cookie cutter on pattern background

[cjcarsten]

:mad:I am trying to create s card with a pattern background, cookie cutter shapes of each of my three children. I keep getting the gray/white checked background. How do I completely cut out my child's head and place on the pattern background? I got it one time and have no idea how. I am so frustrated!

[Jeff Perry]

Use the cookie cutter crop tool to cut a hole (or three) in a decorative layer, and then put you child's photo on a layer below the decorative layer so their smiling faces show thru.

Jeff

[cjcarsten]

Sorry to be dumb, but how do you cut a hole?

[emkayess65]

Hi cjcarsten, when using the cookie cutter shape choose a filled shape.
One that is all black. Make a duplicate layer of your background. Then you can cut out the kids from the picture.
When you move them to your patterned background (assuming they are on different pictures)
You can resize the shapes to get them the same size.
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1SgIcEG25nZh7o5xZ7RSs1IaKfNK0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1SgIcEG25nZh7o5xZ7RSs1IaKfNK0)
hth
mks

[Jeff Perry]

CJ, sorry but not seeing your screen, I may have misunderstood what you were already accomplishing. Let's start from the beginning.

Open all three subjects images and the forth background image upon which you will place all the kids. All four images should show up in the photo bin.

Double click your background image, and make sure it is properly dimensioned for the final print size, e.g., 8x10 at 300 ppi.

Now double click the first child image to make it active.

Click the Cookie Cutter Tool (Q)

Click the tiny down arrow to the right of the "shape" that is displayed next to the word "Shape" in the options bar.

In the upper right corner of the icon menu is a double right-pointng arrow, click it and choose "Crop Shapes", and after they display, pick a suitable shape.

Now click and drag the shpae out over your childs image, and commit the crop (green check mark).

You should see a transparent checkerboard in the area you have cropped away.

Activate each of the other chilc images and do the same thing.

Once you have all three done, one by one activate them, and select the move tool, clcik and drag each one down and drop it onto the backgroiund image in the photo bin.

Each will end up on its own layer that you can resize and reposition with the move tool.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

[cjcarsten]

Thanks all. I think I figured it out. For one, I didn't have cascades checked under window, so I couldn't get several pics up on page at one time. I also didn't know about the "move" tool. I was trying to drop and drag. Thanks for everyone's imput.:):)