Overlays

[Stacie]

Are overlays special effect and how do you install them in PSE 6 /Vista?

[kimi_boo]

Hi Stacy... :)

An overlay is usually a png file, meaning it has some transparent properties to it. They are not installed. You will open the the overlay and drag it above your image.

After that... play with your blend modes and the opacity of the layer until you like the effect.

Overlays, are my favorite!! :D

[Diana]

Hi Stacie and welcome to Elements Village,

You don't "install" overlays. They are opaque images and you would open them in Elements the same as any photo, embellishment, or clipart. Then you'd add them to your layout by dragging or copying & pasting. Just store the overlays in a folder so you know where they are when you need them.

Here's an example of an overlay added to a photo.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1MtHj0PxNJTm3s6FYl902RJTSuA2qC_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1MtHj0PxNJTm3s6FYl902RJTSuA2qC)

A lighter overlay would look better on this particular photo, but I wanted to demonstrate with an overlay you could see before added to a photo (a white overlay wouldn't show up on a white background in my example)

Diana

[StorageLady]

Do you design the overlays yourself or do you purchase them separately?

[turtlespirit]

I have found many overlays available at digital scrapbooking sites, and also found at least 3 sites which you can make your own.

http://www.digitalscrapbookpages.com/Scrapbooking_News/PSE_Tutorials/Creating_A_Realistic_Sanded_or_Inked_Overlay_In_PS E_3.0/

this site allows you to make one that is grungy. I skipped the whole sanding/scanning part and just used a texture photo of cardboard. Jessica Sprague has a tutorial which allows you to make your own also. You can type make overlay into her search window and find it pretty easily, it is in her photoshop friday index.