Help with PSE4 before I go insane

[mrshorsy@hotmail.com]

Hi
I got the PSE4 with my laptop last year but have never used it. Saw the digi LO's on UKscrappers and thought I'd give it ago but it is now driving me insane as I just cant get the idea of how layers work.
I started off my opening a blank 8x8 canvas but when I go to open a photo to put onto the 8x8 I've created it just opens it up as a seperate thing if you know what I mean (probably making myself as clear as mud!)
Any ideas where I'm going wrong
Shaz

[Libby Pritchett]

I'm really bad at explaining things, so forgive me if this doesn't make sense. LOL!

It sounds to me like you just need to get your photo onto the canvas as a separate layer, correct?

If so, look down at the bottom of your screen. this is your photo bin. You should see both your blank canvas and the photo that you want to use on the layout.

Click on the photo (so that it's showing in your work space). Now, click on the photo in the work space and drag it DOWN onto your blank canvas thumbnail that's showing in the photo bin.

Now when you click on the canvas, you should have 2 layers. Your background and your photo. If you look over to the right-hand side of the screen, you should see a list of those layers.

I know it can be a little confusing starting out. When I first started digiscrapping about 6 months ago, I just thought of it like I think of my paper layouts. Each item is its own layer. With a paper layout, if I have cardstock, patterned paper, and a photo... that's 3 layers of things. Same thing with digi.

I pretty much taught myself how to use PSE4 just by reading tutorials and trying things. If there is anything else specific that you need help with, please don't hesitate to ask!

(And if I've totally misunderstood your question and didn't give you the answer you needed, let me know)

[seebee]

Actually, you're making perfect sense; this is a stumbling block that most people encounter when they're learning PSE.

There are quite a few ways to accomplish what you're trying to do. You can use the Copy & Paste commands. O, using the Move tool from the top of the toolbar, you can click on your photo when it's "active" in the main portion of the screen, continue holding down the mousebutton and drag DOWN to the blank canvas's thumbnail in the photo bin at the bottom (when you do that, you should see your cursor change to have a couple of rectangles with a + sign as you hover over the thumbnail). Then let go of the mouse and your photo will be a new layer in the canvas's layer palette called "Layer 1".

(I put DOWN in big letters 'cause you can't drag up in PSE4; in v5 you can drag both directions, though.)

The way I tend to do it is I click the little Tile Windows button at the top right of the screen; it's a little icon that looks like 4 squares up near the help search box. After you click that, your photo and your canvas will both appear as large windows in the active desktop area. Use the move tool and click on your photo once to make it the selected window. (You can tell it's the active one because if you look over to the layers palette on the right, you'll see the thumbnail of your photo with the word "background" next to it.) Click and drag that photo "background" layer from the layer palette onto the active desktop area, onto the blank canvas. It should then add the photo to the canvas as a new "layer 1".

Somebody else may chime in with a favorite method. There's lots of different ways to do this, and it's usually just about finding what is most comfortable for you. Good luck!

[seebee]

And welcome to DST! :)

[Hummie]

I have a tutorial that shows how I do this. I do not use the Photo Bin...it always frustrated me.
http://www.hummiesworld.com/tutfirstlayout.html

[flowergirl_jess]

Shaz?? Have you got it sorted yet?

[ChristyHC]

You can check out the blog that I wrote - just start way back at the beginning. There is also a link to some digi classes there.
http://newtodigitalscrapbooking.blogspot.com/

[mrshorsy@hotmail.com]

Thanks guys think I'm getting there but now need to know how to bring up a particular layer on the screen
Thanks Shaz

[Hummie]

Just drag it with your mouse.
On my tutorial (http://www.hummiesworld.com/tutfirstlayout.html), it is this graphic (http://www.hummiesworld.com/HummiesWorld/TutFirst11.jpg).

[flowergirl_jess]

Shaz...

When you open your files, they will all be visable down in your photobucket. Directly at the bottom of your screen. On the bottom right is your layers palete.

If you want to move one of your images to your page. Click on the image in the photobucket. That will bring it up into your work area. click on it, hold the mouse down, drag it on to your page. release the mouse. Now if you look in your layers palete it will show it as a layer. If you want to move that layer over under .. click on the layer in the layers palete.. hold the mouse down and move up and down in the layers palette.

Shaz Im in Nottingham to, well Grantham anyway. Let me know if you need help. Im just right here.

[cats4jan]

About layers?

The layers palette is the most important asset you have. Keep it open at all times. When confused about what's "glitching" - glance over to your layers palette and most times, it's because you are not on the correct layer.

And remember, if you add something to your project that is larger than the items below it - they will seem to disappear. That is because you have covered it up.

Think of your layers as pieces of paper stacked on top of each other. When they are solid and larger than the stuff below, they blot out anything below it. When they have blank/empty/transparent parts or are smaller than the things below - you can see the layer beneath.

And another thing that is different with PSE than with out graphic programs? You have to grab a tool to do everything. Some programs let you click to choose and move - well, PSE doesn't let you do that - you have to choose the "move" tool to accomplish that.

Don't give up. Once you understand it - it's an easy program to use. Problem is - it's not intuitive like so many other graphic programs are.

[JHsizzle]

Just wanted to add here that Rhonna Farrer (big digi name) is teaching an online digi beginner's class at the ScrapAffaire event (all online). It focuses on using PSE4 and the "how-to" list looks pretty good. I'm taking it even though I've been playing with digi for 6-7 months now. I think a class with instructions, print screens, etc. would be helpful to me and thought I'd suggest it here. You can learn more at the veggie site -- they have a banner there where you can register and also the kit for purchase/download -- I think it's $4. HTH

[Julie Bullock]

Okay, this is my first attempt at trying to explain how to do something but, I totally sympathize with you. I was doing all sorts of things in my program but I still couldn't figure out how to get the layers together.
Here's my attempt to help you:

Make a 'new' layer or simply open the paper you want as your background.
Open your photo or element. You'll now have 2 separate layers showing.
To get your photo onto the background layer (your paper):

Have your photo on top
hit Ctrl A (this will put marching ants around the layer)
hit Ctrl C (or at the top, go to Edit>Copy)

Now, click on the layer with your background paper
hit Ctrl V (or at the top, Edit>paste)

Your photo should now be sitting on your background paper and if you look to the right, at the layers palette, you'll see 2 layers.

Now, go click back to the separate photo layer, which will still have the marching ants around it.
hit Ctrl D (or at the top, Select>Deselect)
This takes off the marching ants and you can now minimize this 'separate' photo layer (or delete if you won't need it again for this layout).

I hope this helps you some and, Good Luck!

________
Julie