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Photo Book Templates - 8x8 Size

I am posting early today because I have a heavy schedule today:  Brady has an audiologist appointment this morning (he is complaining of ringing in his ears), then I have to go to school all afternoon to volunteer in Abby's class, then I have a dentist appointment this evening to have my teeth whitened (super excited about that).  Not that you want all the details!

One of the things I get emails about the most (besides Disney these days lol!) is about the "bleed areas" in the photo books, namely ArtsCow.  I have been meaning to and promising for quite some time to make up templates and I have finally done it.

Using the PNG format templates:

1.  Open a new document in your program - 8 x8 size.

2.  Drag the template onto your document.

3.  Click on the layer directly below the template and start building your page.  By working beneath the template you will always "see" it and be aware of what will not show when your book is printed.  You need to make sure that your background paper extends into the bleed area to ensure that you will not have any white borders in your book.  If you want to have elements that go off the page slightly then make sure that they too are in the bleed area.

I print my layouts in the 8x8 books, namely because they are less expensive, but I create all of my layouts in 12x12 size.  When you open up the template go to image-image size - and change the size to 12x12 (3600 pixels x 3600 pixels) and then follow the instructions above.  I would suggest saving the templates that you increase the size of so that you don't have to do it every time.  I did not do it for you because I didn't want there to be any confusion about the fact that these templates will only work for 8x8 books.  The bleed areas for 12x12 books are different.  I save and upload my layouts to ArtsCow in the 12x12 size and they automatically shrink them for 8x8 books.  If you have a slower internet connection than you might want to decrease the size of your pages to 8x8 before uploading.

Important:  the above instructions apply to the "inside pages" of your book.  The front cover, back cover and spine of the books are not 8x8 size.  To use these templates I would work directly on them by dragging your items onto the templates (move the template up in the layers palette so you can see the bleed area and work directly underneath) or by creating a new document in the same size as the template (click on image-image size- and just take note of the size of the document) and following the instructions above.

If you have trouble seeing the grey bleed area in my templates on your layout (depending on the colours you are working with or your eyes lol!) then take your paint bucket tool and drop a different colour onto the template.

I have created these templates using the guides provided by both ArtsCow and Shutterfly - they have the exact same bleed area for the inside pages and are only a few pixels off in size (using the templates will be perfectly fine for either site).

*Do not resize these templates with the intention of creating 12x12 books - the bleed area is not the same*

 

Download Here

More photo book questions?  Please leave them here in the comments and I will come back to add to this post.  It is tagged under tutorials in the Categories and will not be removed and the download will not expire so you can always come back to reference it :)

Multi-Photo Template 3

 

 

This was the double page spread that I posted the other day using some of my new Project 365 add-ons and quite a few of you asked for a tutorial on my "Brooklin" layout.

P.S. The font I used in the layouts is called Tall Paul (click here to download it free).

Here is my tutorial:

 

1)  Open your picture and cardboard in photoshop (I have included the piece of cardboard that I have used in the template download below in case you don't already have one).

 

2)  Holding your shift key down and your move tool selected, move your photo onto your cardboard.  By holding down your shift key at the same time you will perfectly centre your photo which is important because when we drag your black and white photo onto the cardboard it will need to be in exactly the same place as your colour one.  (I colour corrected/enhanced my colour photo before I dragged it onto the cardboard).

 

3)  Switch back to your photo (not the window with your cardboard and photo) and change it to black and white.  I use an action to do this but many of you probably use the function in PSE.

 

4)  Holding your shift key and with your move tool selected, drag and drop your black and white photo onto your "cardboard" window.  The black and white layer should be above the colour photo layer in your layers palette.

 

5)  While holding down your control key click on both photo layers in your layers palette.  They should both be highlighted blue in the layers palette.  Choose your "move" tool and resize your photo to cover the entire piece of cardboard. (choosing both photo layers in your layers palette will ensure that you enlarge both layers at the same time to the exact same size while keeping them directly on top of each other)

 

6)  Choose your "eraser" tool (you are still on the black and white photo layer) and pick a nice big fuzzy brush to work with.

 

7)  Start erasing the parts on your black and white photo layer that you would like to let the colour photo come through.  I erased all of the faces and hands in my photo.  Remember, you are only erasing the black and white layer to let the colour photo show through.

   

8)  Click on your black and white photo layer in your layers palette and then change the "opacity" to 84 or lower.  It will obviously depend on how dark or light your photo is so play around with the opacity a bit to get the effect you would like.

 

9)  Select the colour photo layer and the black and white photo layer in your layers palette, right click and then merge these layers together.

 

10)  Reduce the opacity of the photo layer to 67% or so (play around with it to get the look you desire).

 

11)  Open a texture overlay (I have included a simple one that I made in the template download today for you to play with) and holding down your shift key and with your move tool selected, drag it on top of the photo layer.

 

12)  At the top of your layers palette change from "normal" to overlay and reduce your opacity to get your desired look.  I set my opacity to 47% in this layout.  Type your journaling over top of all of the layers!

Here are a couple of other ways you can use this technique (cardboard and journaling pieces can be found in my new 365 add-ons):

  

I have decreased the opacity even more and only used a black and white photo in these examples as I intended to use them for journaling spots on a layout.  If you have any questions about this tutorial please let me know!

Here is what I did with this weeks Project 365 template using my new Giggle Lil Girl sets:

 

And the template, overlay and cardboard!

 

Download expired but you can still find it in my Digitreats Store

 

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Run ABC Kit - The "W" Alpha

Hello!!!

Aprill emailed me to ask "how did you get Abby's name on the overlay.  It looks like when you typed her name, the original photo is the background."  This is the layout she was referring to: 

It isn't actually the photo showing through, it is the background paper.  I could have put the background photo right beneath that layer to have the original colour photo showing through the "Abby" cutout.  Here is a simple tutorial on how to cut out a title, shape etc. from a layer:

 

1.  Using your "type tool" type directly above the layer you want to cut out.  It does not matter what colour you choose for your text as you are going to delete it.

 

2.  Using your "magic wand tool" (make sure contiguous is unchecked -see second arrow) click on any part of your title in your layout.  You will then see the "marching ants" around your title.

 

3.  In your layers palette select the "photo paper" layer, the layer directly under your title, and hit your delete key.  This has now cut your title out of your paper although you can't see it yet because your original title is still on top.

 

4.  In your layers palette select the title layer and then hit the trash can at the bottom of the layers palette.

 

5.  To get rid of the "marching ants" on your layout select the "crop tool" and then touch your layout.  The "marching ants" will disappear and nothing will be cropped.

 

6.  Apply a drop shadow to the "photo paper" layer.  A heavier shadow will increase the effect obviously.

 

Voila!!  If you missed the original tutorial on how to get the photo onto the paper then please scroll down or click here.  The background paper I used is from my "Fall Kit" still on sale!

I have had a lot of people ask about a tutorial for how I create my word papers (hi Sylvia and Maiku!) and it really is as simple and time consuming as you would think!  There is no action and I literally have to type every word on the paper, rotate some and then resize them all to fit in the space (using the "move tool").  Once you have made a paper you can save it as a PSD file and then use it to make other papers but you will still have to do all of the retyping and resizing just not picking new fonts each time.  Each paper still takes me around a 1/2 hour to do, including the name papers.  Yes I do actually have to type each name 30+ times on the paper!  I do include an overlay in the personalized paper sets so that you can easily recolour to coordinate with other kits :)  I have had a number of people email me or leave comments requesting names.  I am constantly making new sets and all you have to do is go to the personalized page and order/checkout/paypal and then email me with your names and colour schemes and I will deliver them to you within a week.  It is that easy!

 

Download expired but you can still find it in my Digitreats Store

 

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Allison - Hopefully I will get my Artscow books this week - I can't wait!  I am concerned that I may have messed up the "bleed area" (the part that gets cut off).  We shall see!  The first sets I uploaded were 8x8 but the ones I am working on now are 12x12 so that I have a little more play area for the bleed area and also because Artscow is going to be offering 12x12 books soon.

Ariana - We have some requests to see your album!!  Can you share it with us?  And the answer to your comment is YES lol!

Yvette - You can absolutely purchase my items on CD!  All you have to do is load up your cart with the items that you want (including the CD) and then email me with your shipping address.  Please let me know if you have any other questions!

Maiku - the "linen" texture on those papers is a template from Atomic Cupcake and the the fuzzy words/letters are also made using an action from Atomic Cupcake!  Their commercial use stuff rocks!

Lisar - Thank you for leaving the Jiffy recipe in the comments!  I will give it a try!

Sue - I use these actions on all of my photos and I love them!  She is the best!

Thank You - I am sorry to hear Thomas is having a tough time of it - poor little guy :(  Of course I will do Thank You Papers for you - I can't say no to you at all right now!  I will ask for words shortly and please don't hesitate to remind me if I forget :)

That took a long time ... and I am still only half way through my email!

ABC Kits - The "W" Template

I have had a few people ask me about the photo effect I used on my layout from yesterday so I have put together my very first tutorial with pictures!

 

How do I get the picture onto the green paper like you did?

 

1.  Open up your photo and paper in Photoshop/PSE.  I chose the light green paper from the Jump Grungy Solids.  Convert your photo to black and white (I use an action to do this).

 

2.  Drag your photo onto the paper.  I had already changed the Abby photo to 12x12 size before I dragged it onto the paper but you could drag your photo on and then resize.  Make sure to leave the photo layer selected in the layers palette (it is highlighted blue).

 

3.  Change "Normal" (see red arrow) to Overlay.

 

4.  Move the slider for "Opacity" down to get your desired effect.  I ended up using 54% opacity.

5.  Merge your layers and then drag it into your layout or scrapbook right on top of it using your "photo paper" as your new background.

How did I do with my first tutorial lol?!!

We are now onto W!!!  Please don't worry about the ABC Kits ending - I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve and my daily freebies will NOT end!  And yes - I do intend to do the numbers and some punctuation for the alphas when we are through with the letters!

 

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If there is something else that you would like me to "try" lol to make a tutorial for please let me know.  If I can do it I will!