Digital Scrapbooking Tutorial #1 :: Creating Layouts with Digital Scrapbooking Layout Templates
Level: Absolute Beginner
The following tutorial will provide step-by-step instructions for creating your first digital scrapbook layout. It will take you through the steps of digital scrapbooking, from creating your first digital layout in Adobe Photoshop using a layered template, to printing and archiving your work.
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Digital scrapbooking is not that different from traditional scrapbooking. You go through the same steps of selecting your photos, planning your project layout, building your scrapbook pages with (digital) papers, adding journaling, and embellishing with (digital) elements like frames, buttons, ribbons, papers, tags, etc. Then instead of cleaning up your supplies you get to print them for your enjoyment! So let’s get started!
Digital Scrapbooking Supplies Required for Tutorial:
In order to follow this digital scrapbooking tutorial, you will need the following:
– Photoshop CS3, or Photoshop Elements. If you’d like to take Photoshop for a test run, visit the Adobe site and download their trial version today.
– A digital scrapbooking template for Photoshop, with the layout elements in layers. This is a .PSD file.
Download the DigiScrapGiRL #1 template used in our tutorial in 12×12 inch or 8×8 inch formats.
You can find additional digital scrapbooking templates on our resources page: Free Digital Scrapbooking Layouts — where to get them or the latest edition of GiRL Friday: Weekly list of scrapbooking freebies.
– Your own digital photos.
If you are using the template that accompanies this tutorial, you will need a photograph with a portrait orientation, preferably one that can have about 1/10 of the photo cropped off from the width. The photo should be 3600 pixels in height for a 12×12 layout, and 2400 pixels for an 8×8 layout (Multiply the height by the resolution — 8×300 dpi =2400).
– Your own digital scrapbooking supplies (digital papers and embellishments).
The papers and alpha used in this tutorial are: “Janeiro 2008 freebie” by Vir Brandi from Digiscrap4all.
If you need a digital scrapbooking supplies, you can start with our resources page: Digital Scrapbooking Freebies — free digital scrapbooking supplies & top 10+ places to get them or the latest edition of GiRL Friday: Weekly list of scrapbooking freebies.
– 30 minutes to complete this tutorial.
Create Your Scrapbooking Layout
The following instructions are for creating a digital scrapbooking layout using
a layered (.psd) template in Photoshop. For this beginner level tutorial I chose a template that does not require you to rotate your photos. Throughout the tutorial, I will be encouraging you to save your files. That way, if you make a mistake, you can easily undo (edit > undo), or as a last resort, Revert (file > revert) to the last saved version.
*Please note that I will not be using shortcuts so that this tutorial is user friendly for Photoshop users of various versions, and on both platforms (Mac and PC).
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(1) Open your template.
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(2) Save the project Save the template under a new file name — so you can keep the original template for other projects.
Some designers work in 8×8 format, not 12×12, so verify that the template is the size you want — for instance, 12×12″ at a resolution of 300 pixels/inch.
If you made a change at this step, and are happy with the results, SAVE your file (File > Save). |
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(3) Some basics about layered templates Look at your layers palette (Open it in Window > Layers) Notice that each element in the template is placed in its own layer. It’s important to know that the layers are in order, much like in traditional scrapbooking. The background layer, should be the bottom layer, and that’s where your background paper goes. Photos and elements are then layered on top, with each element overlapping the next. An active layer will be highlighted. The ‘eye’ indicates layer visibility, turning the layer on an off. |
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(5) Open your background papers
Drag the paper onto your template.
Your paper may now be obscuring other elements of the template. Go to the layers palette, and click and drag the paper layer so that it is positioned just about the background. Merge the 2 layers: (Layers > Merge Down) Your background layer should now be the paper. At this point I like to lock the layer, so that I can’t accidentally move it, or alter it.
If you are happy with the results, SAVE your file (File > Save). |
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(4) Open your photo. If necessary, adjust the photo exposure and fix red-eye first. Drag it onto the template.
Go to the layers palette, and click and drag your photograph layer so that it is positioned just about the template photo layer. If you are happy with the results, SAVE your file (File > Save). |
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(5) Position your photo within the template If you need to resize* or rotate your photo to make it fit the template’s photo layer:
If you are happy with the results, SAVE your file (File > Save). Now we are going to clip the excess. With the photograph as your active layer, create a clipping mask.
You will notice that the photo parts outside of the template were clipped away. Merge the 2 layers:
At this point you could lock the layer, so that I can’t accidentally move it, or alter it.
If you are happy with the results, SAVE your file (File > Save). |
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(5) Create a ribbon from paper We will now create a “ribbon” from another paper. If you have an actual ribbon you want to use, skip to the next step. Open the paper you want to use.
Drag the paper onto your template. Position the paper layer above the ribbon template layer. Now we are going to clip the excess so that we are only left with the “ribbon”. With the paper as your active layer, create a clipping mask, (Layer > Create clipping mask), then Merge the 2 layers: (Layers > Merge Down). If you’d like, lock the layer.
You know it — if you are happy with the results, SAVE your file (File > Save). |
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(6) Placing elements If you have an actual ribbon you want to use, open the file.
Drag the element onto your template. Position your element layer, sandwiching between the layers as you wish. For instance, above the photo, but below the title. Resize* or rotate your element.
In this case, the ribbon is straight, but your may be slightly curved, or a little bit wider or narrower than the template. In this case, we just used the template as a guide, and do not want to use the clipping mask. You have 2 options here. You can turn off the layer visibility for the ribbon template layer (click on the eye for that layer), or delete the layer (drag it into the trash can, = or = with the layer active, Layer > Delete > Layer) You know it — if you are happy with the results, SAVE your file (File > Save)! |
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(7) Add your title & journaling Once again, SAVE your file (File > Save). |
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Archiving your first digital scrapbooking layouts
Congratulations on completing your first digital scrapbooking layouts! What you should do now.
– If you have not already done so, SAVE your file (File > Save).
– MAKE a flattened copy of the file (.JPG) for printing. (Layer > Flatten image). Save this version as a JPG, and preferably using a different name - you can add a word like FINAL, FLAT or PRINT to the file name to indicate that this is the print version.
Note: If you are having this printed by a by a photo finishing service, check their print sizes. If your layout dimensions differ from their print dimensions, reopen the flattened file, and resize the canvas — this will ensure that the printer does not end up stretching your document to the canvas size.
Let’s pretend that your document is 12×12, but the print size will be 12×18…
Go to Image > Canvas Size; Under New Size, change the width or height attribute to 18″. Your document will remain unchanged, but placed on a larger, 12×18 canvas.
Now you are ready to get your file printed.
– SAVE a copy of the .PSD file to your archives folder. You want to keep the layers in case you need to make adjustments.
– If you wish, make a smaller/lower resolution version for sharing via email, on your blog, or in forums.
To resize: go to Image > Image Size; change the document size width or height to 8. If you checked the ‘Constrain Proportions’ box, the change will apply to both variables. A suitable resolution for print is 72 pixels/inch. Printing requires resolution of 200-300 pixels/inch.
Happy Digi-Scrapping!
Digital Scrapbooking GiRLs
Published in: DigitalWorld, Digital Scrapbooking Tutorials, Digital Scrapbooking
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