Creating a Layout From Scratch Part 1

Learn how to create a simple scrapbook layout from scratch using Photoshop Elements

Hello, and welcome to my Photoshop Elements for Absolutely Beginners training videos. Today I’m going to show you how to create a layout completely from scratch, without using any of Photoshop’s built-in themes or background papers that they have in their artwork library.

Once I open up Photoshop Elements, the first thing I’m going to do is click on File, New, and Blank File. My options window will pop up. This window is where you would select the width and height of your layout page.

Right now it’s set to pixels, so I’m going to change that to inches, and turn that to 12 by 12 inches, which is what I want. Also I’m going to change the resolution to 300 pixels per inch.
I do that because 300 pixels per inch will allow me to print my layout in the future. If I kept it at 72 pixels per inch, the quality of the layout would only be good for screen display. Those kind of files are best for displaying on the Web or through email, or if you want to record them to a CD or DVD player. However, if you create it in 300 pixels per inch, this always gives you the option to print your layouts in the future, whether you want to do so or not at this point.

If you’re not sure, I highly recommend that you just simply create your layouts in 300 pixels per inch, because you never know in the future if you want to print out your layout, either in a book or to be framed, you will not regret it.

Keep it at 300, click okay, and my Windows display, is going to show my 12 by 12 inch page document. The next thing I want to do is add my digital scrapbook papers. I’m going to open those. Now to make sure, I’m going to select my full resolution papers, which I’ve created in PDF format. I want this one.

Now that you have three paper styles open, coordinating papers, you can see the thumbnails are appearing in the photo bin down here at the bottom. What I’m going to do is select my first background layer. Select all by hitting Control A, copying it, and pasting it right on my layout.

I’m going to leave that one there. Then I am going to select my marquis, click and drag maybe a third of the paper, copy it and paste that over here.

On this one, I only want, one of the stripes. With my marquis tool selected, I’m going to click and drag, copy it, and paste it. I’m also going to come back over here to take one of the yellow stripes out of this, as well.

Now I have all the paper elements that I want for this layout. First I’m going to hide the two stripes that I’ve copied in here. As you see over here in the layers palette, each item is on its own separate layer, so I'm going to select the striped paper. I’m just going to move that down here. And make the yellow stripe visible. Now, I’m going to rotate this one. I want this to be the top of my paper. I’m going to drag that down here.

Then I’m going to display my other stripe that I copied in here, I’m going to move that layer above the yellow one, and I’m also going to rotate that one 90 degrees, as well. I’m going to move that down below on the yellow stripe. But my yellow stripe is really not wide enough, because I want it to appear on both, I need to adjust it to where I want it to be.

Now that I have my papers situated where I want them, I am going to start adding my photo. But first of all, I am going to use one of Photoshop’s frames by clicking on the artworks icon, selecting Frames, and then I’ve selected Vintage.

I’m going to click and it will put my frame right in the center of my layout. I want it more of a portrait style, so I’m going to resize that right away.

I’m going to click, select my photo. It will pop up right in there. It’s a little bit bigger than I wanted it to, so I will resize it, and click okay. Then move it off here to the center.

Obviously, the color of my daughter’s shirt is a little too bright for these color palettes, so I am going to do the old standby sepia tone, which can be found under the Effects and Filters, Photo Effects, and Image Effects. Click on the sepia tone and apply.

Sometimes you will get this warning box that says “You are trying to edit a photo in a frame layer, but first, it must be simplified. You will lose resolution independence. Do you want to continue?” Just click okay. It has turned the photo to a sepia tone with a nice vintage border.

The next thing I’m going to do is add the title to this layout. I’m simply going to use my daughter’s name. I want to type that here at the bottom of the layout. But I need to add drop shadow to get it to pop a little bit more, because it’s blending in with the background too much for me. Go back to the soft – and try low, hit apply. This just gives it a nice shadow, and definition, to make it stand out a bit on a page. Very simple.