How to use a layout template...

20 posts / 0 new
Last post
How to use a layout template...

Okay, so I am trying to broaden my horizons here. I have never used a layout template before. In paper scrapping, I would visually copy a layout I like, so that is what I am doing now with the digitals. I have a feeling the layout templates are more than just something to look at and copy, but I cannot figure out what to do. As I do not have the software for PSD and PAGE files, I downloaded a JPEG file. I appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!

If you have a magic wand tool, you could just select each element one by one and create a new layer for it.

Do you have software that can open tif files?

I downloaded Sharon's contribution with the bears and banner as she said it had a tif file, https://www.digitalscrapbook.com/forums/digital-scrapbooking-challenges/designer-challenges/may-2018-cu-blog-train-final-list , as well as a png file. Printmaster did open the tif file, but it showed in a square white background like a jpeg would. The parts of the white backing would overlap and hide the design, much as a jpeg would, unlike the png files which had the transparent background.

This leads me to think that maybe I will have to use layout templates as guides, not part of the layering process? The templates would still helpful for inspiration, and if I laid it down as my fist layer, I could use the template to gauge the placement of papers, photos and elements....

What you've downloaded are templates to make your elements with, not layouts. Tif files will look like jpeg files if you just look at the image, however they should have layers to them that you can mess around with to make it look how you want. If your tif file does not have layers, I think that your program might not be able to open them properly making tif file useless with your current program. Sorry smiley

Maybe someone else will have another idea.

Thanks, Jody... now I am off to track down a layout template!

Madge, Kate Hadfield has a lot of free layout templates. I just posted a layout I made with one which includes a tif file smiley

Feel free to try this one, even if it's just to see if it works!

So, I downloaded Kate's lovely template. I cannot open the tif file with my program, but she does have individual png files of each part of the design. My program will let me recolour png files, I just cannot add patterns. I think I will play with it tomorrow. Thanks, Kayl.

Madge. smiley , you might want to dl a trial version of Adobe PSE or the open source app GIMP which will allow you to open layered files. If I am not entirely mistaken (which is always an option) GIMP lets you read and write PSD and TIF files. Apps that won't let you do that really take a lot of options out of this game ... smiley. Unfortunately, Adobe is some kind of standard concerning anything graphics, but there are a number of people here who achieve brilliant results with GIMP. I have never touched it myself but looking at the pages, Teddy for example makes wth GIMP, it is defs worth a free go. smiley GIMP is also well documented I hear, tons of tuts and whatnot. Here is a link for you.

Thanks, Bina... I will check on these.

If I can expand on this a bit, working in Photoshop, how would you go about making a "template" into a "layout"? Do you just replace each individual layer with whatever element you want? Or do you mask other things over it?

@Shantalina: It depends on the layer. Sometimes I'll just delete and replace a layer, especially for elements. For paper layers I usually clip the paper I want to use onto the shape included in the template.

Thank you, @Marisa! That's exactly what I imagined! I'll be playing with some templates!

I am not familiar with the program you use so I can't help there but I do have a few free templates posted on my blog and they include PNG files as well. Feel free to grab them smiley.
https://www.dagistemptations.club/freebies

So, Amazon ran a sale on PSE2018 a couple of weeks ago and I bought it. I will be saving PrintMaster for card-making and such. This past week, I have been slogging through tutorials, pausing as I duplicated what I just saw. PSE is very different from PrintMaster, so I have my work cut out for me!

Thanks, Dagi... I will check them out!

I have PSE15. It is a great program and there are a lot of tutorials on youtube. Video tutorials work the best for me smiley.

You are most welcome Madge!

smiley So great!

Bina... that means I will be full of questions for the next year or so. If the video tutorials don't answer them, I know I will be posting them here! smiley