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Digital Scrapbooking Tutorials - Part One

Using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements to Create Original Effects

When you transition from paper to digital scrapping, there are a lot of new terms and concepts to get your mind around. It took me quite a while to understand exactly what a clipping mask is or the versatility of digital brushes.

I found myself looking for analogies to paper scrapping that would help me grasp the concepts. Here are my favorites.

Paper Punch = Create Clipping Mask

If you have a QuikCutz or Sizzix paper punch and never seem to have the shape you want or have trouble organizing all the dies, you’ll love the Clipping Mask feature of Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.

A Clipping Mask is like a paper punch where you have the ability to create your own dies. How cool is that?

Load a shape you like and make it black. You can draw one with the Shape tool, type a chunky alpha, scan a tag … let your imagination run wild. This shape is your die.

Next open or create a paper you want to punch. Drag your paper on top of the “punch”. Layer>Create Clipping Mask (or Ctrl+Alt+G). Wham! All the excess paper falls away and you’re left with a perfectly-scored shape – as if it had been cut with a laser.

Stamp = Brush

In paper scrapbooking, many crafters use stamps to repeat designs or letters or word art. In digital scrapbooking, brushes can be used like stamps. What’s really neat is you can create your own.

The peace/balance symbol in the digital tile above is a digital stamp (Brush) I created in Photoshop CS. Here’s how to make your own digital stamps.

Scan a drawing or object into Photoshop. I drew just the outline of the symbol above and scanned it. That’s all you need.

Objects such as keys, all types of hardware (hinges, bolts, washers), tags with interesting shapes, leaves, petals, ferns all make great Brush stamps.

Color the object black using the Magic Wand and Paint Bucket tools. Duplicate the Background Layer and delete the original Background Layer. [The Background Layer is always locked and limits what you can do to alter the design.]

Use the Magic Wand tool to select the white area of Layer 1 and delete it. Image>Image Size and make the width 1 ½ inches and the resolution 300. Click OK.

Click on the Brush tool. Edit>Define Brush Preset and type in a name for your brush. Click OK.

Click on the down arrow next to the currently selected brush in the Brush tool bar at the top and you will see the new brush you just created at the bottom of the list.

Select it and stamp away! When you load a new brush set, be sure to save the changes you have made.

Precut Embellishment = PNG File

Don’t you just love those cute little precut card embellishments? They’re pricey but clever; and they add so much to your scrapbooking page or card design.

If you’re transitioning to digital scrapbooking, you can buy digital embellishments or you can make your own. The best part is that they can be used over and over again.

A PNG file is a picture file with a transparent background. What that means is that it is “precut”. You can copy and paste or drag it into a layout without fear of covering other elements or having to tediously erase a troublesome background.

Scan a drawing or object like the pretty key above into Photoshop. Objects such as tags with interesting shapes, nameplates, photo-turns, keys and buttons all make good embellishments.

You can model small flat shapes from polymer clay, like palm trees and pets, and scan them as well. Read my tips for scanning 3D objects.

Scan at a resolution of at least 300 depending on how much detail you want to capture. Duplicate the Background Layer and delete the original Background Layer.

Use the Magic Wand tool to select background areas of Layer 1 and delete them. Zoom in close and use the Eraser tool to clean up the edges.

Play with other adjustments until you get a look you like. Image>Image Size: make the resolution 300 and the size about 3 inches wide.

Save As: give your embellishment a name and save it as a PNG.

Go to part two of our Digital Scrapbooking Tutorial

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