Basic Instructions for using album and card templates…

1- Open template image that you want to use. Open photos that will go in the openings. You can play around with the template page and rotate it to get the composition you need.

2- You can use the openings as is, or add, subtract, resize or move them. To add more photo openings, just click on a photo layer and hit CONTROL/COMMAND J. That will make a dupliate layer. Then just move that new opening to wherever you want on the page. To subtract them, just drag it into the waste basket, or just turn that layer off. To resize them, make sure that layer is active and hit CONTROL/COMMAND T (transform). If you hold the shift key while dragging a corner, it will resize while maintaining the same porportions. To move them around, just drag that layer.

3- Once you have your page ready and your photos open, you are ready. (I often recrop the images to about the size of the opening so it is easier to fit later). In your layers pallete, highlight the photo opening layer you want to put the photo into. When you drag something onto a page, it always goes on top of the active layer. Click on the photo you will be putting in to activate it, then drag it onto the page. (For CS1), click CONTROL/COMMAND G to place it into the opening. (For CS2/3/5), you can also place the cursor between the photo and the opening layer in the layers pallete, (the cursor will turn from an arrow to double rings), while holding down the ALT/OPT key, click the mouse and the photo will insert into the opening. Then click CONTROL/COMMAND T to transform it and fit it the way you want. Repeat until all images are in.

4- Then you can either be done and save it, or add text or brushes. When adding text, here are some tips if you don’t already know this…. Type in the text or headline that you want. Then to find the perfect font, highlight the text. Then go up to the font box on top and highlight the font name. Then just use your down/up arrow keys and it will change the font as you scroll. That way you can easily visualize the font as it chages. To size the font just right, click CONTROL/COMMAND T. Then while holding the shift key drag the corner of the text to the size you want. For using brushes, load the brush set you want to use. Choose the brush and color you want to work with. Make a new layer by clicking on the icon next to the trash can. I like to put each brush on a new layer so that i can change opacity and size of each individually.

5- If you want to add base pages, open the page you want to use. With the template page active, click on the background layer in the layer pallete. That way when you drag in the base page, it will be the bottom layer. Then just drag in the base page and fit it accordingly. You can change the effect of the base page by changing the opacity, the hue, saturation or curves. Play around with it so that it matches the photos or the look you want. You can drag it up and down in the layers pallete if you need. To change the color of a colorblock layer, double click on the color square in the layer pallete. The color picker will pop up with the eyedropper active. Either manually choose a color, or click on a color in a photo and it will choose that color.

Some things to know when working with my templates & base pages…

Templates

1- Remember that the color that is on the original template is not the color it has to be. I just choose a color to reference each collection. To change the color, double click on the color box in the layers pallet and that will bring up a color picker box. By using the eye dropper, you can custom choose a color directly out of the photo you are using or make your own color.

2- You can add a base page onto a template with just the color block. All you have to do is highlight the color layer in the layers pallet, then drag over the base page you want. Then hit CONTROL/COMMAND G and it will place it in that space. You can then control T and size it to your liking.

3- Some of my templates have a “worn” or “dirty” layer to make them look old or rustic. You can simply turn that layer off or on to customize it even more. Another thing you can do, is if another template does not have the “worn’ layer and you want it, just drag the layer off of a template that does, and you have an old look. To make the worn or diry look softer, just lower its opacity, too make it stronger, just hit CONTROL/COMMAND J to copy the layer.

4- You can change the size, placement and quantity of the photo openings just by clicking on them and dragging them to where you want them. Just control J to make another one. Use the transform tool to change the size of them.

5- The Album templates are designed 10×10. Some albums may have you make a ”bleed” edge. Just recrop them to the size you need and adjust the rulers accordingly. Don’t forget that you can rotate each page, so that gives you 4 options per 10×10 page! Since most album companies have different requirements for what you need to submit, I have a variety of single page and full spread templates. You can easily form full spreads with two single pages or crop down a spread to make two singles.

6- The Card templates are made for the press cards in 5×7 and 4×5.5 with the bleed edges. You can use these templates for either postcard styles or the standard opening card. You can resize them to get the square or other sizes. The 5×5 or 5×7 sizes can also be used for the boutique cards depending on the design used.

Base Pages

1- Each set is designed in one color or theme. All you have to do is change the hue, saturation, lightness, darkness, and curves to make about any color combination to fit any need. Play around with them. I suggest to put it onto your page with your photos first, that way you can better visualize when the right combination works. You can also lower the layer opacity to get a very subtle look.

2- Don’t forget that these work great as backgrounds in collages too!

3- Have fun, play hard!