can use it as a working project for their students.

You could look into Adobe Illustrator as a better choice than Elements for this kind of work.

blog.udemy.com/what-is-adobe-illustrator-used-for/

helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/how-to/what-is-illustrator.html

Aug 18, 2016 16:47:02 GMT ipbr21054 said:

I will look into the Grid link that Ken advised.
I did look before but didnt see a way to have the lines at different spaces each time only all the same ?

It has been a long time since I used that Grid Generator. I don't really remember if it can do what you want.

You may want to check the Grid Generator plug-in I suggested earlier in this thread. I don't have it installed now but, if I remember it correctly, it offers more customization choices. Also, as it is a plug-in, you will be doing all the work inside Elements.  This will simplify the workflow.

Also, if you need any help with this plug-in, you can contact its creator.

richardrosenman.com/