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First, create a new document for your paper.  Mine is going to be 12 in x 12 in at 300 dpi.

Next, open your main picture.  We’ll use this to grab our colors for our plaid paper.

Go to you marquee tool and click and hold down and select the Single Column Marquee Tool .  (Elements – select your Rectangle Marquee tool and in the option bar along the top set the mode to Fixed Size, width to 1 pixel, and height to 2000 pixels)

Click it anywhere on your document to grab some colors.  You can move your marquee around to reposition it to grab just the colors you want by using your arrow keys.

Hit Ctrl-C to copy (or go to your edit menu and select copy).  Minimize your main picture so you can see your new blank paper.

Now hit Ctrl-V to paste your selection (or go to the Edit menu and select Paste).  You’ll get a tall, skinny, tiny box that doesn’t cover all of your background.  That’s ok.  Make sure to not deselect it.

Now comes the fun part.  Hit Ctrl-T to Transform the selection.  Grab the little squares on one side and drag it over to the edge.  Drag the other side to the other edge.  And then grab the top and bottom little squares and drag the color out to the top and bottom.

Next duplicate this layer -

and rotate it 90 degrees.  (Elements – got to Image – Rotate – Rotate Layer 90 degrees left or Right).

Here’s the magic – lower the layer opacity of this layer and you’ll see your new beautiful plaid paper.

You can vary the look by rotating the top layer 180 degrees or varying the layer opacity.  You can even experiment with the layer blending modes for a variety of looks.

Here’s the start of my final layout with my picture that color coordinates with the background.

So what do you think?  It’s a easy way to create endless variations for your digital scrapbooking. 

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I just got the surprise of my life in Photoshop CS4 when a function I don’t use often but really rely on was gone.

Poof.

Vanished.

I questioned my sanity because  I know where that feature it.  And now it’s gone.

I’m talking about the Contact Sheet feature.  This is a feature that would allow you to specify the number of rows and columns of pictures, select a folder, and automatically lay them out for you.  It is invaluable if you have a bunch of pictures to view and just want quick sheets to look them over.

And now I have to lay them out by hand – old school style?

So I did some digging.  Not only did Adobe remove the contact sheet feature, they removed the Extract Tool, Pattern Maker tool, Picture Package, and Web Photo Gallery.  Now a lot of these were moved to the Output Module in Bridge.  And while we don’t teach digiscrappers to use the Extract tool, it , and these other features, are  available in the Goodies folder that comes with all CS installs.

Why didn’t Adobe ask me first?

Did any of you use these tools? Let us know!

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We have four more slots available in Wednesday’s Fix your Pix class, and I want Stan to have a full house for this one!  Use coupon code FiveDolla to get this class for just FIVE DOLLARS!!  That’s less than 1/3 the regular price!  Space is very limited, so only the next four people to sign up will be able to register – don’t delay!

If you have PS or PSE and have struggled with a difficult photo, you will want to take this class!  We go over common photo problems and how to fix them in PS and PSE.  You’ll learn which fixes to apply and IN WHAT ORDER to apply them! (yes, it makes a difference)

This class is perfect for those just learning PS or PSE, as it will introduce you to a lot of the techniques that you will use regularly, as well as some tools you may not have found yet!

CLICK HERE or on the image to register – don’t forget to use the coupon code FiveDolla to get today’s offer!

See you in class!

Jenn

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Remember when you got your digital camera and it seemed really zippy? It saved files really fast, previewed fast, scrolled through pictures lightning fast?

And now – well , it’s kind of …slow. sluggish, stopped up, dare I say constipated?

Have your formatted your camera card recently? Ever?

The card you use in your digital camera, whether a SD card, Compact Flash or Smart Media, all need to be formatted occasionally.

Here’s why: a lot of photographers load up their cards, transfer the pictures over to their computer, and let software erase their pictures or they erase them manually. The key word is erase. Erasing the files from a card doesn’t really erase them. It just deletes an entry in a header file – a kind of index which keeps track of where those files are, how big they are, their name, etc. After erasing, the camera then starts rewriting that index file for the new pictures you take. But just like writing on a piece of paper with a pencil and erasing it, it leaves “marks”. (Not really but it’s an analogy so go with it.) So the more you write and erase the messier the paper gets.

What you need to do is format the card: this is just like getting a fresh sheet of paper and a new pencil. Formatting the card wipes the slate clean giving your digital camera a fresh card to write to. And generally it will cure your speed problems just like that!

Look in your camera manual for how to format your card but it is always easy to find. Start by hitting the Menu button and go from there. We recommend to our customers at the photo lab where I work that they format the card at the start of every new job. You don’t have to do it that often but I might suggest every three months or anytime after you transfer a lot of pictures.

A HUGE WARNING: make absolutely sure you have copied your pictures from the card to your computer before you format because once you format they are gone. Double check. Triple check if you are really neurotic. (A side note – see our post about recovering digital camera cards, including ones you accidentally format. You might need it if you don’t pay attention to this one rule.)

So go do it today. Format that card and make your camera a lot happier.

How often do you format your camera cards? Have you ever formatted? Let us know!

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Remember when you got your digital camera and it seemed really zippy?  It saved files really fast, previewed fast, scrolled through pictures lightning fast?

And now – well , it’s kind of …slow.  sluggish, stopped up, dare I say constipated?

Have your formatted your camera card recently?  Ever?

The card you use in your digital camera, whether a SD card, Compact Flash or Smart Media, all need to be formatted occasionally.

Here’s why: a lot of photographers load up their cards, transfer the pictures over to their computer, and let software erase their pictures or they erase them manually.  The key word is erase.  Erasing the files from a card doesn’t really erase them.   It just deletes an entry in a header file – a kind of index which keeps track of where those files are, how big they are, their name, etc.   After erasing, the camera then starts rewriting that index file for the new pictures you take.  But just like writing on a piece of paper with a pencil and erasing it, it leaves “marks”.  (Not really but it’s an analogy so go with it.)  So the more you write and erase the messier the paper gets.

What you need to do is format the card: this is just like getting a fresh sheet of paper and a new pencil.  Formatting the card wipes the slate clean giving your digital camera a fresh card to write to.  And generally it will cure your speed problems just like that!

Look in your camera manual for how to format your card but it is always easy to find.  Start by hitting the Menu button and go from there. We recommend to our customers at the photo lab where I work that they format the card at the start of every new job. You don’t have to do it that often but I might suggest every three months or anytime after you transfer a lot of pictures.

A HUGE WARNING: make absolutely sure you have copied your pictures from the card to your computer before you format because once you format they are gone.  Double check.  Triple check if you are really neurotic.  (A side note – see our post about  recovering digital camera cards, including ones you accidentally format. You might need it if you don’t pay attention to this one rule.)

So go do it today.  Format that card and make your camera a lot happier.

How often do you format your camera cards?  Have you ever formatted?  Let us know!

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