Post by cats4jan on May 28, 2019 11:51:12 GMT
The new post at the end of this thread was added to push this thread back to the top.
I want to encourage you to try memorializing all those photos you took this holiday season ...
Digital Scrapbooking Templates are layered psd's. Each layer is movable, resizable, and deletable. Some layers are meant to have photos, background paper, etc. - clipped to them. Other layers are place holders and are used to give you a visual idea of where to put objects on your project. And other layers will work on your project just as designed, so you leave them be.
Some might think using a template is 'cheating' but I use them as starting points. Sometimes I use it just as designed (see example below), sometimes I go off so much, it doesn't look anything like the original template. I believe the artistry comes in with the way you use the template. I find them most useful when I need a boost of creativity.
The latest trend is to have masks incorporated into the template. Masks are different than the squares used for clipping photos. Masks affect the overall look of the photo because the mask has transparent and varying degrees of opaque areas to give your photo a totally different look.
Masks are great - even if one does not wish to use templates. You can create your own masks using brushes. Masks are an alternate method to using brushes to delete areas from your photo. They're more versatile, because you can continuously manipulate your mask after clipping a photo to it. Use brushes to add and erase areas on your mask.
If the photo does not work well with a ready-made mask, realize you can 'fill in' areas of the mask with a brush to make areas of your photo show up that wouldn't show up if you used the mask 'as is'. Realize you can also change the shape of the mask by manipulating it using the move tool - resizing it - reshaping it, etc. I usually manipulate my masks after I see how the photo looks after clipping the mask and photo.
Note - I made only minor changes when using this template.
The mask is reshaped and moved - photo blocks are reshaped
_______________________________________
Templates and masks are used by clipping your photo or background paper to a layer.
To clip/group: place a photo on your template - position the photo directly above the layer mask you wish to clip it to. While on the photo layer - in the layers panel - use the keyboard shortcut Control G (on a PC) Command G (on a Mac) - to clip the two layers. (Photo must be directly above mask in layers panel to use clipping - make sure you are on the photo layer before using the keyboard shortcut)
I am using PSE11 on a Mac - the keyboard shortcut for clipping in later versions of PSE/CC may include the shift key.
EDIT - actually the alt/option key has been added to the clipping keyboard shortcut - not the shift key
In later versions, use these keyboard shortcuts to clip:
Mac: option/command/g
PC: alt/control/g
_______________________________________
You can make almost any mask work with your photo. Work on both layers. Move and resize the photo after clipping. Move and resize and fill in the mask layer as needed.
_______________________________________
If a template doesn't have layers, it's pretty much useless except to give you an idea for a page - like a diagram would inspire you - so if you look into templates, make sure they are multi-layered psd's.
I want to encourage you to try memorializing all those photos you took this holiday season ...
Digital Scrapbooking Templates are layered psd's. Each layer is movable, resizable, and deletable. Some layers are meant to have photos, background paper, etc. - clipped to them. Other layers are place holders and are used to give you a visual idea of where to put objects on your project. And other layers will work on your project just as designed, so you leave them be.
Some might think using a template is 'cheating' but I use them as starting points. Sometimes I use it just as designed (see example below), sometimes I go off so much, it doesn't look anything like the original template. I believe the artistry comes in with the way you use the template. I find them most useful when I need a boost of creativity.
The latest trend is to have masks incorporated into the template. Masks are different than the squares used for clipping photos. Masks affect the overall look of the photo because the mask has transparent and varying degrees of opaque areas to give your photo a totally different look.
Masks are great - even if one does not wish to use templates. You can create your own masks using brushes. Masks are an alternate method to using brushes to delete areas from your photo. They're more versatile, because you can continuously manipulate your mask after clipping a photo to it. Use brushes to add and erase areas on your mask.
If the photo does not work well with a ready-made mask, realize you can 'fill in' areas of the mask with a brush to make areas of your photo show up that wouldn't show up if you used the mask 'as is'. Realize you can also change the shape of the mask by manipulating it using the move tool - resizing it - reshaping it, etc. I usually manipulate my masks after I see how the photo looks after clipping the mask and photo.
Note - I made only minor changes when using this template.
The mask is reshaped and moved - photo blocks are reshaped
_______________________________________
Templates and masks are used by clipping your photo or background paper to a layer.
To clip/group: place a photo on your template - position the photo directly above the layer mask you wish to clip it to. While on the photo layer - in the layers panel - use the keyboard shortcut Control G (on a PC) Command G (on a Mac) - to clip the two layers. (Photo must be directly above mask in layers panel to use clipping - make sure you are on the photo layer before using the keyboard shortcut)
I am using PSE11 on a Mac - the keyboard shortcut for clipping in later versions of PSE/CC may include the shift key.
EDIT - actually the alt/option key has been added to the clipping keyboard shortcut - not the shift key
In later versions, use these keyboard shortcuts to clip:
Mac: option/command/g
PC: alt/control/g
_______________________________________
You can make almost any mask work with your photo. Work on both layers. Move and resize the photo after clipping. Move and resize and fill in the mask layer as needed.
_______________________________________
If a template doesn't have layers, it's pretty much useless except to give you an idea for a page - like a diagram would inspire you - so if you look into templates, make sure they are multi-layered psd's.
