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Post by cats4jan on Dec 18, 2019 12:34:31 GMT
I’ve added a response to this thread to bring it back to your attention. This is a great time to start a new hobby and digital scrapbooking is a great way to showcase your photos. This thread focuses on using ready-made templates but you can make your own layouts with a simple background and your photos. Add some text and you have a beautiful memory.
In this example, I used the template pretty much as designed. With a good psd template, each item on the template is editable. Which means, it can be moved, enlarged and even removed from your project. If a template is not made up of editable parts, I don't consider it a good template.
First step - always -- after opening a template -- save it with a new name. That way, there is no possibility of later saving over your template, rendering it useless for future projects. Remember - a template is reusable - mainly because you can use it a hundred times and come up with something different each time.
I consider the photo blocks 'placeholders' and I use clipping. In the above example, you can use clipping for the three photo blocks and the two background papers and you are pretty much done with your layout. I usually move the photo around AFTER clipping it to the photo block. It's easier to visualize. I also resize the photo block after clipping - if I want more of the photo to show. Just click on the photo block layer and grab the move tool - you can do anything you want with the clipping block. For ease of moving after you've clipping your photo and photo block, link the photo layer and the photo holder layer. To link layers, choose both layers and hit the little chain link on the left edge of one of the layers - the two layers will then move as one - without having to merge down and make your clipping permanent. I seldom merge down - preferring to leave everything editable to the last minute. I moved, added to, and enlarged the embellishment (ribbon) because I didn't care for the big blank space in the upper left area of the layout. I enlarged the two smaller photos because - well, they were too cute not to  (and besides, after moving the ribbon, the photos were now not 'hanging' from the ribbon anyway) Realize that most times, the flowers and ribbons, etc., are just visual reminders of where to place embellishments. They are usually not as nice as the ribbon/flower embellishment on this template - these are certainly nice enough to use on any layout. _____ ClippingI am using PSE11, on a Mac - your keyboard shortcut may varyIf you are not familiar with clipping a photo to a photo block or place holder block -- - Make sure your photo is directly above the photo block - both visually on your layout and in your layers panel - "Eyeball" resize the photo so it's easier to manipulate after you clip the block and photo - In the layers panel, click on the photo layer and hit Control/Command G - the photo will be clipped (grouped) with the block that is directly beneath it After clipping the two items together, go to the photo layer in the layers panel, select the move tool, and size and move your photo until you see just what you want in your block
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Post by cats4jan on Dec 18, 2019 12:59:17 GMT
Here's an example where I went 'off the cliff' but the starting template inspired me in the final design. I started off clipping the large photo, changing orientation of smaller photo... then the ribbon across didn't work - then the orientation of the title block didn't work - then the flower 'placeholders' didn't work But actually, you can see how the template led me to my designWhen working with a template - do not delete any layers until you are sure of your design. Turn the layers off in the layers panel - using the eyeball on the left edge of the layer. This gives you the option of changing your mind.
In this template, the flowers and ribbon are 'placeholders' - they are a visual of where you would place embellishments from your scrapbook kit. The flowers, as designed, are not actually meant to be a part of your layout, but if you like them, use them. In a more modern design, with a little work, they may be fine.
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Post by Lillias on Dec 18, 2019 15:10:03 GMT
You have provided lots of good information and advice here Janice for anyone wanting to know about Templates and how to use them...
Both finished pages are gorgeous and the wee one is so cute...love her doggy pal too...
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Post by cats4jan on Dec 18, 2019 15:26:05 GMT
Anatomy of a template 
You place your photo layer right above the photo blocks In this case, the layers labeled "Photo 1" and "Photo 2" are your photo blocks layers - - After placing your photo on your layout, look to your layers panel - make sure the photo is above "Photo 1" While on the photo layer, use keyboard shortcut Control (or Command) G
Your photo will be clipped to the photo block
Note: in other versions of Photoshop Elements, the keyboard shortcut could be different. I am using PSE11
BTW - the layer called "delete this layer" contains descriptive info - "1" and "2" - the journaling - the word "title" - - all these things are another case of helping you visualize how you can make this layout 
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Post by cats4jan on Dec 18, 2019 15:29:13 GMT
Thanks, Lillias - I want people to give digital scrapbooking (or plain old collage making) a try - it's such a fun hobby. We have all these photos on our phone - just sitting there begging to be used.
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Post by Sepiana on Dec 18, 2019 15:57:00 GMT
Janice, WOW! That's quite a comprehensive explanation of scrapbook templates. You put a lot of thought on it. I am just going to add a bit of information on clipping/clipping masks. ClippingI am using PSE11, on a Mac - your keyboard shortcut may vary - In the layers panel, click on the photo layer and hit Control/Command G - the photo will be clipped (grouped) with the block that is directly beneath it Good thing you mentioned this about the shortcut. Adobe made some changes starting with PSE 15. Clipping Mask Gets a New Shortcut
Also, in PSE 15, Adobe introduced a new feature -- Drag and Drop. Now you can create templates which do not require the use of clipping masks. Just drag and drop your photo, paper, text, etc into the template. |
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Post by cats4jan on Dec 18, 2019 18:07:32 GMT
Realize you can clip any photo or background paper to most things - like shapes, text, etc. Text does not have to be rasterized before clipping.
I added an outline...  |
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Post by Lillias on Dec 18, 2019 19:35:22 GMT
Also, in PSE 15, Adobe introduced a new feature -- Drag and Drop. Now you can create templates which do not require the use of clipping masks. Just drag and drop your photo, paper, text, etc into the template. I can find plenty of video tuts on how to ‘ use’ said drag and drop templates but so far I haven’t been able to find any tuts showing me how to create my own drag and drop templates. Can you advise on how to go about creating ones own drag and drop templates please... As things stand at the moment it’s just as quick for me to drag out a shape and clip an image to it... |
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Post by Sepiana on Dec 19, 2019 4:00:35 GMT
I haven’t been able to find any tuts showing me how to create my own drag and drop templates. Can you advise on how to go about creating ones own drag and drop templates please... BillieJean, I haven’t really seen any tutorial about creating Drag and drop Templates in Elements. So, I decided to write my own set of instructions. First, I checked how Adobe designed the Drag and Drop feature in PSE 15 and above (Create>Photo Collage). Then, I checked the several Drag and Drop templates I have acquired. I noticed they all have one common denominator -- the "master" template has built-in clipping masks. This means that, when you drop your photo into the template, it will automatically get clipped to the shape layer. No need to create a clipping mask; this has already been done. 1. Draw your shapes. 2. Create a blank layer above each shape layer. 3. Clip the blank layer to the shape layer underneath. 4. File>Place your photo into the blank layer (or do a Copy/Paste job). Tip: To make the layer stack more manageable . . . - Rename the blank layers "Place Your Photo Here". - Color code the blank layers (PSE 15 and above). - Create Layer Groups (PSE 15 and above). Now, you will have a "master" template. You can edit the shape layers (transform, add, delete, etc.) As long as you have those clipped blank layers, your template will be a Drag and Drop one.   |
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Post by Lillias on Dec 19, 2019 10:37:16 GMT
I haven’t really seen any tutorial about creating Drag and drop Templates in Elements. So, I decided to write my own set of instructions. Thank you Sepiana for this information and for the trouble you have taken to find an answer to my question. I appreciate it. I will copy this and keep it for future reference. Thanks again. |
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Post by cats4jan on Dec 19, 2019 11:15:58 GMT
Sepiana - Thanks for the tutorial on creating drag/drop templates. I like to know how things work and that was a great explanation as to why the layers automatically clipped. I did a search after Lillias posed the question and I was not able to find out the “how” of drag/drop. But I did find that some scrapping sites are really embracing this new technique by providing ready made templates. That being said, I’m not sure drag/drop is all that helpful in the creation process. It doesn’t seem simpler, it just seems to be a good alternative way. I wonder how completely this technique will be embraced by the scrapping community. I guess we’ll see by how many designers start providing drag/drop templates as the standard in their kits. What I did read when I was researching — those of us with older versions of PSE can use drag/drop — you don’t need version 15 — although I haven’t tried it with my ancient PSE11. I believe the project life site has included a drag/drop template in their starter kit, although I haven’t yet downloaded it to make sure - no matter what, though, it seems like an interesting site and the owner is well known in the scrapbook community. Here is the link. www.digitalprojectlife.com/products/free-project-life-starter-pack |
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Post by Sepiana on Dec 19, 2019 15:40:04 GMT
I wonder how completely this technique will be embraced by the scrapping community. I guess we’ll see by how many designers start providing drag/drop templates as the standard in their kits. Janice, I haven’t found too many digital scrapbooking sites offering this kind of templates but, if you check our Templates thread, you will see they come from such sites as Digital Scrapbooking HD, Snickerdoodle Designs, Oscraps. The same applies to information how to use them that we list in Digital Scrapbooking -- Resources. You can also find this kind of templates on sites gearing to photographers (such as Jason P Odell Photography and Photomorphis). However, they are usually designed to be used in Photoshop, which offers more bells and whistles than Elements. What I did read when I was researching — those of us with older versions of PSE can use drag/drop — you don’t need version 15 — although I haven’t tried it with my ancient PSE11. Yes, that’s correct. You don’t need PSE 15 and above; Drag and Drop is also available in earlier PSE versions. What Adobe did in PSE 15 was to redesign this feature (do some work under the hood). My guess is that this was related to these two new features -- Layer Groups and the ability to color code layers -- which were introduced in this version. This means that Drag and Drop templates can now incorporate these two features, which before were only available in Photoshop. |
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Post by cats4jan on Dec 19, 2019 15:49:26 GMT
I can see where this would appeal to professional photographers who do more of a collage project than an actual digital scrapbooking project. The simplicity of drag and drop could make their efforts easier - especially if all they are doing is blocks of photos with no other elements involved.
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Post by Sepiana on Dec 19, 2019 15:54:34 GMT
I haven’t really seen any tutorial about creating Drag and drop Templates in Elements. So, I decided to write my own set of instructions. Thank you Sepiana for this information and for the trouble you have taken to find an answer to my question. I appreciate it. I will copy this and keep it for future reference. Thanks again. BillieJean, you are most welcome! Glad to help. |
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Post by cats4jan on Apr 10, 2020 12:18:17 GMT
I am adding a response to this thread to bring it back to attention. With all this time on our hands, it’s a great time to try a new hobby.
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(and besides, after moving the ribbon, the photos were now not 'hanging' from the ribbon anyway)
