Using backgrounds - SBB Digital Scrapbooking Forums | Scrapbook-Bytes

equest17 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-13-2004

I'm very new to digital scrapbooking and have just started learning PSE2. I have a pretty simply (and silly) question. What is the best way to use the pages and backgrounds that can be downloaded at this site? Should I open a new file and designate the 8X10 preset size with 300 dpi, and then open the background I want and move it over? Will I have to stretch it? Or should I directly open the file I want for the background page and adjust the size somehow (image resize? other?)? I just want to make sure it will print on a full size letter sheet of paper and won't look too "pixalized".

Also, do I have to crop and edit my photos before I put them on my background? I tried to start a page (colored the background, opened a picture and brought it in), but when I tried to crop the picture (which was in a different layer than the background), it cropped out everything else on the screen! I'd appreciate any help.

Sarah

PamSav · #2 (**permalink**) 08-13-2004

Hi Sarah,

I've only recently started using PSE2 myself but there are some great tutorials on this site that you should check out. When I'm doing my layouts I usually edit my photos first before I import them onto my background. Also, I usually set my page size in a new document then copy the background into it, I don't risk saving my layout over it by mistake then!

HTH and welcome to a great website !!

Pam.

Carole · #3 (**permalink**) 08-13-2004

Hi Sarah. Welcome aboard.

When using the backgrounds, I usually start a new document, sizing it at x 300 dpi and the page size of my print out. Then I open my background file and drag or copy it over. If it's not the right size I resize in one of two ways. You can just make it narrower or shorter if you don't mind that the aspect ratio will change. For some backgrounds this doesn' work. It makes things look squished. In that case, I resize by holding SHIFT and dragging one of the corners untill it's the height of my page. Then I move it around until I find a section that looks good on my page. I haven't had any trouble with pixilation when the images are 300 dpi.

Cropping works a little differently once the photo is dragged or copied into your project. To do it there you need to be sure you're working on the layer you want to crop. Then select the area with the marquee tool. You'll see dotted lines surrounding the area you've selected. If you delete here it will remove whatever is inside the selected area. To remove the area outside the selected area, go to select, inverse then delete. And don't forget you can undo if you don't get it just right the first time. I use that A LOT.

I hope this is helpful and not confusing. Just hollar if you need more explanation and I'll try again when I get home. I'm just leaving work for home.

Carole in SLC

leeandra · #4 (**permalink**) 08-13-2004

Ditto what Carole said. Since 8x10 is a different ratio than 12x12, you need to leave a couple inches excess off the side of your page to make the original pattern(s) not look distorted if you are using the Image Resize tool. If it is an unpatterned paper, you can Image Resize and just leave a cm or so around all the edges to make sure white space doesn't show.

To resize photos once they are on the page, you need to use the Image Resize tool, drag out one of the corners, and MAKE SURE YOU PRESS SHIFT the entire time you're dragging to retain the photo's original ration.

HTH!

AmyJ · #5 (**permalink**) 08-14-2004

Cropping will resize the entire file.

Here's what I would do-

First I would suggest creating a backup file for each of your elements. This can be as simple as putting tem all on a CD-R. This will help in several ways. Take it from me, a computer can crash andyou may loose everything. In addition, CD's can get scratched or worse. Plus, you really don't want to take the chance of saving over your element with something modified.

I would crop the background to 8 by 10. Then either

1) Copy and Paste the background into your new image- CTRL "A" will select the entire image. Great for this kind of task. And of course Ctrl "C" will copy and Ctrl "P" will paste. When you close the background image that you cropped do not save the changes.

2) Save the file as the name of your layout and build your layout on top of that background.

Now, cropping and photos. I prefer when possible to crop my pictures in their original (or backup) file to the size I want in my layout. This does two things. It allows me to easily cut out the part of the picture I don't want and it keeps my 300 dpi image clear when I copy and paste.

Sometimes, of course, I want to change the size. Once you choose move/resize in your toolbar you can see a chain icon in the tool options toolbar. You can click on this to lock the aspect ratio. Then you can re-size the image.

Kajikit · #6 (**permalink**) 08-29-2004

If you want to use a 12x12 background on an 81/2x11 layout you'll have to crop it. I'd start by opening the background file and copying it to a new document, then resize it to 11 inches tall (which will shrink it a little and save you from cropping vertically), and then crop it to 81/2 wide.

The 'crop' tool applies to the whole file, not to individual layers. It's tricky that way... if you want to clear part of a layer then you need to use the delete function instead - to crop around a photo, select the photo, then go to the menu and say 'select inverse'. The marquee (crawling ants) will look the same, but if you hit the delete key it will remove the outside of the box, not the inside.

Alternatively, move the photo or item you want to crop to a seperate file, and crop it there, then paste it back!