**Program Tutorials** : Photoshop : *Technique

TECHNIQUE: Using masks with a film strip template.

This tutorial will show you how to use a layer mask to have one image displayed in several frames of a film strip, creating a panorama effect.



1. Create a new image at the size you want your layout to be. I used 12x12 inches at 300 dpi. {File>New>set the size and dpi}
2. Open the photo you want to use and drag your photo into the layout. In the first sample screenshot I have already added a background. {I used one from Jen Wilson's Seasonal Scraps CD.}
3. Open the film strip template and drag into the layout. {I used a free template downloaded from escrappers.com}

You will now have 3 layers in your layout.

{Screenshot #1 - showing the layout and the 3 layers in the layers palette}



4. Using the move tool, position the film strip template over the photo until you see the parts of the photo you want to be showing in the frames. In the sample shown, I wanted to have the two buffalo showing as well as some trees on the side of the road.

5. a. On the layers palette, select the layer with your photo,
b. Go to the menu bar, and under Layers choose Layer Mask, Hide All

{Screenshot #2 - showing the menu bar "layers" and the flyout menu}}


{Screenshot #3 - showing the layout and the 3 layers in the layers palette with the layer mask}


6. Switch layers on the layers palette to highlight the film strip layer.

7. a. Select the Magic Wand tool from the toolbox, and check the options bar along the top to be sure there is a checkmark in front of "contiguous" and NO checkmark in front of "sample all layers". The tolerance and anti-alias options should not be important as you will be selecting transparent pixels. In my sample I had them set as 25 tolerance and with anti-alias checked.

b. Click with the Magic Wand in the first frame of the filmstrip. Holding down the shift key (to add to the selection) click in each of the additional frames of the filmstrip, until all frames are selected. You should see several blocks of "marching ants"

8. On the layers palette, highlight the layer with the photo you are using and click on the layer mask. Your foreground/background colors blocks on the bottom of the toolbox should be showing black and white. Set white as the foreground and choose the flood fill tool in the toolbox. Click on your layout to fill the layer mask and reveal the parts of the image that will show on your layout. The rest of the image should remain hidden.

{Screenshot #4 - showing the layout, the layer mask, and the frames of the filmstrip filled by the image}



You're now all done with the masking and may now "de-select" by using control-D, or on the menu bar Select>Deselect, and finish up your layout.


Additional Options and Information:

Sample 1

This technique will work with a variety of frames or filmstrips. In the final version of the layout I decided to use a multiple/mini frame from Jen Wilson's Seasonal Scraps CD instead of the filmstrip I had started with.

On the layers palette, I right-clicked on the layer mask and deleted it. This brought back the original image and I then followed the preceding steps to use the multiple/mini frame instead of the film strip. Had I used cropping instead of masking on this layout, there would have been considerable work involved in making that change.

{Sample 1 - final layout for the image used in the tutorial}



Sample 2

In this second sample I used a dingbat, which was then rastorized to create the shape I wanted for a frame.

{Sample 2 - dingbat used as a frame}



Sample 3

Masks will use a full range of grayscale. As you've seen in this tutorial, black hides everything, and white reveals. Shades of gray will partially hide the image.

Sample 3 - I also used a dingbat to make the frame. A shade of gray was used to allow all of the image to be seen, but with the subjects highlighted by using white inside the frame. Using layer styles, a stroke was added which turned the image outside of the mask to a shade of red. A stroke was added to the image overall on a separate layer.

(Background layer seen is from Jen Wilson's Seasonal Scraps CD.)

{Sample 3 - showing a mask on the image layer that used shades of gray}


Happy Masking! If you have any questions please post them in the forum.

© Copyright 2003-2005 by Scrapbook-Bytes; & original creator/s of tutorials/articles

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