[AmyW]

Using a layer template in Paint Shop Pro 10

1. Open template file in PSP (either a .pspimage or .psd file). I’ll be using one of my templates that can be found

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if you’d like to follow along.


2. Do a “Save As” (F12) and save with a different name to keep from overwriting the original template.

3. Choose your photos and papers/kit for use in the layout and open then in PSP.

4. Select the paper for your background layer. Copy it to your clipboard using Ctrl-C or click Edit>Copy in the taskbar.

5. Select the template. Highlight the background or bottom later in the layers pallet by clicking on it.


6. Paste the paper into the template using Ctrl-L or click Edit>Paste As New Layer. Merge the paper to the template layer by clicking Layers>Merge>Merge Down or right click the paper layer and select Merge>Merge Down from the dropdown menu.


7. Select your photo and copy it to your clipboard using Ctrl-C or click Edit>Copy in the taskbar.


8. Select the template. Highlight the photo layer in the layer pallet. Using the magic wand selection tool with the following settings:

Click on the photo in the template- to surround it with the marching ants.

(I know that's not actually what the marching ants look like but the screen capture program I use doesn't actually capture the ants. )

9. Paste the photo into the photo layer using Ctrl-Shift-L. (PSP will resize your photo to fit the space, to prevent and/or minimize distortion use or crop a photo to the same general size as the layer.) Deselect the photo using Ctrl-D.


10. Highlight the horizontal bar layer in the layer pallet. Using the magic wand tool click on the horizontal bar in the template- to surround it with the marching ants.

11. Go to the materials pallet and click on the foreground(top box). The Material Properties menu will pop up. Select pattern and choose the paper you want for the horizontal bar from the drop down menu. Click OK.


12. Select the Fill Tool(F). Click on the horizontal bar to fill with the paper. Deselect the bar using Ctrl-D.

13. Select paper for vertical bar layer. Copy using Ctrl-C.

14. Select the template. Highlight the vertical bar layer in the layer pallet.

15. Use the magic wand tool to highlight the vertical bar to surround it with the marching ants.


16. Paste the paper into the vertical bar using Ctrl-Shift-L. Deselect the layer using Ctrl-D.


17. Select and Copy (Ctrl-C) then select the template and Paste (Ctrl-L) any elements you wish to add to the layout. Use the Deformation(D) tool to move and size the elements.


18. Select the Text tool(T) to add a title.



You’ve now used a template. To be able to change it later Save (Ctrl-S) as a .pspimage file or to share/print “Save As” (F12) a .jpeg file. Any of the different ways we used to paste the papers into the layers can work I just wanted to show you a few different options, no one way is correct. I know of a few others as well, but that’s for another tutorial.


Here's my finished layout:

kit used- My Little Fishies

[AmyW]

I had a question about the bubbles overlay I have in my final version. Here's how I did it:

*Opened a new Raster layer just above the green vertical bar layer.

*Then went to Effect>Artistic Effects>Balls and Bubbles. With the settings as Multiple, 46-20-75 and non-intersecting. Clicked OK.


*That whole layer was now bubbles.


*But I just wanted them on the green bar, so I highlighted the green vertical bar layer in the layers pallet and magic wanded(set for replace- in the tootl bar) the bar so it was surrounded by marching ants.

*I inverted the selection using Ctrl-Shift-I.

*Then highlighted the bubbles layer in the layers pallet.

*Still using my magic wand tool I clicked on the bubbles off the green mat. They should now be surrounded by marching ants.

*Now 'Delete' them using the Delete key.

*I then left clicked and held on the title layer and dragged it below the bubbles layer.


Viola- now I have my above layout.