How to insert image?

[TracyLH]

Hi! I am very new to Photoshop Elements 7 and have a blog header that I have saved there. I need to insert an image to add to it and cannot determine how to do it. Can someone please help me? Simple language will help as I am not terribly computer literate. :)

Thanks for your time!
Tracy

[ken1]

Tracy,

It is difficult to provide targeted directions without seeing the header and the picture, but the following may work for you:

File>New>Blank file. In the dialog enter size for width & height. Resolution should be 300px/in for printing, 72px/in for web work is satisfactory. Color:RGB. Background:white.

For Header, Edit>copy - this puts it on the clipboard. Open the blank document, then Edit>paste. The header should be on a separate layer.

For picture, do the same.

Access the move tool, and position the header and picture as you wish. You can resize them if necessary by grabbing one of the corner handles, holding down the shift key on the keyboard, and dragging towards the center.

It is desirable to have the resolution of the header and of the picture about the same value.

Repost if necessaty

[TracyLH]

Thanks, Ken! Please excuse the ignorance of the question, but am I supposed to have the already created header pulled up when I do the "File>New>Blank step or is that just on its own?

I created a new blank file, but it did not give me the option to do "Edit>Copy" on that screen.

I have an already created header and the image I am trying to put on it is a little cupcake. I appreciate you telling me it is composed of layers as I would have expected it to have been something I just imported and put right on the existing header.

I am a tad confused about the steps (what is open and when)...old-ish dog, new tricks.

Thanks for your help... and patience!
Tracy

[ken1]

Thanks, Ken. I am a tad confused. I do already have the created header. I am trying to put a little cupcake on it (from my Downloads file). I don't see how to access the cupcake while in Elements in order to put it on.

For clarification, are you saying I need to create two layers and not just drop the image on the created header?


Received above via e-mail.

Copy the cupcake from your source outside of Elements, then paste it on the header, which you state is accessible to you within Elements.
When you paste it in place in Elements, it will be on its own layer automatically. You can position it with the move tool as explained previously.

[TracyLH]

Hi Ken,

Whoo hoo! You are wonderful! Thanks to you... I got it!! :0) Your help was so sincerely appreciated! I copied it from "Downloads" to do it.

I will play with it more tomorrow as my image is in place. However, but it did not just grab the image, but created a white box around it as well. Is there a way to correct that so the image just sits on top of the header, not creating that extra white area?

Thanks again,
Tracy

[ken1]

Most likely, the image has a border around it, and it was copied in its entirety. You need to remove the boder.

Please post the image here so that we can provide additional guidance.

:)

[TracyLH]

Hi Ken,

I am trying to attach the image as a pdf, but it is saying it exceeds the size allowed. Unfortunately, I am not as saavy enough computer-wise to know how to attach it. I think the issue is with the image itself and not being transparent around the outside. I will contact the company I bought it from and see if they know. Otherwise, if I import it onto a patterened background, it does not 'float above' the background, but would have a white box behind it. I will see what they say and if I don't have luck, I will have to figure out how to show it as an attachment.

Oh, do you know if .abr iles work with PSE Elements 7.0 or should I post that as a separate question?

Thanks again for your help!
Tracy

[stepasan]

The following are instructions that Diane gave for posting a picture in the forum using Pixentral:



To post an image to this forum:
1. Go to www.pixentral.com (http://www.pixentral.com/)

2. Put your cursor in the blank provided for the upload (where it says your image)

3. Click on the Browse button

4. When the "Choose File" box pops up, navigate to where your photo is stored, click on your photo file, then at the bottom of the box, click the Open button

5. It will come back to Pixentral with the path to your photo shown in the blank

6. Now on the Pixentral screen, click on the Send button

7. Once your photo is loaded (you'll see it on the Pixentral screen) scroll down to the bottom of the photo where you'll see two lines of text, one that says HTML and one that says Forum

8. You need to copy all of the text in the box after "Forum"

9. An easy way to select it is to triple click on the text OR drag your mouse all the way from the first character to the last character of the text

10. Once it is selected, press Ctrl-C to copy it

11. Then go to your message on the forum here and paste your link by pressing Ctrl-V

12. You can preview it before you submit it by clicking the "Preview Post" button at the bottom of the message window

13. If it looks okay, be sure to then press the Submit Reply button to send it

Hope this is understandable and works for you.

[ken1]

With all due respect, as I recall, Pixentral requires .JPG file format. Tracy states that she has pdf - ????
The software that drives this forum allows attachments , via the paper clip icon at the top, as well. You may want to look into this.
Here is a test:

[TracyLH]

Well, it looks like I don't need to try to upload the image as I called the company and the issue is that I had used the "Copy" button and anytime you use the 'Copy" button, the image loses its transparency and thus the white box appears around it, cutting into the existing background color. He says I need to 'Insert' it, but I do not see a button to do that. So, the "copy" button is not an option with this image.

How else do I get an image in place on an open PSE file (i.e. - the header)? I did try something else and created a new blank file as Ken told me, put my image on there and then had the other header file showing as a thumbnail to the right of the screen. I am not sure how I did that with showing the two near each other. Do I merge those two? If so.. how? This must be the 'layers' concept, which I am not versed at.

So... is there a way to just insert an image into an existing file or it is the layers concept? It would just seem like there would be an "Insert Image" button, but I must be missing something.

Thanks.. yet again!
Tracy

[Vasni]

Welcome to the Village Tracy.

You can remove the white background from the text by opening the text image, selecting an area of the white background, then go to Select > Similar. This should select all the white background.

If the text is selected instead of the background, then go to Select > Inverse. Delete the selection. You should now have the text on a transparent (checkered) background. Save it and superimpose it on the image as you did before.

Vasni

[TracyLH]

Thanks, Vasni. I used the steps you gave, but am finding that the image of the little cake will not separate into the cake itself and the white around it. It is one unit, if that makes sense. I have a call into the company to see if they have any thoughts. The image is designed to be transparent (i.e. - no white area), but only if inserted and not copied, which is the problem. I just don't know how to insert it. I would seem to be an option, but I cannot find it and copying creates the white problem.

If there is no "Insert" option, perhaps I need to try layers? If so, can you have three layers showing one on top of the other and as you move things around on each layer in order to see how they are doing in relation to one another? That way I can avoid the 'copy' issue. So, is that a possibility?

Thanks for your help!
Tracy

[Vasni]

Tracy,

I'll need a better understanding of what you want to do. Let's start with my first guess. Let me know how it differs from what you want.

I used a JPG file of the cupcake to merge with the text. The final file is also a jpg.

Vasni

[ladybug]

Tracy , i could be wrong also. But here is my understanding you have a cupcake and a header. Open photo shop go to file locate your header open it. do the same with your cupcake . They both are open you can drag your cup cake over to your header then your header should show 2 layers. (the header and the cupcake layers). I do not have seven but if this is what you want maybe someone can give you better details

[PeachToTeach]

1. open your header file in elements editer
2. open your cupcake file in elements editer as well you should now bw looking at your cup cake but see a thumbnail for both images at the bottom of your screen.
3. with you cupcake on top and open look over at your layers palate and right click on your cupcake. select duplicate image in the drop down menu.
4. with your brand new dulicated ccake selected(highlighted) click the lock transparent pixels icon on the top of your layers palate..see attached images.
5 click your cupcake and drag to the thumbnail of your header and drop.
6 double click your header thumbnail to bring it up to the front and you should now be able to size and move as needed with a transparent background.
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1In0wUcIyow3LgRsMzYLXbjbZeXgdb0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1In0wUcIyow3LgRsMzYLXbjbZeXgdb0)

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1WYaty6gPsIEfFdKNzJyM2pD38ypQo1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1WYaty6gPsIEfFdKNzJyM2pD38ypQo1)

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1D5wgXfveajtc5ng0jgjT0X6AmWXL0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1D5wgXfveajtc5ng0jgjT0X6AmWXL0)

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1slRKvmzaUeDswX7z6pgz9XekFDluW0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1slRKvmzaUeDswX7z6pgz9XekFDluW0)

[TracyLH]

Oh, this looks so helpful! I just saw it and need to run out for the day, but am excited to give the suggestions a try!

Vasni - That is the same concept. I have a header that is already designed by someone else. I wish to add a cupcake image onto it, but cannot use "copy" as it is designed that if I do so, a white area appears that I cannot get rid of. It is just the way they designed it. So you are right - one image on top of another.

Laybug - I think the layers is exactly what I need as I just don't see a simple "Insert" button.

PeachToTeach - You are wonderful! I am not computer saavy and spelling it out for me is perfect! I will work on this later tonight or tomorrow. I just need to be able to move things on each layer and it sounds as though I can do that. :0)

Thanks to everyone for giving me hope that I can make this work! This is proving to be more of a challenge than I anticipated. :0)

Tracy