LESSON 04: ORGANIZE IT FOR PSE USERS COMPANION BOOK. Digital Scrapbook Academy. April 2018: Lesson 04 Organize It for Elements Users

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1 Digital Scrapbook Academy April 2018: Lesson 04 LESSON 04: ORGANIZE IT FOR PSE USERS COMPANION BOOK Page 1 of 15

2 Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Welcome to Lesson 04 for Elements Users 3 1: Add Photos, Drop Shadows, & Background Papers (Review) 4 a. Open, Re-Save and Review the Layered Template 5 b. Open and Add Photos 5 c. Clip Photos to the Photo Shapes 5 d. Place the Background Papers 5 e. Add a Basic Shadow Style to the Photo Container Layers 5 2: Create Unity Between Both Pages 7 a. Build a Color Swatch Group from a Kit 7 b. Layer Paper Mattes Behind the Photos using the Shape Tool 8 c. (Optional) Add Decorative PNGs in the Background 9 3: Decorate the Page with Simple Clusters & Title 10 a. Create Embellishment Clusters 10 b. Apply a Basic Shadow Style to the Embellishments 12 c. Add a Dramatic Shadow Style to the Embellishment Layers 12 d. Borrow & Change the Color of an Embellishment 13 e. Add a Title 13 4: Add Text to Lined Cards & Justify 14 a. Ready the Card & Draft the Text 14 b. Match the Line-Height to the Pre-Constructed Lines 15 c. Justify the Paragraph 15 d. Save the Layout & Ready for Printing 15 Page 2 of 15

3 Welcome to Lesson 04 for Elements Users Welcome to the third page-building lesson of Digital Scrapbook Academy! We ll continue to use Adobe Photoshop Elements 2018 to build increasingly complex, digital scrapbook layouts. Our third page requires nuanced page development including how to work with a 2- page layout, building and working with swatches, recoloring elements using adjustment layers, customizing the justification and line height of text and more. We ll accomplish the following objectives: Review and repeat basic tasks learned from previous lessons Work with a 2-page set up by creating unity between two different pages and balancing contrast Add additional shapes to a template using the Rectangular Shape tool Decorate the background using a PNG Build a swatch group from a kit Use swatches colors to colorize additional elements on the page Borrow elements from other kits Recolor pieces using the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer Make text fit a lined journal card Use the Paragraph panel to justify journaling Let s get started! Page 3 of 15

4 Digital Scrapbook Academy April 2018: Lesson 04 1: Add Photos, Drop Shadows, & Background Papers (Review) We ll begin by repeating much of what we ve already learned by quickly setting up the foundation of our layout choosing photos, adding background papers and adding basic drop shadows. Supplies you ll need: Midori kit from the Lesson 04 supplies Template 04 from the Lesson 04 supplies At least 4 photos Page 4 of 15

5 a. Open, Re-Save and Review the Layered Template i. Open the template file in the photo editor. Go to File > Open and navigate to DSA_template_04.psd. Click Open. ii. Duplicate and save the layered template. Go to Image > Duplicate iii. In the As box type mythirdpage and click OK. iv. Close the original template file. Click on the original template file tab located at the top of the workspace. Click the x icon located on the file tab at the top of the workspace. v. Review the layered template s components in the Layers Panel layer by layer. b. Open and Add Photos i. See lessons 01 or 02 for review. c. Clip Photos to the Photo Shapes i. See lessons 01 or 02 for review. d. Place the Background Papers i. See lessons 01 or 02 for review. e. Add a Basic Shadow Style to the Photo Container Layers i. Select the right layer. Target a photo s container layer in the Layers Panel. ii. Navigate to the Style Panel. Click on the Styles Panel icon in the Workspace Options or go to Window > Styles. Select Drop Shadows from the pull-down menu. iii. Toggle a default Drop Shadow. Select the Low drop shadow preset. Page 5 of 15

6 iv. Adjust the Drop Shadow settings. Double click the fx icon located on the layer and change the settings to: Angle 120º; Size 32 px; Distance 8 px; and Opacity: 60%. Click OK when done. v. Add the current photo container s stylings to the other photo containers and papers. Right click the photo container layer and select Copy Layer Style. Right click one of the other photo containers and paper layers and select Paste Layer Style. vi. Continue applying Basic Shadows to all photo and paper container layers. Page 6 of 15

7 Digital Scrapbook Academy April 2018: Lesson 04 2: Create Unity Between Both Pages Our next step is to create harmony between the layout using techniques that require the Color Swatch Panel, the Shape Tool and decorative PNGs. a. Build a Color Swatch Group from a Kit i. Get the right files. Open all of the solid papers from the kit into the photo-editor. ii. Toggle the color swatch panel. Go to Window > Swatches. iii. Choose the right tool. Select the Brush tool. iv. Sample the color of the first paper. Starting with the first (or last) opened paper, hold down the Alt key and click on the paper. Page 7 of 15

8 v. Add the sampled color to the Color Swatch Panel. Hover the mouse over an empty space within the color swatch listing and click. Rename the swatch in the dialogue box if desired. Click OK. vi. Move to the next paper. Close the paper file and navigate to the next paper in line. vii. Continue adding swatches until all paper colors are added. Repeat steps a.iv - a.v. b. Layer Paper Mattes Behind the Photos using the Shape Tool i. Choose the right tool. Select the Rectangle Tool in the Tools panel. ii. Draw a rectangle shape behind a group of photos. Click, drag and draw a rectangle shape making sure to extend the margins of the shape beyond the photo grouping. Move the shape below the photos in the Layers panel if necessary. iii. Adjust the positioning and size. Switch to the Move tool and redistribute the borders. Use the corner guides to adjust the size and press the Enter key to confirm any changes. iv. Cycle through paper colors. Double-click the rectangle shape s thumbnail in the Layers panel to open the Color Picker dialogue. Click on the individual, newly created swatches in the Color Swatch panel. Pick a color that matches the opposing page. Click OK. v. Add a second paper matte. Using the steps above, create a second photo matte on the opposing page behind the group of photos. Pick a color that matches the opposing page. vi. Fine-tune and replace with solid or pattern papers. Continue to cycle through colors on both pages until color harmony is created. Open a Page 8 of 15

9 solid or patterned paper from the kit with a similar background color of the swatch and clip the papers to the paper matte container layers. c. (Optional) Add Decorative PNGs in the Background i. Open the right file. Navigate to mdl_midiori_ep_smear.png and open in the photo editor. Add the smear to your layout. ii. Decorate the page using the smear. Reposition the smear within the workspace and in the Layers panel to appear behind the paper matte. iii. Create continuity using the smear. Duplicate the smear and reposition to empty areas behind the paper matte. Reposition each subsequent smear so that it appears less repetitive on the layout. Page 9 of 15

10 Digital Scrapbook Academy April 2018: Lesson 04 3: Decorate the Page with Simple Clusters & Title Let s turn our attention to embellishing and our title. We ll create four simple to intermediate embellishment clusters. a. Create Embellishment Clusters i. Build clusters around the layout. Generally, most embellishment clusters follow a predictable sequence from back to front: Foundation: brush, mask, leaf Object: photo, flower, word strip Anchor: button, staple, brad Use the Move tool to build clusters around the page. Page 10 of 15

11 Digital Scrapbook Academy April 2018: Lesson 04 Page 11 of 15

12 b. Apply a Basic Shadow Style to the Embellishments i. Add the photo container s basic stylings to the embellishments. Right click a photo container layer and select Copy Layer Style. Right click an embellishment layer and select Paste Layer Style. Repeat for applicable embellishment layers. c. Add a Dramatic Shadow Style to the Embellishment Layers i. Select the right layer. Target a layer that requires a dramatic shadow in the Layers Panel. ii. Navigate to the Style Panel. Click on the Styles Panel icon in the Workspace Options or go to Window > Styles. Select Drop Shadows from the pull-down menu. iii. Toggle a default Drop Shadow. Select the Soft Edge drop shadow preset. Page 12 of 15

13 iv. Adjust the Drop Shadow settings. Double click the fx icon located on the layer and change the settings to: Angle 120º; Size 59 px; Distance 33 px; and Opacity: 65%. Click OK when done. v. Add the current embellishment s dramatic stylings to the other embellishments. Right click the embellishment layer and select Copy Layer Style. Right click one of the other embellishments and select Paste Layer Style. Repeat for applicable embellishment layers. d. Borrow & Change the Color of an Embellishment i. Look for a coordinating piece. Revisit the lesson 01 Felicity kit. Open the file named mdl_felicity_ep_flower2.png. Add the flower to your workspace. Position the flower appropriately. ii. Toggle the Hue/Saturation Adjustment layer. Click on the Create New Fill or Adjustment Layer icon in the Layers panel. Select Hue/Saturation. Create a clipping mask from the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to the flower in the Layers panel. iii. Alter the color of the flower. Play with the Hue slider in the panel until the flower matches colors within your layout. Adjust the Saturation slider if necessary. e. Add a Title i. See lessons 01 or 02 for review. Page 13 of 15

14 Digital Scrapbook Academy April 2018: Lesson 04 4: Add Text to Lined Cards & Justify We ll complete our page by aligning and fine-tuning the line-height of journaling to fit a pre-lined card. a. Ready the Card & Draft the Text i. Add the card to the layout. Open and drag the file named mdl_midori_ep_3x4jc.png into the layout. Position the card in the empty gap near the photos in the workspace. Reposition the card s layer in the Layers panel if necessary. ii. Select the right tool and type. Toggle the Horizontal Type tool and draw a text box over the journal card. Type your journaling. Click the checkmark in the context-sensitive menu to confirm the text. Page 14 of 15

15 iii. (Optional) Make adjustments to the font, size, and color using the Character Panel. b. Match the Line-Height to the Pre-Constructed Lines i. Set up the match. Toggle the Move tool and position the first line of text directly above the first pre-constructed line on the journal card. ii. Play with the leading. Adjust the leading value until the additional lines underneath the first line of text comfortably match the additional preconstructed lines. Note: Continue to adjust the leading until both the first line of text and the last line of text comfortably sit on the preconstructed lines. c. Justify the Paragraph i. Justify the text. In the context sensitive menu, select one of the three main types of justification: Left, Right, or Center. Note: The correct justification will depend on your layout s design and the design of the card. d. Save the Layout & Ready for Printing i. Re-save your file. Go to File > Save. Click Save. ii. Prepare your file for printing. Flatten all of the layers. Go to Layer > Flatten Image. iii. Save the changes. Go to File > Save As. Add _PRINT to the filename and change the format to JPEG. Click OK. Page 15 of 15