Digital Scrapbook Academy January 2018: Lesson 01 Get Started for Photoshop Users
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LESSON 01: GET STARTEDFOR PS USERS
COMPANION BOOK
Digital Scrapbook Academy January 2018: Lesson 01 Get Started for Photoshop Users
Table of Contents
Table of Contents 2
Welcome to Lesson 01 for Photoshop Users 3
1: A Quick Intro to the Photoshop Interface 4
a. The PSCC 2018 Tour 4
b. Quickly Customize the Interface 6
2: Navigate To & Unzip Your Files 7
a. Download the Class Kit 7
b. Unzip the Files 7
3: Layered Templates Intro 8
a. Open, Re-Save and Review the Layered Template 9
b. Add Your First Photo 9
c. Resize the Photo 10
d. Clip the Photo to the Photo Shape 10
e. Add Your Second Photo 10
f. Convert a Color Photo into Black & White 10
4: Complete Your First Page 12
a. Place the Background Paper 12
b. Add a 2nd Paper & Photo Matte 13
c. Add Dimensional Elements 13
d. Add a Title 14
e. Finish with Journaling 15
f. Save the Layout & Ready for Web Sharing 15
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Digital Scrapbook Academy January 2018: Lesson 01 Get Started for Photoshop Users
Welcome to Lesson 01 for Photoshop Users
Welcome to the first page-building lesson of Digital Scrapbook Academy! Going
forward, we’ll use Adobe Photoshop® CC 2018 to build simple, digital scrapbook
layouts.
In this lesson, I’ll introduce you to the CC 2018 interface and highlight the
foundational tools that you’ll commonly use to craft creatively. In addition, our focus
this month is to quickly build our first page using a digital scrapbook template. Next
month, we’ll dive deeper into the CC interface, and customize our workspace.
We’ll accomplish the following objectives:
• Tour the PS CC 2018 interface
• Quickly customize the interface
• Download and unzip digital files
• Recognize different file types for digital scrapbooking
• Open, duplicate and save a layered template
• Review the individual components of layered templates
• Add photos and papers to a layout using clipping masks
• Convert a color photo to black and white
• Decorate a layout with fonts and embellishments
• Save the layout and ready for web sharing
Let’s get started!
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Digital Scrapbook Academy January 2018: Lesson 01 Get Started for Photoshop Users
1: A Quick Intro to the Photoshop Interface
There’s always a feeling of mystery and apprehension when opening a new program
for the first time because we don’t quite know where everything is and what
everything does. We’ll begin with a quick tour of the Photoshop CC 2018 interface
and highlight the most important functions you’ll use as a digital scrapbooker. That
way, you can begin taming your apprehension.
a. The PSCC 2018 Tour
i. Top Menu Bar: Located at the very top of the interface, the top menu
bar performs tasks organized by topic. For example, the File menu
contains commands related to file management: creating a new file,
opening an already existing file, closing a file, etc.
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Digital Scrapbook Academy January 2018: Lesson 01 Get Started for Photoshop Users
ii. Tools Panel: Located on the left side of the screen, the tools panel
provides access to the many tools we can play with as we scrapbook.
a. Icons: The tools are separated by way of icons, which easily help us
identify the tools available and in use.
b. Tool Tips: Hover the mouse over any icon and a tool tip will pop out.
The 2018 version of the tool tip provides the name of the actual tool,
its keyboard shortcut, a short description and an example video of
the tool in use.
c. Keyboard Shortcuts: Once a tool tip appears, next to the name of
the tool in parentheses is a keyboard shortcut that you can use to
access other tools without having to move your mouse.
d. Hidden Tools: All tools have small arrow icons in the bottom right
corner of their boxes that pop up when you click on a specific tool.
The small arrow indicates that other hidden tools are nested within
this tool with different options.
iii. Context Sensitive Menu: A group of options that change based solely
on the active tool selected. For example, activating the Move tool will
change the context sensitive menu to functions you can toggle on or off
and adjust specific to the Move tool. Switching the active tool to the
Brush tool will again change the tool options to a new set of functions
along with those hidden tools related specifically to the Brush tool.
iv. Active Image Area: The central, sizable area in the middle of the screen
commonly referred to as the workspace. All tools and panels will work
with the one, visible, active image.
v. Layers Panel: Located on the right of screen, the layers panel
automatically assigns a layer to your digital scrapbooking layout
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Digital Scrapbook Academy January 2018: Lesson 01 Get Started for Photoshop Users
whenever something is added. In addition, the layers panel allows you to
create new layers, blend layers, add adjustment and fill layers and other
customizations to your scrapbook page.
vi. Additional Panels: Most other panels open on the right side of the
screen near the layers panel. They can be accessed by visiting the top
menu, clicking on Window, and choosing any of the panels from the
drop down menu. The second most important panel is the History Panel,
which allows you to back up or Undo previous steps.
b. Quickly Customize the Interface
i. Change the color of the interface. Click on Photoshop CC in the top
menu. Select Preferences. Click on Interface. Under Appearance, choose
a Color Theme that suits you: Black, Dark Gray, Light Gray, or White.
ii. Change the interface’s font size. Still within Interface, under Text,
choose a UI Font Size that suits you: Tiny, Small, Medium, Large.
iii. Increase the tab size. Click on Workspace in the left navigation of the
same Preferences menu. Check the option Large Tabs.
iv. Click OK.
v. Complete all changes. Click on Photoshop CC and choose Quit
Photoshop CC to complete changes.
vi. Verify all changes. Restart Photoshop CC and verify all changes were
completed.
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Digital Scrapbook Academy January 2018: Lesson 01 Get Started for Photoshop Users
2: Navigate To & Unzip Your Files
One of the perks of digital scrapbooking is having endless, 24-hour access to digital
kits and goodies from all over the world. Nothing beats having that kind of stash
growing potential at your fingertips. You’ll need to know how to download, unzip and
extract digital files to use the on your digital scrapbook pages.
a. Download the Class Kit
i. Navigate to the DSA classroom and click on the image marked Kits &
Supplies.
ii. Click on the images named “Template 01” & “Felicity Kit”. Each kit
should automatically download to your download’s folder.
b. Unzip the Files
i. Navigate to each folder on your hard drive (the location will be different
based on your hardware and operating system).
ii. Move the zipped files to another location on your hard drive. For
example, you may want to create a new folder for DSA Class Kits and
place the zipped files within.
iii. If the files are not already unzipped and extracted, right click on the file
and select Extract All from the pop up menu.
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Digital Scrapbook Academy January 2018: Lesson 01 Get Started for Photoshop Users
3: Layered Templates Intro
The heart of digital scrapbooking is building scrapbook pages. In our first page-
building exercise, we’ll create a simple layout using a digital scrapbooking template
as our guide. Digital scrapbooking templates are a digital tool that combines quick
and easy design with creative flexibility. In this section, we’ll review the anatomy of a
digital template and customize are template with photos.
Supplies you’ll need:
• Felicity kit from the Lesson 01 supplies
• Template 01 from the Lesson 01 supplies
• 2 color photos
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Digital Scrapbook Academy January 2018: Lesson 01 Get Started for Photoshop Users
a. Open, Re-Save and Review the Layered Template
i. Open the template file in the photo editor. Go to File > Open and
navigate to DSA_template_01.psd. Click Open.
ii. Duplicate and save the layered template. Go to Image > Duplicate …
iii. In the “As” box type myfirstpage and click OK.
iv. Close the original template file. Click on the original template file tab
located at the top of the workspace. Go to File > Close.
v. Expand the view of the active workspace. Go to View > Fit on Screen.
vi. Remove panels you won’t use. Double-click the tabs named Color and
Libraries.
vii. Customize the Layers Panel Options. Click on the Layers Panel menu
(the four bars on the top right of the Layers Panel). Click on Panel
Options … Under Thumbnail Size, select the largest thumbnail and under
Thumbnail Contents, select Layer Bounds. Click OK.
viii.Review the layered template’s components in the Layers Panel layer by
layer.
b. Add Your First Photo
i. Select the first photo container layer. Click on the bottom photo layer
in the Layer’s Panel.
ii. Open your photo. Go to File > Open and navigate to the digital photo
on your hard drive Click OK.
iii. Add your photo to the page. Select the Move tool. Click and drag the
photo into the workspace. Move the photo until it’s directly over the
photo shape in the workspace.
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Digital Scrapbook Academy January 2018: Lesson 01 Get Started for Photoshop Users
c. Resize the Photo
i. Make resizing easier. With the Move tool still targeted, in the context
sensitive menu, check Auto-Select: Layer and check Show Transform
Controls.
ii. Reduce or enlarge your photo. Hold the Shift key, and click and drag
the corner anchor points of the photo until it’s slightly larger than the
template’s photo shape.
iii. Confirm the resizing change. Click the checkmark at the far right of the
context sensitive menu or hit the Enter key.
d. Clip the Photo to the Photo Shape
i. Assign the photo to the template’s photo container layer. Go to Layer
> Create Clipping Mask (or Create Clipping Group).
ii. Fine-tune the clipping. Use the Move tool to reposition the photo if
necessary.
iii. Link the photos and the shape layer together in the Layers Panel. Hold
down the Shift key and select both the photo container layer and the
photo. Click on the Link Layers icon at the bottom of the Layers Panel.
e. Add Your Second Photo
i. Continue to add photos to your layout. Target the second photo
container layer in the Layers Panel. Follow steps b.ii through d.iii to add
your second photo.
f. Convert a Color Photo into Black & White
i. Target one of the photo layers in the Layers Panel.
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Digital Scrapbook Academy January 2018: Lesson 01 Get Started for Photoshop Users
ii. Choose the correct adjustment layer. Click on the Create New Fill or
Adjustment Layer icon in the Layers Panel. Select Black & White from
the fly out menu.
iii. Close the adjustment layer’s panel. Collapse the panel by click on the
right-pointing, double arrows at the top right of the Black & White
panel.
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Digital Scrapbook Academy January 2018: Lesson 01 Get Started for Photoshop Users
4: Complete Your First Page
In this section, we’ll complete our page by adding paper and tag decorations and
finishing our page with title and journaling. We’ll wrap up by saving our first page and
preparing it for sharing on the internet.
a. Place the Background Paper
i. Select the right layer. Click on the layered named background in the
Layers Panel.
ii. Open a background paper. Go to File > Open and choose a paper from
the class kit. Click Open.
iii. Add the paper to your layout. Select the Move tool from the Tools
panel. Click and drag the paper into the layout’s workspace. Reposition
the paper if necessary using the Move tool.
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Digital Scrapbook Academy January 2018: Lesson 01 Get Started for Photoshop Users
b. Add a 2nd Paper & Photo Matte
i. Select the right layer. Click on the layer named paper in the Layers
Panel.
ii. Open a second paper. Go to File > Open and choose a paper from the
class kit. Click Open.
iii. Add the paper to your layout. Select the Move tool from the Tools
panel. Click and drag the paper into the layout’s workspace. Reposition
the paper if necessary using the Move tool.
iv. Assign the paper to the template’s paper container. Go to Layer >
Create Clipping Mask.
v. Select the right layer. Click on the layered named photo matte in the
Layers Panel.
vi. Open a third paper. Go to File > Open and choose a paper from the
class kit. Click Open.
vii. Add the paper to your layout. Select the Move tool from the Tools
panel. Click and drag the paper into the layout’s workspace. Reposition
the paper if necessary using the Move tool.
viii.Assign the paper to the template’s photo matte container. Go to Layer
> Create Clipping Mask.
c. Add Dimensional Elements
i. Open 4 tags from the class kit. Go to File > Open and choose four
different embellishment tags. Click Open.
ii. Add the tags to your layout. Select the Move tool from the Tools panel.
Click and drag one tag at a time onto the workspace.
iii. Close each tag file. Go to File > Close.
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Digital Scrapbook Academy January 2018: Lesson 01 Get Started for Photoshop Users
iv. Reposition the tags over the tag shapes in the workspace. Select the
Move tool and click and drag each tag over a tag shape.
v. Clean up the Layers Panel. Reposition the tags over the layers named
tag in the Layers Panel.
vi. Add the template tag’s stylings to the new tags. Right click the layer
named tag 1 and select Copy Layer Style. Right click one of the newly
added tags and select Paste Layer Style.
vii. Remove the template tags from the layout. Select the layer named tag
1 and press the Delete key.
viii.Add stylings to all new tags. Right click another of the newly added
tags and select Paste Layer Style. Continue to Paste Layer Style to all
newly added tags.
ix. Remove the remaining template tags from the layout. Select each
template tag layer and press the Delete key.
d. Add a Title
i. Select the right layer. Select the layer named title in the Layers Panel.
ii. Select the right tool. Select the Horizontal Type Tool in the Tools Panel
and click on the word “Title” in the workspace.
iii. Replace the text. Type a new word and delete the old letters. Click on
the checkmark at the top right of the context sensitive menu.
iv. Open the Type Panel. Go to Window > Character.
v. Fine-tune the look. Click the Color block within the panel and choose a
color that matches a paper in the layout. Note: You can sample colors in
the layout by moving your mouse over the active space once the Color
Picker opens. Click OK.
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Digital Scrapbook Academy January 2018: Lesson 01 Get Started for Photoshop Users
vi. Replace the text. Click on the word “Here” in the workspace. Type a
new word and delete the old letters. Click on the checkmark at the top
right of the context sensitive menu.
vii. Fine-tune the look. Click the Color block within the panel and choose a
color that matches a paper in the layout. Click OK.
viii.Optional: Change the font of the title layers using the Character panel.
e. Finish with Journaling
i. Select the right layer. Click the on the layer named journaling in the
Layers Panel.
ii. Replace the text in the block. Click and drag the mouse along the text
in the journaling block. Press the Delete key. With the journaling block
still selected, type your new journaling. Click on the checkmark at the
top right of the context sensitive menu.
f. Save the Layout & Ready for Web Sharing
i. Re-save your file. Go to File > Save. Click Save.
ii. Prepare your file for saving for the web. Flatten all of the layers. Go to
Layer > Flatten Image.
iii. Resize the image for web. Go to Image > Image Size. Change the width
and height to 600 and the resolution to 72 ppi. Click OK.
iv. Save the changes. Go to File > Save As. Add _WEB to the filename and
change the format to JPEG. Click OK.
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