Template Design

[Stringbean]

I finally received my first issue of Elements PhotoShop Techniques today and am very impressed. Lots of interesting thing to learn. One article I am studying is Template Design. When it gets to step four it says open the first photo and use the move tool (V) to click- and- drag it into your scrapbook. How is this accomplished? When I go into the organizer the picture takes up the whole screen and I don’t see a way to drag it into the template that can’t be seen. :confused:

[kevq]

Hi,
When you open your photo it opens in the edit window.
Below that is the photo bin in which you should have a thumbnail of your template, if you use your move tool you can drag the photo down on to your template and then resize in the edit window. This presumes that you are in maximize mode.

Kev.

[Stringbean]

Thank you Kev. I assume that you mean the thumbnail at the bottom right of the screen ,single photo view. I still have the problem of dragging it to the template when I can’t see the template.:confused:

[Wendy]

Hi Stringbean ...

If you are still stuck then try it this way:

Use the editor

Open the image you want to move to your template
Do Select>All
Edit>Copy

Open your template
and do Edit>Paste

... and there you go :)

Wendy

[BettyC]

When I first started moving items my daughter used the way Wendy outlined. That seemed the easiest way. Then, I think it was on the "Photoshop Guys," Matt "Rockinthehouseski" said that the dragging way used up less memory, so I've switched to that way and have become accustomed to it.

While you're here, Wendy, could I ask you one thing? You've educated me about keeping brushes, etc. somewhere other than the brushes folder, when you get too many. Is there a way to put the downloaded Layer Styles somewhere else other than the Styles folder? I'm such a pushover for the Adobe Studio and whatever else I run across and the list is growing.

Thank you,
Betty

[Stringbean]

Thank you Wendy for yet another tip! Believe it or not at the moment I am defrosting our freezer and checking this forum at the same time. I will try your suggestion this evening when I am doing one thing at a time and when you are tucked up in bed dreaming about PSE. Thank’s again!!

[Wendy]

Hi Stringbean ...

The drag method seems to confuse new users so I usually suggest that they do it the other way ... once you get used to using Elements you should be able to sort out the drag method :)

Oh I hate defrosting the freezers :(

Wendy

[Wendy]

Hi Betty ...

I had never heard of drag across using less memory than copy & paste so I did a quick test and saved a couple of psd files using both methods ... both of the new files turned out identical sizes so I'm not sure what you heard :confused:

I'm afraid that there isn't a way to keep layer styles anywhere other than in the styles folder ... you can save elsewhere if you are using Photoshop but not if you are using Elements :(

Wendy
Ah ... I think I have just worked it out.. When you do copy and paste you are in fact saving it to the clipboard so its that type of memory not file size. (Saving to the clipboard is just a tempoary use of memory ... its a bit like looking up a number and then remembering it before you use it :))

[BettyC]

Thank you, Wendy!

Betty

[Stringbean]

I have to say that I am getting soooo fed-up with this PSE4 that I’m ready to chuck it!! Today when I click & drag with the Marquee tool to make my first selection it doesn’t fill with the foreground colour and when I try to start on the second selection the first shape disappears. I got this far yesterday without any problems. I have Grid and snap to grid turned on as instructed in the article.

I’m beginning to regret the day I every purchased PSE4 because I was doing just fine with PSE2. The user guide is not of much help. Guess I’ll have to go and spend some money on a decent book.

Well I feel a bit better after getting that off my chest :(

Thank you all for your help. :)

[ATR]

Stringbean,

Your greatest victories are just around the corner, so keep at it.

Have you read the Thread dated 2/12/06 under Elements for Beginners "Need Help With a Lesson in this month's newsletter"? I tried to contribute to the discussion with steps that worked for me with that Lesson. I have two entries in that Thread. My second entry there dealt with the dragging of photos into the template. Check it out. Hope it helps and compliments the other tips that have been suggested.


ATR

[Shari]

I have been where you are Stringbean. Just keep plugging away. It is very very frustrating at times. I would have given up long ago had it not been for this forum. I have Scott Kelby's book which is good - but not as good as the videos here and the people helping here. I hope one day I will be able to help with answers. Where are you from in BC Stringbean? These past days here in Vancouver have been perfect for photo taking. Just watching the Canadians in the snowboarding as I write this. Yea!!!
Don't give up!
Shari

[Stringbean]

Guess I will give it a try again tomorrow and check out your suggestions ATR & Shari. I’m in fare off Chilliwack Shari.

[Wendy]

Hi Stringbean ...


You said ...

Today when I click & drag with the Marquee tool to make my first selection it doesn’t fill with the foreground colour and when I try to start on the second selection the first shape disappears

Just a couple of comments:

The Marquee tool isn't supposed to fill the selection ... its the rectangle tool that does that.

Adding a second selection ... when you select the tool look at the top of the screen and you will see some little boxes ... hover your cursor above them and text will appear. One of the boxes says "Add to Selection" ... click on that box and you will be able to do more than one selection on a page.

Do hope that some of this helps :)

Wendy