SUBJECT: Threading a string through another element

PROGRAM: Screen shots are from PSE8. The technique works in other versions of PSE and PS

PREREQUISITES: Basic understanding of layers, be able to open a document in PSE/Photoshop, be able to use the move tool to drag and drop, rotate and resize items

This tutorial walks you through creating the illusion that a string is threaded through a charm. Although the screen shots use a string and charm, the same technique works for threading a ribbon through a tag, rope through letters, a pin through beads or any other threaded elements. Begin by opening your string/rope and the element you want to hang on it. For the sake of brevity I will refer to the element to be hung as the ‘charm’. Place them both on the same canvas or layout. The layer order should be the thread on the top, charm below.

Select the move tool from the Tools Palette. Move the thread until it goes ‘through’ the charm. For a detailed explanation on using the move tool, see the Creating Your First Page in PSE tutorial. Once the thread is in place, click on the green check mark at the bottom of the bounding box to commit the change.

Hold down the Ctrl key and click on the Layer Icon of the charm in the Layers Palette (see arrow below).

There should now be ‘marching ants’ around the charm. Click on the thread layer in the Layers Palette to set it as the active layer. Click on the eraser tool in the tools palette. You’ll find the eraser tool options in the Options Toolbar near the top of the work space. Adjust the size of the eraser such that it is slightly larger in diameter than your thread. The ‘marching ants’ should still be around your charm.

Click and drag on your canvas with the eraser tool to erase the section of thread that should be ‘under’ the charm.

You’ve done it! You may want to ‘link’ the thread and charm layers so they always move together. To do so, hold down the Control key and click on both layers in the Layers Palettem then click the Link Layers icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette.

Elements used in the tutorial are from Where Fairies Dance available at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

SUBJECT: Adding a border around the perimeter of a photo

PROGRAM: PSE8 (can be adapted for other versions of PSE)

PREREQUISITES: Familiarity with layers and the layers palette

Open Photoshop Elements and a photo. If the layers palette is not visible go to Window>Layers to open it.

Next go to Layer>New>Layer from Background.

Give your photo layer a name and click ‘ok’ to close the dialogue box.

Hold down the control key and click on the photo layer icon in the layers palette (see arrow below). You should have ‘marching ants’ around the perimeter of your photo.

Go to Edit>Stroke (Outline) Selection.

The Stroke dialogue box will open. The width setting controls the thickness of the border. I’m using 25 px for this photo. Clicking on the color box opens the color picker. White or off white are the best choices for a traditional snapshot look, but you can use any color. For Location check ‘Inside’. Leave Blending Mode at Normal and Opacity at 100. Click ‘OK’ to close the stroke dialogue box.

A border should now be visible around your photo.

Keystroke Ctrl+D to deselect the photo and you are done.

SUBJECT: Applying a sticker edge to premade elements

PROGRAM: PSE8 (can be adapted for other versions of PSE or Photoshop)

PREREQUISITES: None

Creating a ‘sticker’ from a premade element involves adding a white border around the perimeter of the element. There are several ways to do this, the simplest being to add a stroke. Begin by opening your element.

Since we will be adding the edge to the outside the of the element, there needs to be sufficent open space on your canvas for the border. If there is half and inch of space or so around your element, you can skip this step. If not go to Image>Resize>Canvas Size.

The adjust the two “New Size” dialogue boxes, increasing each dimension by about an inch. Click ‘OK’ to close the dialogue box.

Go to Edit>Stroke (Outline) Selection

Adjust the following settings in the Stroke dialogue box

Width: this sets the thickness of the border, anywhere from 10-40px is reasonable

Color: White for a traditional sticker look, but you can experiment with other colors

Location: Outside

Blending and Opacity should be left at their default setttings; normal and 100.

Click ‘OK’ to close the dialogue box.

A white border should not appear around your element and your sticker is ready to use.

This technique works great for title work. Apply a stroke to typed text or alphas for a quick finishing touch.

Elements shown in this tutorial are from ABC & 123 by Misty Cato, available at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

SUBJECT: Adjusting the dimensions (height/length) of frame elements.

PROGRAM: PSE8 (can be adapted for other versions of PSE or Photoshop)

PREREQUISITES: General familiarity with the Layer and Tool Palettes.

Often I find the perfect frame for a page only to have it be a rectangle when I need a square or vice versa. Simply transforming the dimensions by squishing it or stretching it can make it out of proportion. It becomes even more of a mess when the frame has a detailed edging.

Here is a trick I use that works with most frames. It gets tricky with bold patterns or highly ornate frames, but for your garden-variety paper-cut frame the results are usually quite good.

Start by opening your frame in PSE/PS. I’ve put my frame on a white background so the tutorial images show better, but you will likely have transparency surrounding your frame.

Choose your Rectangular Marquee Tool from the Tools Palette.

Click and drag your across your frame so that you have selected about half of it.

Go to Select>Feather. (In Photoshop Select>Modify>Feather)

Enter ’5′ in the Feather Selection dialogue box and click OK.

Go to Layer>New>Layer via Cut.

Now use your arrow key to move one side of the frame inward to adjust the length of the frame. If your frame has a detailed edging, you’ll want to make sure you line up the edging pattern (in my case the scallops).

Right click on the top layer in the Layers Palette and select ‘Merge Down’ and your frame is ready for scrapping.

If you want to keep this version of the frame for future use, make sure you do a ‘Save As’ and give it a new name so you don’t save over the original.