Picture help! :)

[smarttr7]

How do you get pictures to fit into round thingies like this? I have stretched the pic, the picture border, and to no avail. How to do it without the ends of the picture hanging out?

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/rsmartt7/Scrapbooking/ButterflyKisses2.jpg

[mcbowersox]

What program are you using?

[smarttr7]

I'm using Photoshop Elements 5.0

[Kathleen]

And is this a plopper, or have you created the page from scratch?

[smarttr7]

This was a page kit, so all layers.

[Kathleen]

The photo should be on the layer immediately underneath the frame (this isn't always true, but usually the easiest).

There are lots of ways you can do this ...I will try to explain a few, but the first step is to position and resize your photo so that it fits in the frame. Don't worry about the edges sticking out now. Keep your photo proportional, i.e. don't stretch it out of shape - either have "constrain proportions" checked or hold down the shift key while you adjust the size. Then try one of these methods:

The Cookie Cutter (keyboard shortcut is Q, and the icon looks like a little star with a person in it)


With the Cookie Cutter tool selected, and the photo layer selected, pick the solid circle from the shapes drop down that is in the top option bar.
Draw out a circle so that it just encompasses the frame.
Click the green check mark to apply the cut.


Clipping mask method


Create a new layer under the photo layer
Select the ellipse tool (under the rectangle tool, keyboard shortcut U, you might have to hit it several times to cycle through the different shapes).
Draw out a circle that is just a smidge bigger than the opening of the frame. To keep it a circle, hold down the shift key as you drag. If you need to move the location of the circle while drawing, hold down the space bar.
Once you have your shape layer, select the photo layer, press Ctrl+G to "group with previous"
The advantage to this method is that you have not permanently cut your photo, and it is very easy to make a change.

Erase the undesired areas


On the photo layer, select the eraser tool (in this case, probably a hard edge brush), and just erase the parts you don't want visible.

There are other ways too, but hopefully one of the above seems logical to you and you can make it work. If not, post back and we'll figure it out!

[smarttr7]

Thank you soooo much Kathleen!!! I did it and it worked! I love it-check it out:

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/rsmartt7/Scrapbooking/limeandblacklo.jpg


Thank you again!!

[Kathleen]

Congratulations! I have been using Photoshop for 2+ years, and other graphic design programs since the early 90's, and I still get excited when I learn something new!!! Well done, it is a very sweet photo and page!!

[smarttr7]

I'm sure I will have more questions as I get to do more digi layouts. This is only the second one I've done. Here's the first one I done:

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/rsmartt7/Scrapbooking/SleepyAddisynlo.jpg


I'm loving it!!!

[Kathleen]

What a cutie! The kit you picked goes perfectly with the photo, and there is nothing like a sleeping child!

A quick suggestion on both your pages, you might want to think about adding dates - you'll be happy you did later!

You might also want to check out these tutorials so you can post in the DSP Gallery - lots of people will see your creations, you can comments, in general lots of fun:


Resizing Your Layout for the Web [PS (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/forum/../university/tutorials/ps_resizing_ep/ps_resizing.shtml)]

Uploading your scrapbook page to the DSP Gallery (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/forum/../university/tutorials/general_uploadGallery_ep/general_uploadGallery_ep.shtml)

[smarttr7]

I do have a couple more questions! In the green and black lo, where would I put the date? I've never added a date before, not even sure if I would know how to do that. I guess I would put it under the writing in the pink and brown lo? Thank you bunches for the help!


Also, if I have a picture already saved, and it is 160x160, how do I restore it to say, 2400x2400? I did attempt it, and it made the picture so blurry. Sorry for all the questions.

[Kathleen]

Use the text tool to add the date (there are some really fun date products/elements in the store, but just start with text!). Make sure the text layer is on top of the other layers.

In the black and green page, maybe just a simple date, or their names and date centered in one of the lower circles. If you don't like that, try rotating one line of text in a lighter color and putting it going up the side of the page from the bottom right corner.

On the pink and brown, you have lots of options ... maybe smaller on the notepaper, or on any of the paper mats.

If you have saved a photo as lower resolution, you can't do anything to get the larger/high quality image back if you don't have the original. If you are talking about actual photos, if you resize, always Save As and give it a new name. If you are talking about a layout, do you still have the layered PSE file? If that is still full size, then you should be able to save it as full size.

[smarttr7]

It is a layout, actually the pink and brown one. I was trying to get it to 2400x2400. I can always redo the page, and make it the right resolution. I did that page a few months ago, thought I had saved the big copy, but can't find it.

I'm going to work on the dates! Thank you again!! :)

[smarttr7]

I'm working on putting the date on the green/black lo. I rotated the lo to put the date up the right hand corner, and it seems that the date shows up on my lo, but when I go to rotate it back, the date is actually on the background, and disappears from my lo. I think my problems stem from the layers not being in the right hand palette like they should be, instead, they appear at the bottom in the photo bin.

[idtwinmom]

No, don't rotate your LO. Type your text and then just rotate the text. You can use the move tool to move it any where on the LO.

Multiple images in the photo bin are multiple files that you have open, not layers in the same file.

[MJ]

Hi,
After reading this, I was wondering if you could give ME a tip on getting rid of overlapping parts of a photo in a layout. I'm using a plopper in PSE 7. I have read about the magic wand tool, and tried that, but it's taking me forever to get the concept! Please offer suggestions. Thanks.

[sands_healy]

Hi,
After reading this, I was wondering if you could give ME a tip on getting rid of overlapping parts of a photo in a layout. I'm using a plopper in PSE 7. I have read about the magic wand tool, and tried that, but it's taking me forever to get the concept! Please offer suggestions. Thanks.

Normally with a plopper you put the photo on the layer below the actual plopper, so I'm not sure where you are getting overlapping bits..... could you perhaps upload it like it is and give us a link to see what you mean?