Digital Scrapbooking is easy when you use Adobe’s new Photoshop Elements 2.0 & Album 2.0 bundle. Professional effects are simple for even the beginner and allow you to create super effects like these including sepia toned photos, textured backgrounds, framing overlays, borders and more! Read on to learn some of the basic skills used to create this layout and how you can tap into a whole new realm of creativity!

This project uses a number of the built in templates and features that make it easy to create and showcase some advanced effects with ease:

• sepia photographic effects are used on recent color photos
• textured effects are used for the background
• glow effect is used in the text
• text frames highlight the photo
• "wood” textured frame finishes off the project


Project Page

1. Create a new document. Open Photoshop Elements 2.0; select file>new. This will open a new project dialogue box. Simply name the project and choose the output size desired (any custom size may be chosen including 12” x 12”). In the content section select the “Background Color” button. Press OK.



2. Create the background. In the toolbar (located to the left) click on the color box at the bottom. The “Color Picker” will appear (see below). Using the color picker, select the color and shade you wish for the background.



In the toolbar, click on the paint bucket icon (this is the color “fill” tool). In the options bar panel across the top (see below), select Pattern>Waffle. Point to the project area and click, and the selected colors and patterns will automatically fill in the area.



3. Add the photo. Open the photo you want to use; drag it from the layers palette ot your project. Choose Image > Transform > Free Transform and then resize or rotate the image as necessary. Use the move tool to move the photo to the correct location in your project.



For the background photos, click on “Layer Styles” in the Palette Well (see below) and select Photographic Effects > Sepia. Drag this effect to the photo in the affect will automatically appear.



Next add a shadow to the photo. Use the Layer Styles tab in the Palettes well and select Drop Shadow > High. Drag this effect to the photo. To create a softer, background affect, adjust the opacity of this image to 53% (lowering opacity makes an image somewhat see through).

Repeat this step for additional background photos.



4. Add, Crop, Repair and Re-Orient the Photos. The main photo we selected was taken lengthwise and needed to be turned. In order to accomplish this for this photo we chose Image > Rotate > 900 Left.



Select Enhance>Quick Fix from the menu bar. This dialogue box allows you to adjust several options automatically, including brightness and color contrast. It also allows a preview the changes. Accept the changes and drag it from the layers palette to your project. Choose Image > Transform > Free Transform and then resize or rotate the image as necessary.



5. Add your greeting text. Select a new foreground color then select the vertical or horizontal type tool and type your text. In the options bar, set the weight and size of your text. Choose PapyrusLet and placed it in the lower left corner, with the text centered in the text area.



Next we clicked the Layer Styles button in the Palette Well again and selected Outer Glows > Heavy. Drag this to the text and it creates a warm glowing affect around the letters.



6. Special Effects. To create the translucent frames within the photos, go to the tool bar and select the marquee tool, then draw a square over one of the photos (this defines a selection). Select Effect > Frames > Text Panel from the palette well and drag to the selection box.



Adjust the opacity to 53%. In the Menu Bar select Image > Rotate > Free Rotate and move the image to the desired angle. Repeat for each desired placement.



7. Add a Border. The last step is to create a border. Once again, go to the Palette Well and select Effects > Frame > Wood Frame. Drag this into the work area to complete the project.



8. Finish Up. When you are satisfied with your results it is time to save your project. In the Menu Bar, choose File>Save As. This will default to a dialogue box and the .PDF format. Name your project (you can choose to leave it the same as the name you selected when you created the project) and click Save. Adobe projects then can be printed, posted to the web, sent as e-mail greetings and more!



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