CMYK to RGB in Photoshop

I accidentally started a new layout as CMYK in Photoshop and didn't realize this mistake until I went to save the element.  When an image is CMYK, it isn't possible to save it as a PNG, so I needed to convert it to RGB.  It took me a couple clicks to find the right menu to accomplish the conversion from CMYK to RGB, so I thought I would make a note of it on the blog in case I needed to do it again in the future.

1.  In the Edit menu, choose 'Convert to Profile'.

2.  In the Convert to Profile dialog, choose an RGB profile under Destination Space.

Sticker Alphabet

This tutorial will show you how to make a paper sticker alphabet in Photoshop.

Supplies:

6x6 Grid Template

1.  Open up the 6x6 grid template.  It is 3000 x 3000 pixels and will create 36 500x 500 characters so that you can have 26 letters and 10 numbers.  You can also make one letter at a time and not use the grid template.  I think it is easier and faster to make all the letters at once.

2.  Select a nice font.  I am using Copse.  It is a commercial use ok font from Font Squirrel. With the text tool, write out your letters and numbers as vectors. Try to position each letter in the middle of a grid square.  Choose any color you like.

3.  With the Move Tool or in the Layer Palette, select all the letters or type layers.

4.  In the Layer Palette, right-click the selected layers and choose 'Rasterize Type' from the menu.

5.  In the Layer Palette, right-click on the selected layers and select 'Merge Layers' from the menu.  This should merge all the letter layers but not the grid template layer.

6.  Select the paper of your choice and open it in Photoshop.

7.  Drag the paper on top of the layer with the alpha by selecting the Move Tool.  Next, left-click on the paper, then while holding down the button, drag it over to the canvas holding the alpha.

8.  Right-click on the new layer that is your paper and select 'Create Clipping Mask'.

9.  The paper is now clipped to the text.

10.  Select the layer with the text and apply a white outer stroke using the Layer Styles (Layer > Layer Style > Stroke) the letters in white.

Size = 20 px
Position = Outside
Blend Mode = Normal
Opacity = 100%
Fill Type = Color
Color = White (#FFFFFF)

11.  Hide the grid template layer by clicking the eye next to the layer and the alphabet is ready to be saved as either a single sheet or sliced into individual files.  If you have used my grid template, then you can use my Alpha Cutter Action to slice the image into individual files.

Bent Photo Frame

This tutorial will show you how to make a bent photo frame in Photoshop. At the end of the tutorial, you will have a template to which you can clip a photo.

1.  Open a new canvas the size of the photo you want to frame.  I am going to make mine a 4 x 6 because that fits well on a scrapbook page.

2.  Fill the layer with 50% grey (Shift + F5 or Edit > Fill).

3.  Increase the size of the canvas so that there will be room for the shadow.

5.  Add a drop shadow to the layer.

Blend Mode = Multiply
Opacity = 85%
Distance = 50 px
Spread = 15%
Size = 75 px

6.  In the layer palette, right-click on the effect (not the layer) to get a menu where you can create a layer from the drop shadow effect.  Select 'Create Layer' from the menu.

7.  Optional.  You may receive a warning message.  If you do, select 'OK'.

8.  Now you should have two layers.  One is the frame and one is the shadow.  Choose the layer with the frame.

9.  From the Edit menu, select 'Warp (Edit > Transform > Warp).

10.  Click the square on the bottom left and drag it up and to the left.

11.  Click the square on the top right and drag it up and to the left.

12.  Now any photo you clip to this frame will like it is bending off the page.  It is complete if you don't want a border around the photo.

13.  Optional.  To add a border to the frame, load the opaque region of the image as a selection (Select > Load Selection).

14.  Optional.  Contract the selection (Select > Modify > Contract).  I made mine 50 pixels but you can make it any size.

15.  Optional.  Ctrl + Shift + I to invert the selection.

16.  Optional.  Intersect the transparent region of the layer with the current selection (Select > Load Selection).  Go to Load Selection but choose 'Intersect with Selection' as the Operation.

16.  Optional.  Ctrl + J to create a new layer via copy.  The template now has all the necessary layers.

17.  Optional. Afterwards, you may wish to fill your selection with a different color so that you can see the frame better.  I did this by loading the selection as in Step 13.  Then I filled with a color as in Step 2.

I have made the frame template that I generated from this tutorial available.  I hope people can use it.

Bent Photo Frame Template

Gradient Editor

This is a note to myself on how to find the gradient editor in CS3 and up.  I keep forgetting how to access the editor and having to look it up, so this time, I took some screen shots to help me remember.

In the tool bar, click on the center of the gradient to bring up the gradient editor.

In the layer style dialog, click the center of the gradient to bring up the gradient editor.

Text in a Shape

This tutorial will show you how to make text in a particular shape in Photoshop.

1.  Select a Preset Shape.  I have chosen the default heart shape (Heart Card) that comes with Photoshop.  If you want to see it, then choose a color for it, but the color does not matter.

2.  On your open canvas, draw out the shape to the desired size.

3.  Select the text tool and hover in the middle of the shape.  The tool should develop a circle.

4.  Click and type your text in your chosen color.

5.  Hide the layer with the preset shape by clicking the eye for that layer in the Layer palette.

The text is now complete. You can delete the shape path in the Paths palette, if desired.

Easy Journal Blocks

This tutorial will show you how to quickly make journal blocks using preset shapes that come with Photoshop.

1.  Go to the Preset Shapes Tool and choose a preset shape.  I am using the Frame shapes which come with Photoshop.  If they are not loaded, you can load them by clicking the triangle and then selecting 'Frames' from the dropdown menu.

If prompted to replace, click 'OK' to replace or click 'Append' to add them to the existing shapes.

2.  I am using Frame 04.  Set the color to black (because all the journal block examples I saw on the internet were black).

3.  Draw out the shape.

4.  In the Path palette, select the shape layer if it isn't selected and then click the button for 'Load Path as a Selection'.

5.  Shift + Ctrl + I to invert the selection.

6.  In the Path palette, click the button for 'Make work path from Selection'.

7.  Select the text tool and hover in the empty middle of the shape.  The tool should develop a circle.

8.  Select a font that has an underscore (some free fonts on the internet may not).  I chose Tahoma.  Set the color to black.

9.  Type the underscore multiple times to create lines. If the lines go too close to the edge of the shape, then hit return then continue typing the underscore character for the next line.

10.  In the Path palette, select the work path and then click the trash can to delete it.  The journaling block is now complete.

Text on a Path

I have used paths to curve text in previous tutorials, but I thought I would go through the steps to make very simple curved text in Photoshop.

1.  First, it is necessary to generate the curved path on which the text will sit.  The easiest way to do this is to create a circle or an ellipse using the Ellipse Tool.  Make sure that 'Paths' is selected in the tool bar.

2.  Select the Text Tool.  This tutorial covers the location of the text when the text is Centered, so make 'Center Text' is selected.

 3.  Hover the Text Tool over the Path.  The tool should develop a curved line through it.

 4.  Click on the path and a blinking cursor should appear.  You can now type your text.

Here are examples as to what happens depending on where you click.

Top

Left

Right

Bottom

5.  In the Path tab, highlight the Work Path and then click the trashcan to delete it.

The curved text is now complete.