Alethea Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 I am brand new to scrap girls and I am so excited to start my first page. I have been reading messageboards and info at the university and thought using a LO would be the way to go. To be honest I think I would have had more success if I started from scratch. Some of the tutorials at the university have been helpful but they go too fast and don't start from square one. I am a fast learner and this frustrates me. Does anyone have a very simple version of the "How to?" I have purchased the "Holiday Happy" LO to be more specific. Here are a few questions in particular that I came across. What file name to you pull up? There are so many that came with the template. Do I import pictures first? If I want to stop midway through, what do I save as? Can I ruin my original template if I am not careful? (Off subject) What does the little blue square under my username mean? Some have many, some have few or none? By the way, all of you at scrapgirls have been sooooo helpful!!! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennk Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Hi Alethea! Welcome! Once you get the hang of templates they won't be hard at all. First, look in your template file and see if you have a file that ends in .psd. This is your layered template file. Recently the layered templates started being offered. I don't have the one that you mentioned so I am not sure if it is a new one or not. If it doesn't have a layered file you will have to do that yourself. Here is the method that I use to do that: First I open all of the files related to the template. Then, I find the background and drag that onto my new blank document. Usually there is some way to tell which file/piece comes next, like numbers at the end of the file name. I find the next piece and drag it onto my document while holding down the shift key. Holding the shift key will place the piece exactly where it goes on the LO. Continue doing this until all the pieces are there. You can check the preview file that came with your download, a jpeg file, to make sure it is assembled correctly. Before doing anything else I save the layered file so that the next time I want to use it I won't have to put it together again. Now that the template is together you can start adding your pictures and papers. I usually start at the bottom and build my way up. Find the paper you want to use as your background and drag it onto your LO. You will want it right above your background layer. Once there apply a clipping mask, Command-G on Mac. Once happy with it's placement you can merge down to "adhere" it the template. Do this for each piece of the template. You can only ruin your template if you save on top of your original files. To be safe always drag it to a new document and then close your original. If you save midway through a LO then just title it whatever you want. When you open it back up it will be there ready and waiting. These were really general answers so feel free to post again if you need more specific help. We'll be glad to help out! PS- the little blue square are related to the number of posts you have made. As you post more you will get more squares :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristinaP Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Welcome to Scrap Girls Althea! I'm not familiar with the item you bought, but you can import pictures first or paper first. I usually find pictures first, then pick paper to go with them. I think with the templates you need to open all the files, and drag them onto a new blank canvas. You can save (and should save) often! Save as anything you think will help you remember what this layout is about, or save by using the date as the name. If you don't save often, you could loose everything you are working on - this has happened to me more than once! If you save over the original you could loose it, that's why it's a good idea to "save as" as soon as you start modifying it. The little blue squares correspond to how many posts you have made! Hope that helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alethea Posted January 3, 2008 Author Share Posted January 3, 2008 What do I save my newly created template as, so I can access it easily next time and not have to recreate it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anna Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Alethea, since you posted in the Mac forum, I am assuming that you are using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. If that is right, after you've layered the template, before you start adding paper and photos, save the template as a PSD file so that next time you want to use it you don't have to put it all together again. Save any layouts in progress as PSD files. This will keep all of your layers intact, so that you can come back and work on it again later. I never get rid of the PSD version of a LO, because even after I think a LO is done, I always seem to find mistakes. As long as you have the PSD file, you can go back and fix them. Then, when you are ready to print (if you are sending your files somewhere to be printed) or post here in the gallery or email or whatever, save as a JPEG. This automatically flattens the layers, so you won't be able to make changes (that's why the PSD version is important-for when you notice mistakes that you missed). One more thing-make sure that you are creating everything at 300 dpi. You'll need that quality to get a good looking print. Then, when you are done, if you want to post a LO or email it to someone, you can save a copy with a smaller dpi (that will make the file smaller). If you need help doing this, just post and someone can walk you through it. Post what program and version you are using, since the steps vary. Hope that helps you get started! By the way, have you checked out the free eBook 15 Things You Need to Know to Become a Great Digital Scrapbooker? That will help you get started. Also, there are some really fabulous video tutorials in the Boutique that go over all of the basics. There are different versions depending on what program you are using. Scrapbooking Secrets Revealed Let us know if you have any more questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goofyemt96 Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Hi Alethea! Welcome to Scrapgirls!! SO glad you posted this here...I tried helping you last night but knew nothing about Mac..I sure hope you get it figured out!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alethea Posted January 4, 2008 Author Share Posted January 4, 2008 Thanks to everyone! I have successfully created a template using PSE4 and saved it as a PSD. I feel like I'm on my way to success. However, now my problem is that when I want to add pictures and backgrounds, something freezes and I nothing can move except the photo I just dealt with. Is there something I need to do right after adding a picture to my layout? I heard command + G but that didn't do anything either. One last thing...when am I supposed to "merge visible?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goofyemt96 Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Wooooooo hoooooooooo So happy you were able to get one done!! Congrats!! Be sure to post it in the gallery for lal to leave you some love!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alethea Posted January 4, 2008 Author Share Posted January 4, 2008 Wooooooo hoooooooooo So happy you were able to get one done!! Congrats!! Be sure to post it in the gallery for lal to leave you some love!! I have successfully created a template. It's a little early to celebrate my first finished page. Like I said before, I am kinda stuck on the importing and placing of pictures and colors. I'll get there. I learn a lot every day. You guys are so supportive and HELPFUL!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildkat Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Welcome to Scrap Girls --- You will love it here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennk Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Thanks to everyone! I have successfully created a template using PSE4 and saved it as a PSD. I feel like I'm on my way to success. However, now my problem is that when I want to add pictures and backgrounds, something freezes and I nothing can move except the photo I just dealt with. Is there something I need to do right after adding a picture to my layout? I heard command + G but that didn't do anything either. One last thing...when am I supposed to "merge visible?" Hey again Alethea! Glad to hear that you are on your way. Once you have moved your photo onto your LO you should be able to click on your layers palette (on the right side) to select another layer to work on. If my picture or paper is to be "clipped" to the layer below it I hit the command (apple key) plus the G. That groups it or clips it to the layer directly below it. So, double check to make sure your picture or paper is right above your shape you want it clipped to and then, with the picture/paper layer selected do the apple G key. That should work. I merge visible usually when I am working on things with an invisible background. For instance, if I had an embellishment that I wanted to apply a paper to. I would open the embellishment, drag my paper on top of it, clip it to the embellishment ( apple +G key) and then merge visible. By merging visible I maintain the invisible part of the embellishment which then means when I drag it to my LO I won't have a white background around it. If you do the "merge down" then you will get that white background. As far as I can tell that is the difference between merging visible and merging down. Hope that helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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