ChickieShannon
03-19-2008, 11:41 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/DigitLO01web.jpg
In this tutorial, we will be creating this very simple digital layout using 2 papers, 1 embellishment, and your photo. For the tutorial below, I used the *In This Moment* free kit from www.oscraps.com. You need to create a free account there in order to download the kit. Once you download the kit, you need to unzip it to access the different elements.
kit link: https://www.oscraps.com/shop/product.php?productid=18487&cat=287&page=1
Note: You are free to use your own digital kit. I have provided this kit for those very new to digi scrapping who might need the exact elements to play along with.
I used a January 2008 PageMaps sketch (http://www.pagemaps.com/jan08maps.htm) for this layout.
First, let's learn what layers are...
Layers are just like the layers you work with when creating a traditional paper layout. You would lay down your background paper (layer 1), then maybe a photo on top of that (layer 2) and maybe an embellishment on top of the photo (layer 3). The Layers window in your photo-editing software is very helpful when creating layouts. It allows you to move the layers up and down on the layout just as you would move layers around on your actual layout. The layer listed at the top of the Layers window is the top layer on your layout. As the list moves down so is each layer til you get to the background (bottom layer). To move layers, click on the layer in the Layers window that you want to move and drag it up and down the list to insert where you want it in the layout.
In this example, Layer 5 is the top layer working all the way down to the background/bottom layer.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image11.jpg
So let's get started on the layout and you can see how layers work.
1. Open your photo-editing software and a create a new canvas. Go to File>New and set your image size to 12 x 12 inches with a resolution of 300 dpi and a transparent background.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image01.jpg
2. Open these elements from your kit: Paper 2, Paper 3, and Button.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image03.jpg
3. Make sure your blank canvas and Paper 2 windows are viewable on your screen.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image05.jpg
4. Click the Move tool.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image04.jpg
5. Click on the Paper 2 image. Holding your mouse button down, drag the paper over onto your blank canvas (your layout), and then release the mouse button. Maximize this window and move the paper around til it's centered on the blank canvas.
Tip: If you hold the SHIFT key down while moving the paper over to your blank canvas, when you release both buttons (the SHIFT key and mouse button) it will drop the paper exactly centered on your blank canvas.
Note: This could all be done with the COPY and PASTE commands. Select the entire layer by going to Select>All and then Edit>Copy and Edit>Paste.
6. Open the Paper 3 window. Go to Image>Image Size and resize the image to 5 x 5 inches.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image06.jpg
7. Drag the paper over to your layout. Place it along the left side of the layout towards the bottom.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image07.jpg
8. Open your photo and crop to 6.75 x 12 inches (width by height) with 300dpi.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image02.jpg
9. Drag the photo onto your layout. Align it so that the left side of the photo touches the right side of the green paper.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image08.jpg
10. Click on the Text tool.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image10.jpg
11. Click in the upper left corner of the green paper and start typing. You will need to hit the enter key at the end of each line to make sure the text stays within the green paper area. Highlight your text to change font, font size, color, etc. After you are done typing your text you can click on the Move tool and move your text around so that it's centered in the green paper area. (In my example, I did two different text layers with the two different fonts and moved them around to my preference.)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image09.jpg
12. Open the Button window and drag it over to your layout. Place it so that it's centered along the border where the bottom side of the green touches the brown.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image13.jpg
13. Ta da! Your layout is finished! Save your layout as a layered Photoshop file - .PSD - or equivalent if you're using another program. This allows you to change any of the layers/elements if needed at a later point. Nothing is worse than flattening your image and saving and then noticing a typo in your journaling... you'd have to start all over! But with a layered PSD file you could go back in, select the Text layer, fix the typo, and resave.
14. When you're ready to print, you need to flatten your image and save as a JPG. To do so, go to Layer>Flatten Image and then save as a JPG.
Note: This is a 12x12 layout but you can print it smaller (i.e. 6x6, 8x8) if you'd like. Simply go to Image>Image Size (just like Step 4) and change the dimensions to 6 x 6 inches, etc.
15. If you want to post it to the gallery you need a smaller image file. Go to Image>Image Size and change the resolution to 72dpi and the pixel dimensions to 500 x 500 pixels. A height of 500-600 pixels is a good size to post at because it fits within the screen height without having to scroll up and down to view the entire layout. Changing the resolution from 300dpi to 72 dpi helps make the file smaller. Computer screens can't show any more pixels than 72 dpi so there's no need for a higher dpi when posting online. So as a rule, you need a resolution of 300dpi when you're printing but when posting online you only need 72dpi. After resizing to post online, re-save your layout with a new name.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image12.jpg
Have fun and welcome to the world of digi scrappin'!
[This tutorial was created using Photoshop CS2.]
In this tutorial, we will be creating this very simple digital layout using 2 papers, 1 embellishment, and your photo. For the tutorial below, I used the *In This Moment* free kit from www.oscraps.com. You need to create a free account there in order to download the kit. Once you download the kit, you need to unzip it to access the different elements.
kit link: https://www.oscraps.com/shop/product.php?productid=18487&cat=287&page=1
Note: You are free to use your own digital kit. I have provided this kit for those very new to digi scrapping who might need the exact elements to play along with.
I used a January 2008 PageMaps sketch (http://www.pagemaps.com/jan08maps.htm) for this layout.
First, let's learn what layers are...
Layers are just like the layers you work with when creating a traditional paper layout. You would lay down your background paper (layer 1), then maybe a photo on top of that (layer 2) and maybe an embellishment on top of the photo (layer 3). The Layers window in your photo-editing software is very helpful when creating layouts. It allows you to move the layers up and down on the layout just as you would move layers around on your actual layout. The layer listed at the top of the Layers window is the top layer on your layout. As the list moves down so is each layer til you get to the background (bottom layer). To move layers, click on the layer in the Layers window that you want to move and drag it up and down the list to insert where you want it in the layout.
In this example, Layer 5 is the top layer working all the way down to the background/bottom layer.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image11.jpg
So let's get started on the layout and you can see how layers work.
1. Open your photo-editing software and a create a new canvas. Go to File>New and set your image size to 12 x 12 inches with a resolution of 300 dpi and a transparent background.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image01.jpg
2. Open these elements from your kit: Paper 2, Paper 3, and Button.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image03.jpg
3. Make sure your blank canvas and Paper 2 windows are viewable on your screen.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image05.jpg
4. Click the Move tool.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image04.jpg
5. Click on the Paper 2 image. Holding your mouse button down, drag the paper over onto your blank canvas (your layout), and then release the mouse button. Maximize this window and move the paper around til it's centered on the blank canvas.
Tip: If you hold the SHIFT key down while moving the paper over to your blank canvas, when you release both buttons (the SHIFT key and mouse button) it will drop the paper exactly centered on your blank canvas.
Note: This could all be done with the COPY and PASTE commands. Select the entire layer by going to Select>All and then Edit>Copy and Edit>Paste.
6. Open the Paper 3 window. Go to Image>Image Size and resize the image to 5 x 5 inches.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image06.jpg
7. Drag the paper over to your layout. Place it along the left side of the layout towards the bottom.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image07.jpg
8. Open your photo and crop to 6.75 x 12 inches (width by height) with 300dpi.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image02.jpg
9. Drag the photo onto your layout. Align it so that the left side of the photo touches the right side of the green paper.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image08.jpg
10. Click on the Text tool.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image10.jpg
11. Click in the upper left corner of the green paper and start typing. You will need to hit the enter key at the end of each line to make sure the text stays within the green paper area. Highlight your text to change font, font size, color, etc. After you are done typing your text you can click on the Move tool and move your text around so that it's centered in the green paper area. (In my example, I did two different text layers with the two different fonts and moved them around to my preference.)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image09.jpg
12. Open the Button window and drag it over to your layout. Place it so that it's centered along the border where the bottom side of the green touches the brown.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image13.jpg
13. Ta da! Your layout is finished! Save your layout as a layered Photoshop file - .PSD - or equivalent if you're using another program. This allows you to change any of the layers/elements if needed at a later point. Nothing is worse than flattening your image and saving and then noticing a typo in your journaling... you'd have to start all over! But with a layered PSD file you could go back in, select the Text layer, fix the typo, and resave.
14. When you're ready to print, you need to flatten your image and save as a JPG. To do so, go to Layer>Flatten Image and then save as a JPG.
Note: This is a 12x12 layout but you can print it smaller (i.e. 6x6, 8x8) if you'd like. Simply go to Image>Image Size (just like Step 4) and change the dimensions to 6 x 6 inches, etc.
15. If you want to post it to the gallery you need a smaller image file. Go to Image>Image Size and change the resolution to 72dpi and the pixel dimensions to 500 x 500 pixels. A height of 500-600 pixels is a good size to post at because it fits within the screen height without having to scroll up and down to view the entire layout. Changing the resolution from 300dpi to 72 dpi helps make the file smaller. Computer screens can't show any more pixels than 72 dpi so there's no need for a higher dpi when posting online. So as a rule, you need a resolution of 300dpi when you're printing but when posting online you only need 72dpi. After resizing to post online, re-save your layout with a new name.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/smbogan2001/Freak/Image12.jpg
Have fun and welcome to the world of digi scrappin'!
[This tutorial was created using Photoshop CS2.]