Photoshop Box Collage

If you don't have a digital camera, we suggest scanning your original images to a at least 150 dpi resolution. This helps to maintain the photo quality and integrity of the photo.

CLEAR COLOR and/or BLACK & WHITE PHOTOS WORK THE BEST!

DO IT YOURSELF Scan Help:
1. Clean your scanner bed with a non-abrasive wipe & appropriate cleaner.
2. Make sure glass is dry before placing picture or image down.
3. Photos need to rest against one side of the scanner bed so that it
remains straight.
4. Preview photo before scanning.
5. Scan all photos using the Color option even if they are B&W.
6. Photos 2x3 or smaller - Scan at 600 dpi.
7. Photos 5x7 - Scan at 300 dpi.
8. Photos larger than 5x7 - Scan at 200 dpi.
9. Always save as a jpeg or .JPG file without any compression.

FYI: When just using faces from your photos, in your artwork, we suggest choosing an image of the subject that is looking directly at the camera and is at least the size of a quarter.

If you need inspiration before you get started..checkout a small sample of our digital collage and photo art at Cafepress.

http://www.cafepress.com/225waterstreet

 

1. Select Open

2.Select your first image from the Photo Folder you've created on your desktop.

3. Using the Move Tool drag your first image into the working Photoshop background. The photos will be larger than your background, in most cases, so you have to crop, or reduce the image size to fit your canvas.

4. Make sure that the "Show Transform Controls" is checked on the Options Bar when enlarging or reducing the size of an image.

5.Adjust your canvas size (magnifying glass tool) so you can see the the highlighted area around the image. Using the Move Tool click on the corner of the image and hold down the shift key, reduce the image to the size of your canvas. See what looks good, move it around, take out what you don't want, focus on people or main subjects. Double click when you're satisfied.

6. Select Crop Tool and highlight entire image. You'll see that it's activated. Double click and the image will snap in. Yes, you want it to completely cover the canvas area.

7. Look over the image and decide if you need to adjust the contrast, fix red eye or adjust the hue. It's a personal thing. You can leave them as is, if you don't know how to make your digital photos look better. We can talk about that another time. I would suggest clicking on Image on the Menu Bar, choose adjustments and select Auto Contrast, just to give your images a little help. If it looks better, now would be a good time to save your file as a .psd, to the desktop, (call it collagepics.psd) in a new folder, called Box Collage, put your Baby Shower Pics folder in there too!

8. Repeat all steps until you have all of your images cropped, reduced and repaired.

9. Now select one layer at a time and save each image on the desktop, in your Baby Shower Pics folder, as a jpeg, name each one again! I make a sub folder called jpegs, so that I keep the original photos and jpegs separated.

10. Finish up with each layer and get ready to create a Box Collage.

I saved my file as babyshowerpics.psd, use your own name and close file. Save your working file in the main Baby Shower Folder. If you haven't created one yet, do so now.

Using your prepared images, we'll create the Box Collage.

1. Select File again.
2. Select New
3. Name the File BabyShowerCollage (as a psd) Set the width at 20" and the height at 16" with 200 Resolution, RGB color, transparent background. Click ok.
4. Go to Edit - Select Fill Choose your background color from the color palette. (I chose Baby Blue). Name the layer Background.
5. Select Layer then Select New Name the layer after you've chosen the image to bring in.
6. Select Open using the Move Tool
7.Select your first image from the Baby Shower Pics folder on your desktop and drag it onto your working background using the Move Tool.
8. When placing images leave a 1/4 inch margin on each side and 1 inch margins for the top and bottom of your working background. Note: Use your rulers to place images evenly.
SAVE YOUR WORK
9. Create and Name a New Layer for each image brought in.
10. Repeat all steps until you have all of your images placed on your working (canvas) background.
SAVE YOUR WORK
11.Now add Text and Clip Art.
12. I used Baby Duck Clip Art and Baby Boy Blocks, as my added graphic. Be creative! You can always change your mind.
13. Add text to Personlize. Date and Sign your Masterpiece.
SAVE YOUR WORKING FILE AGAIN.....as a psd
14. All of your images, text and clip art are now placed and ready to go...now it's time to save a copy of your Box Collage, as a jpeg, and take it into Cafepress. Easiest option for creating, displaying and purchasing.
15. Go to File
16. Select Save As Image Option Screen will Open.
17. Name = BabyShowerCollage
18. Format to select is jpeg. Leave layers and embed color profile checked. Save Collage JPEG on the Desktop, for now, you can file it in your folder when you have completed the following steps.
19. When JPEG options screen comes up choose Medium. Format option is Baseline, it's usually checked already.
20. Click OK.
21. Have Patience. Some files can take some time to save.
22. Save Your Working Collage file again as a psd and close. Keep working file in your Baby Shower Folder.

It's time to print.

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