Kloskowski Video

[tnwaltz]

In the video "Elements Layout," Matt talks about "double clicking on the icon, drop the opacity slider to 54; distance to 12; size to 21." I am assuming he is using PSE5 in this video. Problem is that I have PSE4 and cannot locate some of these tools. I found the opacity slider but when I place the opacity to 54 on the photo I want inserted, the photo is washed out. Where can I find the tools Matt speaks about in PSE4?

Are any of the videos done in PSE4?

Thanks.

[TonyW]

What Matt was doing was adjusting a layer style drop shadow opacity and distance so the icon he was referring to was the layer style settings. This does look different in PSE5 (In PSE4 it was a little f) but everything he did works just the same in PSE4 and PSE5 (and also PSE3). Some of the things he uses might be in slightly different places but they're all there. If you're having trouble finding layer styles in PSE4 just ask.

Go back a few videos and you'll find ones done in PSE4 and before that PSE3 but it really doesn't matter which version. If they use something that can only be done in PSE5 I think he'll always say that.

Tony

[kimi_boo]

I just watched it also. Everything can be done in vers. 4. There really is not that big a difference between 4 and 5.

Sometimes I would have to watch the video 3 or 4 times before I could really grab on to everything that was going on. :)

Good Luck.

[tnwaltz]

Does anyone know where the opacity, distance and size are in PSE4?

[TonyW]

I stand corrected - I'd forgotten that PSE4 has distance but not opacity or size adjustments in the layer style settings but it shouldn't really matter much.

If you apply a drop shadow using the soft edge layer style you should pretty much match Matt's settings. To adjust the distance double click on the f icon as shown below:

948

Tony

[Bayla]

As far as I can see, in PSE3 (&4?) when you click on the f icon you can only change the shadow distance, angle & global light. There is no option to change the opacity & size.

The only way I can think of to change the opacity of a drop shadow would be to duplicate the shape layer (after you've applied the drop shadow & got the distance/angle how you want it), clear the layer style on the duplicate layer, then simplify the original shape layer. Then Ctrl-click on this layer to select it & press delete which will leave you with just the shadow. Now you can go in and change just the opacity of the shadow, but you won't be able to make any other adjustments once you've simplified which is why I said to make those first.

Incidentally this also lets you change the colour of a drop shadow by selecting the shadow & bringing up the hue/saturation box.

Bayla

[tnwaltz]

Thanks for the replies. I think I will stick with the simple way to apply the drop shadow as suggested by Tony. I'm afraid I will get totally lost if I try to do all the steps as suggested by Bayla. As a novice, at least I know that it isn't possible in PSE4 and I can stop driving myself crazy looking for the way to do it as explained by Matt.

Thanks again for all your efforts.

[TonyW]

I just took another look at the defaults for size and opacity in PSE4 for the high drop shadow (not the soft edge one that I suggested above) and they are 21 and 75 respectively - so you wouldn't be too far off Matt's 21 and 54 if you used that one. The defaults for the soft edge one are 10 and 75 so not as good a match but it comes down to what looks best in your particular image.

Tony