There’s a great shortcut to do this. Usually Ctrl-W closes one window; but Ctrl-Alt-W closes all open windows. (Mac users it’s Cmd-Shift-W). I’ve used this to close over 100 open windows (don’t ask why I had 100 windows open…).

Until next week – Keep Scrappin’!

Stan – The DaddyKitty

Yes, a Layer Blending Mode. Blending modes allow the layers to interact in different and helpful ways in both Adobe Photoshop and Elements. Here’s a great example- fixing a faded photo:

Here’s an old, faded picture (source unknown) .

Hit Ctrl-J (Windows) or Command-J (Mac) to duplicate the layer.

Now up at the top of the layer palette you’ll see a pull-down menu. Set it to Linear Burn.

And you get this. Neat! Now we can make it ever better. Hit Ctrl/Command-J again to duplicate the layer again.

Now set the blending mode of the new layer to multiply.

And you get this! A nice, full range B&W that maintains the subtle tones.

Play around with blending modes and see all the cool stuff they can do.

Until Next time- Keep Scrappin!

Stan – The DaddyKitty

Here’s a close up: (and no, it’s not Photoshopped):

Did we fool you? What you just saw is one of the famous Photoshop Easter Eggs – a treat left by the software developers for users to get a laugh at latter. Here’s the trick: it substitutes whatever name you input when your register the serial number – so mine says ..”thanks go the Stan,”

Here’s how to find it and see YOUR name:

In Photoshop (all versions): Go to Help – About Photoshop. The main Photoshop About windows pops up. After a few seconds the credits will starts scrolling – you will be at the very bottom. (To speed up the scrolling hold down your Alt key)

In Photoshop Elements (all versions as far as I know): Go to Help – About Photoshop Elements. And wait for the scroll. The Alt key does the same.

For extra fun, google “photoshop easter egg” and you’ll see tons of results.

Have fun and keep scrapping’!

Stan White – The DaddyKitty

Here are a few of my favorites:

Dezignus.com – A huge, fabulous set of foliage-type shapes – delicate swirls, twirls and curls that are so hot in digiscrapping now. Available for free download at Dezignus.com

Ladyoak – a fabulous site with 8940 (as of today) free custom shapes sets to download. It tags each of the sets so you can find just the right one. The site requires you to register (for free) before downloading.

DeviantArt – yes, our good friends at DeviantArt have a whole section of their forums dedicated to Custom Shapes. Check it out at DeviantArt.com.

To use your new sets – download them and save them in a safe place. We do not recommend putting them in the default folder under Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop version\Presets\Custom Shapes. Why? It’s too hard to remember they are there. Put them in a scrapping folder labeled Custom Shapes and load them when you need them. That way you can easily back them up when you back up the rest of your scrapping files. (You are backing up your files, aren’t you?)

Remember you can always use your favorite search engine like Google to find more.

Until next time – Keep Scrappin’

Stan White, the DaddyKitty

This week’s Tip is a workflow tip – something to make your life a little easier while you’re scrapping.

Have you ever posted a layout somewhere and had to open up the layered file to get the names of the fonts? THEN you have to choose your type tool, choose the layer, and see which font you used.

Wanna do it more quickly?
Here’s what I do (WHEN I’m being organized!) **This works for PS and PSE!**

When you make a type layer, double click on the layer name and change it to the name of the font! You can do this for paper and element layers, put the designer/kit in there. NOW when you need to make your credits list, it’s all right there in front of you! Here’s one of mine:

BUT WAIT, there’s MORE!!

Have you ever opened up an old jpg layout and not known the credits? Can’t find or didn’t save the layered file? Have NO IDEA what kit all that stuff came from?

TRY THIS:
While you’re working on your layout, why not attach the credit information to your file, so when you resize and save as a .jpg you can still see all your credits!

While you’re still in the layered file, go to File>File Info and you will see lots of fields to fill in. I put my info in the ‘Description’ or ‘Caption’ field. Fortunately you HAVE all that info on your layers palette, because you renamed the layers with your credits!

Now when you resize and save as a jpg for posting, all that info will be there. Saved my butt more than once! I don’t always save my layered files, and can’t BEGIN to remember where I got some stuff!

XTRA TIP: Fill out the copyright info! This is especially true for you designers! Hit ALT+0169 to get the little © symbol, and when you reopen the file, it will show up like this:

Every time you save, even in a different format, the file info will be saved! Just open the file and look under File Info to get all your credits.

If this saves even one layout from the indignity of anonymity my work here will be done! LOL!

Happy Scrapping! – Jenn

As you advance in digiscrapping, you get a lot of kits. And elements, and papers. It’s hard to keep them all organized. We have seen some people print out the previews for the kits and file them in a binder. Did you know Photoshop has a quick and easy way to do this for you? (Photoshop Elements users – see our post next week for how to do this.) This works for any groups of photos you want to see printed quickly.

It uses a feature called Contact Sheet II. Go to File-Automate-Contact Sheet II. You get this dialog box:

Select the folder where the pictures are OR open them in Photoshop first and select Current Open Documents. Select the page size (8×10 is good), 300 pixels/inch and check Flatten All layers. Select your number of rows and columns (3×4 will get 12 to a page). Click “Show file name as caption” and it will put the name of the file underneath the picture so you know what that kit is called. Hit Okay and watch the fun! This is the result:

Pretty Cool! As always, leave us a comment or questions and until next time -

Keep Scrappin!

Stan White – The DaddyKitty

I don’t like it – no, not one bit!

Well that was easy.

The basic premise of the site is that you upload your photos into galleries and albums and then share these with friends, families and strangers. They have a slide show feature where it fades from one to the next. I don’t know if you can make the galleries private but there are thousands of galleries that are public loaded with goofy pictures of people.

Once the pictures are uploaded, the site gives you basic editing capabilities like fixing red eye, straightening crooked pictures and a few neat special effects. But the site is slooooooooowwwwwwwwww………….. You’re waiting for the changes to take place or pictures to load. Really frustrating.

Jenn looked it over and she summed it up best: “It’s useful if you’re in the lobby of a hotel on your way out and you just have to fix that bit of red eye before you email the picture out to MySpace or Facebook”. Otherwise, it’s kind of useless for editing (because it’s so slow and limited) and there are lots of better, faster sharing sites like Flickr or Photobucket.

Sorry Adobe, I think ya missed it this time.

Till next time, Keep Scrappin!

Stan – The DaddyKitty

Some fonts in both Photoshop and Elements come with a full range of styles: changes to the typeface like bold or italic that provide emphasis for the type. But a lot of digiscrappers use specialty fonts that don’t have styles. But sometimes in our layouts you want that emphasis. Photoshop and Elements can generate Faux styles that look close enough to the actual styles.

Here’s how: In Photoshop or Elements type your words, highlight them to select, and then right-click (Mac users hold down your Ctrl Key and click) on the line of type.

You’ll see a contextual menu pop up that gives you the choice of Faux Bold or Faux Italic.

Photoshop users get a more extensive pop up:

To see even more in Photoshop open your character and paragraph pallete (click this icon on your top toolbar when you have the type tool selected).

Right click the arrow in the upper right of the pallete and you get all of this!

If you have any questions leave a comment or contact me here.

Until next time – Keep Scrappin’!

Stan White – The DaddyKitty

The newest one has several good things in it – all the neat shortcuts I used to make this page:

If you’ve already done a lot of my challenges, skip the whole list and get my newest tut HERE

And just to make things a little easier – CLICK HERE to download the grid and a layered file that were used for this layout!

Do let me know what tutorials you would like to see me add to the list – I’m always looking for good tut ideas!

Happy Scrapping!

One of the most satisfying aspects of writing for this blog is remembering all the cool Photoshop or Elements stuff tucked somewhere way back in my little old head. Here’s one that is a HUGE timesaver and uses a feature that I, yet again, need to do daily but always forget. Digiscrappers will use this one a lot:

You have a picture or kit open and want to add something to it – another picture or an element from another kit. What I do is go File-Open, Open the new kit. Find the layer with the element, hit Ctrl-A to select all, Ctrl-C to copy, click the original document window so it’s active again, and hit Ctrl-V to paste.

Whew… way too much work.

What I should do is use the Place command. Look under your File menu in Photoshop or Elements. The Place command opens a picture or element and immediately puts it into the document you are working on – no more select, copy and paste. Cool and fast!

An added benefit is that in Photoshop CS2/CS3 (sorry Element’s users!) when you Place an element it makes it into a Smart Object that you can resize larger or smaller multiple times and not lose quality. A smart object “remembers” it’s original size. Here’s a link to an article by Dave Cross in Peach Pit Press “Work Smart with Photoshop CS2’s Smart Objects” that gives a great explanation.

Until next week – Keep Scrappin!

Stan, the DaddyKitty