LESSON TWO ...

Okay now onto the fun stuff ….. In this lesson we will learn the basics on how to get your digital scrapboooking pages started.


Today we will learn how to:


Add an element or paper to your page
Adding a photo
Cropping a photo
Adding a drop shadow


These are a few of the basic things to help get you started. Later on we’ll learn how to do a lot of other fun stuff like resizing ….. But for now these few simple things will help get you familiar with your program.


You should already have your template opened ….. In your layers palette click and highlight the layer that says black bkg in one of the programs (GIMP, PHOTOSHOP, or PAINT SHOP PRO).


Now before we lay out that first paper on our page … let me say that kits for digi scrapping have papers that are 3600 x 3600 pixels or 12 x 12 inches …. So you will be able to just copy and paste your papers right in your layers as is. You will, or might come across some kits that say “tagging size”; these are smaller size kits. You’ll know once you post them into your page and you have one small block in the middle of your palette. But for now these two kits are 12 x 12 so we won’t have to worry about that. I’ll post something down the line later on how to select all on a layer and paste in …. it is pretty self-explanatory but I will still post it if someone needs reference to it. Or someone who is just starting out … this would be a good tip for them to learn as well.


SCROLL DOWN TO YOUR PROGRAM OF CHOICE FOR YOUR INSTRUCTIONS.
A few of the programs vary on how to do these steps. So I have written step-by-step instructions for ALL three programs.


PAINT SHOP PRO:
Pasting a paper:
FILE/OPEN/select one of your papers and click OPEN/then hit EDIT/COPY/ and now hit on your template on the black bkg layer EDIT/PASTE AS A NEW LAYER


Add a photo:
Highlight your block1toplayer in your template
FILE/OPEN/find your folder where your picture is you want to use/click OK or OPEN
EDIT/COPY/close the photo or minimize it/ you should be back on your template layer/
EDIT/PASTE AS A NEW LAYER


Place it over the top gray box making sure that none of the gray edges of the box below show through. Click on the block1toplayer box and do the following:
SELECTIONS/SELECT ALL/SELECTIONS/FLOAT/SELECTIONS/DEFLOAT/SELECTIONS/INVERT
Now take your cursor or arrow and click on the picture layer to select it.
Hit the DELETE key on your keyboard to get rid of all the picture hanging over the box.
SELECTIONS/NONE/ gets rid of the marching ants around your photo.


Adding an element: (similar as adding a photo)
Go to the layer COPYRIGHT--DELETE LAYER and click on it highlighting it on the layer palette.
Now go to FILE/OPEN/find an element in your digital scrapping folder under scrap kits that you like and hit OPEN.
On that element go to EDIT/COPY/and then close that layer or minimize it.
Back on your template hit EDIT/PASTE AS A NEW LAYER


Drop Shadow:
On your element layer go to EFFECTS/3D EFFECTS/DROP SHADOW
(make sure both boxes to the left of the box at the right with the dice on it are clicked so you can see a preview of the shadow you are applying)
Mess around with the numbers and opacity and blur to get the effect you want …and then hit OK.


=====================


GIMP:


Adding a background:
FILE/OPEN/go to your scrap kits folder and pick out a paper and hit OPEN
On the box where the paper opens (it may be minimized in your below toolbar click it to open it) then on top of the photo click EDIT/COPY/and then close it or minimize that paper.
Back on your template click and highlight the black bkg layer and go up to SELECT/ALL/EDIT/PASTE


Adding a photo:
Click and highlight block1 top layer in your layer palette
FILE/OPEN/find photo on your computer you want to use and hit OPEN
Your photo will come up in a separate window, you may have to click on it as it will be minimized in your bottom tool bar on your computer.
On that photo there is options on it.
Hit EDIT/COPY/and then close that photo or minimize it
On your template layer hit EDIT/PASTE
Now click on that little folded paper icon at the bottom of your layers box on the far left side. That will make your floating layer an actual layer. Now you will have to move the photo under the block1 border layer.


Crop:
Let’s just learn to crop a photo … we’ll learn resize later. Make sure you are on your photo layer.


In your toolbox layer to the left at the top is the rectangle select tool … click it to select it.


Place your cursor on your photo and put it a little over the white frame -- hold down your left click on your mouse and drag it over the white frame. There will be marching ants around the white frame where you selected it when you let go of your mouse.


Now go to SELECT/INVERT and click the delete button on your keyboard then SELECT/NONE … you just cropped a photo.


Adding an element:
FILE/OPEN/find the element you want to use in your scrap kits folder and click on that element and hit OPEN.
You will have to click on the image in your bottom toolbar to open it in your palette.
In the window of your element click EDIT/COPY/minimize this layer or close it.
Now back on your template click EDIT/PASTE
Click the new layer button (paper with folded corner icon) in the layer window to make it no longer be a floating layer. Move it around wherever you want to place it.


Drop Shadow:
On whatever element layer or photo layer you want go to
FILTERS/LIGHT AND SHADOW/DROP SHADOW
There is no preview with this program .. You just have to mess with it to get the effect you want. If you don’t like what you chose you can always hold down the CTRL key and hit Z which is a keyboard shortcut for the undo function on your computer. And you can go back and retry the above instructions to get the effect you want.


========================


PHOTOSHOP:
Adding a paper:
FILE/OPEN/find the paper you want to use and hit OKAY or OPEN.
SELECT/ALL/EDIT/COPY/then close the paper
On your template layer go to EDIT/PASTE and photoshop will put it in a new layer.
Depending on what layer you were on when you did this (you should be on the black bkg layer) you might have to move the layer where you want it on the layers box at the right.


Adding an element:
FILE/OPEN/find the element in your scrap kits folder
SELECT/ALL/EDIT/COPY/close your element
Go to the top layer on your layers box above the copyright layer and hit EDIT/PASTE


Add a drop Shadow:
At the bottom of your layers box on the right you will see a circle at the bottom with an f on it at the far left side of it. Click it and scroll up to the DROP SHADOW selection.


Make sure the preview box is checked so you can see the effect on the shadowing before you hit OKAY. When you like it click okay … your done with that step.


Adding a photo:
Highlight your block1top layer in your layer palette at the right.
FILE/OPEN/find your photo you want to use and hit OPEN
SELECT/ALL/EDIT/COPY/close that photo
Back on your template hit EDIT/PASTE.
(move the photo under the block 1 border)


Cropping a photo:
On your photo layer that you just posted
Take your cursor and click on the top left button on your toolbar (this is the rectangle marquee tool)
Put your cursor (which now looks like a cross) over your white frame.
Left click your mouse holding it down and dragging it from the top left corner of the white frame to the bottom right corner of the frame. (try and get your marching ants after you let go of your mouse to be marching as close to the middle of the white frame border as possible)
Now go to SELECT/INVERSE and hit delete on your keyboard then hit SELECT/DESLECT.

===================
Okay mess with the program(s) and familiarize yourself with these basic steps. We'll learn different ways to resize photos and elements in the next lesson.

If you have any problems leave me a comment at the bottom of this post .. or if you follow DIGI scribbles on Facebook as well ... send me a message there. Either on the page or a private message.

ENJOY !!!!!!