ELEMENTS: Help with getting photo in frame

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ELEMENTS: Help with getting photo in frame

I have a kit I downloaded with frames I want to use and I have tried and tried and cannot get the photo to go into the frame. I even went back to reference tutorial and I am pretty sure I was doing it right. I am using Photoshop Elements 10 and Windows 7. The kit is Speed Zone by Sheila Reid if that helps any. Please help I really love the frames.

Not sure if I can help but I do use PSE9 & Windows 7. Is the frame a PNG file? If it is, the photo should go on a layer beneath the frame layer and then should show through.

I also have the Speed Zone bundle so if I can help further, please call out. smiley

Trish, Thanks, I have tried above and below. The frame is a PNG file but when I do the photo below and do alt click it deletes part of the frame itself on the right and left sides and still the photo is partly above and below the frame.

Hi Brenda,

The frames are png with transparent backgrounds. If the frame opened up and was locked, unlock the frame. With the transparent background the frame becomes a layer. If you place the picture under the frame layer as another layer the picture should show through. If the picture is too large for the frame. Either resize the image or crop it before bringing it to the frame layer. Move the picture to where you desire uning the free transform or the move tool. Which ever works.

Now if this does not work. The frame may have opened without the transparent background. If this happened than select the inside of the frame and delete the selection. Now you have an opening for the picture. Place the picture under the frame and it should show through.

You might even try working with the frame and picture before adding it to any layout to see get the picture and frame to your desired look.

Thanks Judy. The frame was not locked and it does have the transparent background when I open. The picture will show through but I don't want to have to resize and resize the picture to make it fit. Just once resize is all I want to do and then clip it to the frame where it resizes to fit accurately without a lot of adjusting if you know what I mean. I also tried your last suggestion but it was again having to keep adjusting the picture to fit. Is this the only way? Can I not alt click the picture and frame for it to drop in and fit perfectly? Thanks so much for trying to help me. Maybe there are some things that can't be done. I sure wish this is possible. Please help if it is.

I'm not sure I exactly understand the problem you are having Brenda. You will always have to resize a photo to fit behind a frame. I often make a solid square shape on a new layer behind the frame and then clip my photo to that. If I want to crop part of the photo out, that's the easiest way.

Thanks Marisa,
The frame is not a mask. So if you want the picture to fit the frame you will have to either resize or crop the picture to fit the frame.

I think I am having a real dumb attack or something. Marisa, I thought what you said was a great idea and then I tried and it still would not work. It was taking the frame and all and cropping it too. I finally got it to work but it's not like I wanted it to work. I think what I was thinking the frame should work like is a mask and Judy, like you said it is not a mask but that is what I wanted. Anyway at least I finally got it with all of you and what you were saying finally sunk in. Thanks a bunch you all are GREAT!

Just an after thought, you can select the area you want in the frame and create a layer mask, this way you do not have to crop the picture and it will fit the frame.

Great idea Judy, That works too and is a little easier. Thanks for your constant thinking.

Glad I could help!

Judy, that's a great idea! Never thought of making a mask from a frame. Thanks for the tip!

I am new to the ball game, how do I make a mask? I want to use the frame 59 and when I put it over the picture, the picture sticks out. Will the mask fix it?

If you want to position the picture under the frame to select the best parts. Make sure the pictue is the selected layer. Use the shape selection tool, the square or circle to select the area of the picture under the frame, which will leave the area outside of the frame not selected. For Photoshop at the bottom of the Layers Panel you will find the icon to create a masks. This will now only display the part of the picture that was selected. It is like cropping the picture without actually cropping.

The other option is to resize the picture to fit the frame.

I have a tutorial here on using clipping masks.

Thank you ladies so very much!

Ok, same type of question. I downloaded Marisal Layout 486.psd (for an example.) I put a picture into above one of the frames; make a clipping mask and the picture popes right in neat as can be. Now I also downloaded Dawn Prater lovely "Christmas Tradition Frame #4. I really want a way a get a picture into it using a clipping mask; no can do. Is this an impossible dream? Somehow I don't think so. I'm willing to cut the inside of the frame out; add a layer by copy between my photo and the frame but that didn't work either. I guess my real question is " Is that an impossible dream" i'm using PSE 2018 right now.(I have PSE 4, 11, 14, 15 stoo) I know the easiest way is to use a layer mask and paint away, but a clipping mask would be a heck of a lot faster and easier.
Back again. Frame----new layer---fill layer---marquee tool rectangle use inside of frame (can go over the greenery-- layer--new layer by copy--drag in photo----Clipping mask and it works. New question why does this work with the marquee tool but not with one of the selection tools.

You solved it the same way I would have suggested! Using either the rectangle tool or marquee tool and filling the selection.

Using the marquee tool, you can make a selection behind any frame and fill it with the paint bucket to create a clipping mask for a photo. You can't clip a photo to something that is empty, if that makes sense. There is a selection made, but there are no pixels to 'stick to' if that makes sense. If it's filled in, there is something for the picture to clip or 'stick' to. It's the same reason if you were to try and clip and image to a frame, it would only show up on the parts of the frame and be empty inside of it smiley

Does that answer your question / make sense? It's sort of a tricky thing to explain I guess but I'm happy to try!