I have been using PSP for awhile and I am generally familiar with it - but using it for scrapbooking purposes is new to me. So I decided to play with a freebie template provided by Jasc to help me determine whether or not I want to buy the extras packages. I am pretty familiar with layers and what they can do. Now in a particular template - I pulled in my 2 photos, and merged the layers together, and my photo layers are set at 100% opacity, so there should be no meshing of the colors. It looks OK on screen, but when I print the merged file, what is happening is that the photos inside the frame of the layout are taking on the same color characteristics of the background paper. I just don't get it - what am I possibly doing wrong?? I can upload the file for others to see if necessary if someone can direct me where to upload to (I have both the .psp file with layers intact and the merged file).

Thanks for any help!!!

Pat

I don't have PSP 8 installed so hopefully someone else will chime in who does. But did you try printing without merging layers - I know I can in PSE2. Is there a layer above the photo that has a lower opacity on it at all? What does it look like in print preview?

Pat
I will suggest a few things for you to try with printing. First of all make sure that your photo layers are on top of your template, and second you do not need to merge your layers to print out on your printer. Just print as an unmerged .pspimage file. When layers are merged they can take on the characteristics of the others layers depending on how you merge them.

The other reason that I can think of why this is happening is that you may have the overlay for your photos set at a different settings. Go to the far right of your layers palette and make sure that your photo settings are set to normal in the overlay button for each of your layers. This should found to the far right of the opacity slider. I am not at my computer so I am going by memory for this. I hope this helps you. I am sure someone else will chime in also.

Good luck.
Sandy

__________________
Happy Scrapping!

My Gallery
[IMG]

Thanks guys -

I tried printing both as a merged and unmerged file (i.e. in native .psp format with layers intact). The overlay definitely set to "normal." Again = opacity is set at 100% - I am NOT using a transparent layer!

Now - the photo rested on top of the frame mat but in the middle of other layers on top of this particular template - does the photo need to be at the very top with all the other layers underneath?

This is what gets me crazy - print preview (i.e. just looking at the image on the screen) is normal - but when the darned thing prints - it takes on the color characteristics of the underling layers and the paper below. I just don't know what I am doing wrong.

Any other ideas?

Pat

Is it possible that your printer head needs to be cleaned? If you are using a dark color as your background layer then it might be bleeding or rubbbing the darker ink onto your photo?

__________________