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Photo Collage

Using Photo Collage 2.06

Good Day,

I have just started to do personal computerized collages from a software program I downloaded, Photo Collage 2.06. I am absolutely hooked and have given two as gifts.

It is super, and so user friendly. I just now realized I had only touched the surface of all it offers. You can rotate, including text. I have layered. There is so much more to do with this software. If I had known all the extra features I would have used them.

I am now thinking of making personal wrapping paper from these collages.

Can you help me or suggest where I could go or is there a book I could purchase.

Whatever help you can give me would be much appreciated.

Thanks from a Fan from Canada.

Marlene

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I downloaded the trial version of Photo Collage 2.06 and pretty quickly did the collage above. You’re right, Photo Collage by iFox Software is user-friendly and quite powerful for the price.

It sounds like you have quickly learned a lot just by using the program. You mention layering and rotating which are not exactly beginner level skills. I have two suggestions for learning all of Photo Collage’s capabilities.

Go to the iFox Software website and look at everything there. It is not very large.

Second, just play with the program. Try all of the different effects. What you will get is a hands-on education in basic graphic design skills.

The best way to learn all the capabilities of your new Photo Collage software is just to play around. Follow the basic tutorial provided.

Read one step; then minimize the tutorial and follow what you just read. When there are multiple options, try them all out before selecting one.

Remember there is an Edit>Undo function is you make a mistake.

You will learn about photo enhancement (beyond basic cropping) by clicking the Process button. You will learn about gradients and creating unlimited background patterns by using the Background Fill choice to create backgrounds.

You’ll learn about creating word art using the text editing tool. You can color the text, even creating custom colors to match your photos, and combine different fonts for artistic effect.

You’ll learn how to add drop shadows to give your photos a 3D effect. [Tip: the default shadow setting is black. In reality, an object’s shadow is a grayed shade of the object throwing off the shadow, i.e. the background. In my example, I chose a grayish pink for the shadows on each photo.]

Just play and have fun!

Now the Negatives

There are a few things I found a bit kludgy in Photo Collage.

• Some functions, like cropping, rotating and creating gradients, are done in pop-up boxes; so you can’t really gauge the effect on your overall composition. This means a lot of trial and error.
• There are no previews of the fonts, so you have to know/remember the font names. Or again, it’s more trial and error as you search for the font styles you want.
• The frames included are very nice but most cover too much of the design space in my opinion. Maybe that’s just personal preference, but “collage” implies a lot of photos or elements. I don’t like the frame to take too much space away from the main focus.
• There seems to be a bug with the Frames. After I completed my collage, I really would have liked to make the burlap frame better match my photos by changing the color of the purple flower embellishment to pink; but the Process button wouldn’t work. I discovered that if I started over and loaded the frame first, I could Process it (though only by using color balance to make the entire frame pinky, but that would have been okay).
• The background scenes that come with the package are beautiful, but would tend to overpower your photos so you would want to use the Process button to tone them down. On the other hand, having them very bright and contrast-y gives you maximum flexibility. Sometimes you may not want to tone them down. So this is more an observation/suggestion, than a criticism.

I read the License Agreement and as far as I could tell (though I’m not a copyright lawyer), you can even use Photo Collage to make collages, wrapping papers, etc. to sell. The only restrictions are on distributing/selling/copying the software itself (and any printed materials accompanying the software).

However, you do need to take care with respect to any images you use in your collages. Here’s an article on Copyright which you may find helpful.

As I said, Photo Collage is quite powerful for the price.

If you’re still hooked on graphic design once you have mastered Photo Collage, you should consider upgrading to Adobe Photoshop Elements or (fast-learner that you appear to be) even Photoshop CS.

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Hi Eileen:

Wow. You sure did your homework for me. I sure have a lot to learn that is for sure. And I thought I was pretty good. But after you explaining the other things I can do, yikes, you are right, Trial and Error.

"You will learn about photo enhancement (beyond basic cropping) by clicking the Process button. You will learn about gradients and creating unlimited background patterns by using the Background Fill choice to create backgrounds. You'll learn about creating word art using the text editing tool. You can color the text, even creating custom colors to match your photos, and combine different fonts for artistic effect."

I enclosed this from your quote just to let you know, I have no idea what all this is. So I have a lot of homework to do Yikes.....

As far as not being able to gauge the effect on your overall project, you are right, it is time consuming but if you enjoy it like I do, and am retired then it is not too bad.

Well I guess I will close for now, and do you mind if I email you with any questions,=. I only wish you were here. I think you would make a great teacher, and that is what I need (:

Just one question: What did you think of my project, although now I know I could have been much more creative. But that is how you learn I guess.

Again thanks Eileen, and as far as making wrapping paper, obviously that will have to wait. For quite some time

Your Canadian Friend and student,

Marlene

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You ARE pretty good. I was quite impressed with your first effort and I bet the "giftees" were too.

The point of my quote is that, even though you may not know the terms yet, these are the things Photo Collage is teaching you. If you try to pay attention to the labels and terms used in the program, you will have a very easy time when/if you decide to upgrade to more powerful graphic software.

When you start to get antsy for more power, here's a blog I wrote on the subject of selecting a (your next?) graphic package that I think would interest you.

I started with American Greetings Create-a-Card which had a lot of similarities (trial and error) to Photo Collage. But I instantly loved graphic art and I learned. I suspect you are like me in that.

I'm enjoying our little tête à tête so please feel free to write again ;-)

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