Option for pictures other than Square - Page 2 - SBB Digital Scrapbooking Forums | Scrapbook-Bytes

Tracey R (Haley64) · #9 (**permalink**) 08-02-2005

Kim, actually the flower cutout on the loving daughter is done with a preset shape not a mask.
I believe that you have better control using a shape for the cutout then you do with a mask as you have to play around with both the photo size and position of your photo on the square/rectangle image so that the right part would be right where the mask would land.

Lane I will get together a small tut and post it here for you to see and try get that link to the topic posted again. I bumped it up in the list but here is the link:
http://www.scrapbook-bytes.com/chat/...439#post125439

Here is a link to one of my pages on the web about vector shapes:
http://www.paulbunyan.net/users/haley/vector_shapes.htm
Make sure to check out this link also, very neat!!
http://gfxsally.com/phpfiles/psp-89-...set-shapes.php
She has alot of preset shapes that you can download into your Preset Shapes Folder.
http://gfxsally.com/phpfiles/psp-presetshapes.php
Here's another link to more shapes for PSP
http://www.psplinks.com/content/Shapes_Downloads.html

You can't even image the shapes that are available if you convert the .wmf files to be used in PSP9!!!

I have Microsoft Office which uses clipart, but you can also just search for .wfm clipart files too.

Ok here is how you do it:
Open the photo you want to use, make a duplicate of it so you don't mess up the original one!!
You need to change the "layer" property and make it a Raster Layer <Layers/Promote Background Layer>
Now select your Preset Shape Tool or just hit the "P" button on your keyboard and it will make that tool active.
I am sorry I do not remember which shapes come pre-loaded with PSP9, but I know it is possible to load that folder up with preset shapes!!
Then at the top of your screen toward the left-hand side you will see the little box with the drop down arrow so you can select the shape of your choice for your photo. Uncheck the Retain Style box, leaving the Anti-Alias and Create as vector checked.
Then just draw out your shape, this will create a new vector layer in your layers pallet on the right side.
Now you can move this shape around as you wish so it covers the correct area of the photo that you want to "SAVE"!! You also need to change this layer to a raster layer <Layers/Convert to Raster Layer>

Now select your magic wand tool with options set to: Replace > All Opaque > Anti-alias, all the other ones do not matter right now, except if you wanted to feather your selection then play with the feather control and the inside/outside boxes.
Make sure your shape raster layer is the active layer and select your shape, you will see the marching ants around your shape!!
Now you need to Invert your selection: Crtl+shift+I, you will see the marching ants now around the outside of your image and around the outside of your shape.

Now here is the important part....go and select your first raster layer, it is the one with your photo on it!!!

Now select "Cut", or Control+X
Now you are thinking...wait it is just the shape that is still there...? go back to your layers and click the little eye icon and make that layer invisiable. Now you will see the part of your photo that you decided to keep in the form of a shape.
You can at this time also delete the shape layer and it will not affect the shape of your photo!!
Also remember that you can add shapes to your preset shapes folder, so your photo's can be almost any .wmf shape you can find.

computerpeach · #10 (**permalink**) 08-02-2005

oh wow - i never thaught about doing it that way - the people I learned PSP from used masks, so that is how I learned.

just goes to show you there are several ways in PSP to achieve the same result. just depends on what you are comfortable with.

jerryatrick · #11 (**permalink**) 08-02-2005

I am so busy today my step children are visiting, but just glanced at this message. I will try it all. Thank you so much for your help. I'll let you know how it goes once again thanks so much Lane

Tracey R (Haley64) · #12 (**permalink**) 08-02-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by computerpeach

oh wow - i never thaught about doing it that way - the people I learned PSP from used masks, so that is how I learned.

just goes to show you there are several ways in PSP to achieve the same result. just depends on what you are comfortable with.

I don't believe that this is the same result as trying to do it with masks!!
Can you please tell me how to move a mask around on an image, so as to have the photo underneath revealed in the right location? (Besides having to create my own mask)
Say I have a photo and the main subject I want to keep is to the left hand side half way down my image. How do you get the mask to either select that part?
From what I know you have to crop that photo image in the beginning to the right size and location and then apply the mask to Fit to Canvas/Fit to Layer or As is....
I realize that I can and do make my own masks...but I have never had any luck with them selecting the right portion of an image to mask out.
Sincerely,
Tracey

computerpeach · #13 (**permalink**) 08-02-2005

what i have done in the past is if i have an image that i want masked - i adjust my canvas size to match the mask - whether by cropping or by adding a border - dependant on what needs to be done.

i just tried something with the masks - once you have masked the image, but it isn't "quite" centered - i have gone to my layer pallet and then ungrouped the layers. I was then able to move my picture layer to where I wanted it in the mask.

clear as mud, right? lol

Tracey R (Haley64) · #14 (**permalink**) 08-02-2005

Ok Kewl...also after you ungroup the layers, you can also use the resize option right on the MASK RASTER LAYER and that resizes the mask so that it can be used instead of having to crop or add borders to the raster photo layer....

Well now doesn't this make PSP even more FUN and versatile!!!! LOL hehe and they have stamps in PS!!! hehehe

Man,

I love learning new things...thank-you!!