help with photoshop elements 4

[laurala]

i am new to using photoshop and am trying to follow misty's tutorial on "first page using PSE" and am stuck. i can open the file page and it shows up in my layers palette. then when i open my photo file instead of it showing as a second layer it shows up in my layers palette as the background and my template page (layer) isn't there. i can't figure out how to get it to show as 2 layers so i can actually move my photo onto my canvas. anyone have any ideas?

[ditzyscrap]

Whenever you open a file, it shows only that file's layers - if you look in the photo bin, you'll see the other file is still open. What you have to do is copy/paste the "background" layer from the photo file to the template file...

With the photo file open, hit Ctrl+A (select all), then Ctrl+C (copy)...then in the photo bin at the bottom, grab you're template file and bring it to the front, then Ctrl+V (paste). You'll have to do that with all your paper/element/photo files.

HTH!

[Sarah8914]

Or you can just drag the file onto your template file! that's what I do. :) And if you whole down shift when you drag, it'll put the photo/element/paper in the center of your page!

[sprauncey1]

Just make sure that the window is also not maximized. Click on the upper right of the screen the little box next to the x. This way you can see more than one item at a time.

Click on the paper/template that you will be using to start building your page and then with the little magnifying glass selected in the tools, click the little button at the top that says something like fit to screen. That way it is easier to see.

You will get there, it just is a lot of learning at first, but you CAN do it!!!

Then to drag items, you need to click on them in the bin, click on the thumbnail of them in the layers palatte and then drag THIS to the page. This is the confusing part for me at first, I kept trying to drag the item to the item. But it is the thumbnail that you drag and drop. Or you can do the copy/paste thing too!!

[Sarah8914]

You don't have to drag the thumbnail. That's actually slower on my computer. If they were both open and side by side or something, you can just drag one right over to the other!

[laurala]

Thanks for all of your help! I am now able to get my photo onto my template and i can move it around. My problem now is that when i try to resize it by using the corners it ends up distorted. How do you resize it without this happening?

[heatherdumas]

Thanks for all of your help! I am now able to get my photo onto my template and i can move it around. My problem now is that when i try to resize it by using the corners it ends up distorted. How do you resize it without this happening?

When you get the "bounding box" (those little corners ound the object) there is a ratio 100% height, 100% width. make sure they are the same number as you resize. That is easy to do if you click on the chain link in the middle of those two numbers.

[ditzyscrap]

Thanks for all of your help! I am now able to get my photo onto my template and i can move it around. My problem now is that when i try to resize it by using the corners it ends up distorted. How do you resize it without this happening?

Another option to Heather's suggestion above is to hold down the Shift key while you are resizing using the mouse - it'll keep it proportional. :)

[Linz]

if you hold down the shift key while you transform the object/photo/paper/whatever, it'll keep it proportionate. :)

[Linz]

LOL, Bree beat me to it!

[laurala]

okay i'm getting there! i have my photo on my template and have resized it correctly. just one other question. when i open my photo to put it in the template the photo has a grid design over it. is it supposed to? and how do i get the grid on the photo to go away?

[heatherdumas]

Up at the top it says FILE EDIT IMAGE... click on VIEW then you will see grid, uncheck it.

[ditzyscrap]

Does the whole file have a grid over it, not just the photo layer? If that's the case, you can turn off the grid by hitting Ctrl+' ...

[laurala]

you guys (gals) are absolutely amazing! How do you know all this stuff? I feel like i am back in kindergarten and not doing such a good job! lol! When i finish putting all of my pics in my template will the individual pics have borders around them so it looks like several pics or will they all be together in a normal collage? i want them to have borders if there is a way to do it.

[4noisyboys]

I remember being exactly where you are now about 2 1/2 years ago. I just recently upgraded from PSE4 to CS4, and now I'm trying to learn that. While it isn't as hard as first learning PSE (I had NO idea what a layer was), there is still a learning curve! I'll get it...and so will you, and you will be totally addicted!!

[sprauncey1]

you guys (gals) are absolutely amazing! How do you know all this stuff? I feel like i am back in kindergarten and not doing such a good job! lol! When i finish putting all of my pics in my template will the individual pics have borders around them so it looks like several pics or will they all be together in a normal collage? i want them to have borders if there is a way to do it.

Ok so you have your pics in your page/template...is there layers in the template that are for pictures? If yes then drag the layer with your photograph that you want in that spot down/up until it is directly above the layer with the template's spot for the picture. Then hit control-g and it will make your picture be exactly the same shape as the template's. And you can move it around still (the other parts are still there just hidden. Then once you get it the way you like it, you can just click on the two layers in the layers palate and merge them together. (did I lose you yet LOL)

Now to make a border around a picture you can select the layer with the picture and then chose Edit - Stroke - Inside and then the color and number of pixels. Usually I do around 40 or so. You can chose Outside instead of Inside but it will round the corners some.

I hope that helps!! If not keep asking!! Seriously we've ALL been there sometime and it feels great to help out someone just learning because it is a wonderful obsession!!

[laurala]

when you say merge the layers together are you talking about when i click on "group with previous"? after i get the photo where i want it and click on the check mark (commit) i click on group with previous. is that what you're talking about?