pse4 question of the day: templates

[mimi1166]

OK, I dL some templates which came w/ NO directions.
Can someone PLeeeaase tell me what to do?
I have them on my screen along w/ some pp.
I've used HAD's templates & I just crop and place my photos behind and in the cropped area. Soooooo easy. Are these more difficult because they're layered?
Help!!!!!
MIMI:madness

[nana_vg]

After you open the template, do a "save as" and name it as the scrapbook layout you're going to create, or whatever naming convention you use. You just don't want to over write your template.

For each layer in the template you're replacing, here's what you do:

1. Open the paper or element you want to use.
2. Ctrl A (select), Ctrl C (copy)
3. Go to the template and select the layer you're replacing by making sure it's highlighted in the layers palette.
4. Ctrl V (paste).
5. Sometimes you need to move the pasted paper or element to get it in the position you want it in. So, move it.
6. Then Ctrl G. That creates a clipping mask where your paper or element is "clipped" to fit the layer in the template you're replacing.
7. When you're sure you're happy with the result (even waiting until you've completed the layout so you're sure you don't want to use a different element or paper) you can merge the clipped layer with the orignal template layer which makes your file smaller. Be sure to start at the bottom of the layers template when you start merging layers or sometimes they don't merge correctly.

Valerie

[mimi1166]

Ok, How do I 'merge' the layer?
Sorry, newbie here......
mimi

[jencaputo]

Select the top layer and hit Ctrl-E (or select both layers and do Layer -> Merge)

[shelleyrae]

There is a tutorial here for using templates in PSE:
http://scrapbook-bytes.com/cgi-script/tutorials/publish/article_593.shtml

[mimi1166]

I'm still confused here. It sems I can only get the back ground paper to change papers. How do I select different layers on the template?
mimi

[joelsgirl]

On the right, where they're all listed, click on the word (i.e. layer 2), then make sure your paper or photo is right above it on the list, and click CTRL G. It should immediately take the shape of the layer.

Here is what I do:
Open my photo.
Dble ckick on it and drag it onto my template.
On the right where it lists the layers, I move my photo till it's directly above the "photo" layer. I also move it on the screen so that it is directly over the photo shape (and I rotate it or make it bigger or smaller if I need to, though you can still do that after CTRL G).
Then I press CTRL G.
And WALA it should take the shape of the object.

Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions.

Kellie