Does page size matter?

[Sonesta]

I'm wondering if the 12x12 background papers that can be downloaded from this site can also be used to make 8.5x11 pages.

[Kristen]

I do it all the time - my current album is 8.5x11 horizontal. You just have to take a moment to consider the paper.

Sometimes, with a plain background, you can get a way with doing an image resize. But usually that ends up distorting any texture, or even more so, any pattern.

What I usually do is a canvas resize. It'll trim off the extra paper around the edges without distorting the texture or pattern.

And sometimes I'll set my marquee tool to an exact size (8.5 x 11) and choose which part of the paper to use that way, if there's a border or some other design I want to keep.

I should have asked - what software are you using? These options/tools *should* be pretty much universal, but they may have different names.

[Sonesta]

I'm sorry...I'm using PSE 4.0.

[Abby]

Just use your crop tool and set the size in the little boxes on the tool bar. .. I always move the selection box around to find the best part of the pattern .. works like a charm.

[Emma]

the only things that don't work for redoing propotions from square to rectangle or rectangle to square are things that don't work when cropped (removin ga border etc), and look bad when distorted during resizing. Almost ANYTHING will work.

whatever you type into the boxes for the crop tool it'll use those to resize it, as Abby said, even if you select an area larger or smaller than the target: it'll make it bigger or smaller accordingly to force it to be that size. It'll also force your crop box to keep the right proportions, so if you type in 8.5x11 you can't drag a square crop box, etc

[Sonesta]

Thanks everyone. I'll give it a try.