Layers and images

[Shari]

I'm really new to this. I was reading Intro to Layers part 2. Where do the images you add come from i.e teddy bear and blocks? How do I get them into the photo bin? Say I wanted to do a photo of my dog in an Easter Basket - where would I get the Easter Basket and how do I get it into the photo bin. I have lots of photos of my dog!!! Thanks.
Shari

[Wendy]

Shari,

There are quite a few sites around that have stock images ... I either use images from one of them or I get my camera out and just take my own. Its always a good idea to take background images when you have the chance and simply have them filed away for future use.

One good site for stock images is:

http://www.istock.com/


Wendy

[Shari]

Thanks Wendy. I also have a lot of images with my print shop. What I don't understand is how to get them into Elements Editor to work with. I tried copy and paste but that did not work.

[Wendy]

Shari,

If the images are on your computer hard disc then you can just use the Editor file browser to go to the folder they are in ... then simply double click on the thumbnail that you want to load.

Do let me know if thats not what you mean.

Wendy

[Mary]

If you have an image in another program that is in a format unique to that program you may not be able to bring it into PSE.

I have been successful sometimes but doing the following:
While the image is on the screen - right click - copy
in PSE - File - New - Image from Clipboard

Once open (fingers crossed) it should act like all others.

[Shari]

Thank you both. I will have to take time and experiment.

My hobby has been making cards from photos. I think from the looks of things I should stick to that in Print Shop. I am hoping I can edit a card in Elements and export it into Print Shop to the card format I want. The cards in Elements do not have a back template and I always like to do a little blurb on the back. I just got new computer, digital camera and elements as a treat for myself after surviving breast cancer. This will give me lots of experimenting and probably frustration as well but I love this forum for the help. Thanks. Shari

[Wendy]

Shari,

When you first start using the program it is a steep learning curve but the more you use it the easier it becomes :) ... and don't forget that there is always someone on the forum who will help ...


Wendy

[Mary]

If you are still looking for the baby and blocks to go with the tutorial - on the Intro to Layers part 2 - below the title - Companion files: Image1 - Image2 - Image3

They are hyperlinks to the files - right click on each one and choose save target as.

Hope that helps.

[Shari]

Thanks Wendy and Mary. I actually got an Easter basket from my Print Shop images and imported it the way you said Mary and it worked. Then I painstakingly figured out how to select and get the white out from the square around the basket and move the basket onto the paw of my friends dog. After all that the basket looked too fake because of the colors and I couldn't soften the color because it was an imported image. Oh well - I learned a lot in the process (if I can remember) and I guess I could take a photo of an Easter basket myself to use as the image. Maybe next year! Thanks again

[Wendy]

Shari,

To soften the colour of the image ... try a Hue & Sat layer on it. Enhance>Adjust Colour>Hue & Saturation or Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Hue & Saturation. Desaturate the colour a little and see if that works :)

Wendy

[Shari]

Thanks Wendy,
You know I did think about making another layer later in the evening. I did what you said and the basket and eggs and everything went a shade better but then I had to recolor the eggs and bow etc. I did figure out how to do it - so that was good. I've got so many notes. I'm going to put some more general questions up with subjects in case others want answers to the same. I have got a lot of hints from reading others.
Shari