Thursday, July 12, 2012

3-Step Digital Layout

As many of you know, Club Scrap® Summer Camp started this week (and if you don't know about Summer Camp, click here to learn about it!). Karen Wyngaard and I are the Counselors for this year's digital cabins. So I thought this might be a nice time to show everyone a quick 3-step digital layout. It's an easy way to make a layout, even if you're new to digital scrapping. And If you want to add some journalling, I've got an optional 4th step for ya, too! Even with 4 steps, we're still talkin' easy-peasy!

One of the great things about the monthly Club Scrap Digital™ kits are the clusters - these are ready-made embellishments that include custom shadows to make your digital layouts really shine! And sometimes, 1 or 2 of those clusters include frames - it's those frame clusters that allow us to make a really cool layout in 3 (or 4) steps! So let's get started…

(My layout was made using Adobe Photoshop 5; if you're using a different program, adjust your steps accordingly - but this is a very basic layout which doesn't use a lot of fancy steps!)

To get started, open a new document - 12" x 12", 300 ppi, transparent background. Make sure you've selected the Pointer tool from the Tool palette.

1. Pick a background for your layout and drag it onto your new document. (In Photoshop, if you hold down the Shift key while you drag, the background will automatically center itself in your new document.) I'm using a background from July's Sorrento Kit.

First, place your background.

2. Open your desired photo and drag it onto the background (don't worry about where to position the photo yet).
Next, add a photo.

3. Open your frame cluster and drag it onto the background. I picked a frame cluster from Just Dandy. (Yeah, that's right - I'm mixing kits, but don't they look great together?!)

Then, add a Frame Cluster.

Now you can resize your photo so that it fits the frame - click and hold one of the corners and drag to make your photo larger or smaller, as needed. Hold the Shift key to retain the photo's proportions while you resize. Press 'Enter' to accept your changes. Depending on the frame cluster that you chose, you may need to rotate your photo - hover your cursor near one of the corners of the photo until you see the curved arrows - then click and drag to rotate the photo as needed. Press 'Enter' to accept your changes. If you want to move your photo & cluster on the page, just be sure to select both layers in the layers palette and reposition as desired.

Finished Basic 3-Step Layout
You're done! Now wasn't that easy?

Okay, if you want to add some journalling, here's a quick way to do that:

4. Select the Text tool (it's a capital 'T') in the Tool palette, click anywhere on your layout and type your title or journalling (photoshop will automatically create a new layer for your text). Change the font, size, and color as desired. Repeat if you want to add more text to your layout.

Done! Here's my finished layout:

Finished Layout with optional Text

Now it's your turn - make a layout (for PSL or just for yourself).

And here's a surprise - Tricia's on vacation this week, so we're havin' a bit of extra fun while she's gone - post a comment (by Friday, July 13th 12 Noon CS time) and tell me what you love about Club Scrap Digital™ and 1 lucky winner (chosen at random) will get a special digi prize!

18 comments:

  1. Hi Ron (waves) I haven't done any dig stuff as we don't have a computer at home (shocking isn't it!) But this sure is pretty, just wondering, is the frame cluster re-sizable? Can you add and remove elements from it or is it "as is?" I only ask b/c when I do one picture on a page type pages I tend to have my picture sized more of an 8x10 type...

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  2. Hi Janet! yes, the frame cluster is resizable, but ya can't remove things from it (but all of the 'parts' are in the kit - either as elements - like the fibers and such - or as background papers that are just cut down to a smaller size, so in theory, you could make your own variation on the cluster). You can add stuff to the cluster, by putting something on top (or underneath, for that matter). If you make the cluster larger, so of it may end up off the page - all depends on the particular cluster in question.

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  3. Hey, there, Ron--I caught that sneaky giveaway!!!

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    1. HA! Having fun on vacation, Tricia?

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    2. I love that if I ever run out (HA HA) of a favorite paper I always have it in digi!!!!

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  4. Hi Ron! I love all the stamped images that come with the Digi kits. Not only can I resize the image or use it to create new backgrounds, I can print them out and use them in my paper albums as well!

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  5. Cool thanks for the explanation. You are a good teacher I think! One of these days I'll try my hand at some of that digi stuff ;)

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  6. Great instructsion....I do like doing digi - you can do so many different techs without wasting paper, etc .......you can then try to emulate the same design on paper :)

    thanks much

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  7. beautiful layout Ron

    I love the dital kits,
    I can work with them when I can't do paper

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  8. I enjoy doing digital as well, so many fun and creative ways to create layouts, nice layout!

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  9. Fantastic tutorial! Love the photo Ron and the layout is fun and easy!

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  10. Thanks Ron!
    I am loving digi more and more each day. It was slow learning, but I think I am getting the hang of it now . . .
    I think the BEST PART of digi is always carrying my CS kits EVERYWHERE I go, when I bring my mini,external hard drive that I keep just for my Digital creating, away from home !

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  11. Nice Ron - I have been a little afraid of the frame clusters so this was great to see. My favorite things about CS digital are that you never run out of embellies or paper and it is very portable!!

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  12. I'm only now starting to fully embrace the idea of mixing kits. Great intro into the digi world.

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  13. OK this does look easy. I might try this in the morning.

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  14. Ron, I've been collecting digi kits but haven't tried yet..... Next PSL!! The sunset looks great and you made it look so easy to do !!

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  15. The anonymous is me ( Carmen Johnson) see I need digi help ..... Can't get my 'repky' straight!!

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  16. I love Digital scrap kits. I love that I can sit down and play with my pictures and paper without having to get the pictures printed out. The Club Scrap digi kits are quite versatile.

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