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April
05-29-2007, 04:07 PM
This is a tutorial for the full versions of Photoshop (not for Elements users)
Remember to click on the pictures if you want to see a larger view.

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This layout was created with the Moods CD with exception to the words "Best Friends" and the borders. This tutorial will show you how to do the words yourself.

Creating a brush (ETA: I'm adding this step late... forgot to type this part initially)To complete the steps below you'll want to create the right brush to be used. In a new blank document use a solid circle brush tool to create a tiny line that looks like ONE of the tiny lines in the words "best friends" in the layout above. Now circle it with the selection tool (it doesn't really matter how close or far away your selection is). Now select Edit then Define Brush. You can read more on this here. (http://www.digitalscrapbookmemories.com/tips/customBrushes.asp)

Paths
1) Type anything you want. It works best if you use a bold thick type and a big font size.
2) Press control and hold it down while you click on the text layer you just created in the layers palette. This will make a selection around your type (a handy tip to remember).
3) Go to the paths palette

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4) Click on this little symbol which will turn your selection into a path.

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5) Now that you have a working path you can stroke it with solid lines, text and other things. This time we will stroke it with the new brush we created earlier. Click on the brush tool in the toolbox then go to the options bar and click on the arrow that brings down the list of brushes. Your new brush should be at the bottom.
6) I want the brush to be spaced so I need to go to the brush palette. To find this palette you can click on Windows then brushes or if you know what you are looking for you can find it in the options bar for your brush tool. It will look like this when it pops up:

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7) In this brush palette, you can adjust the settings for your brush all you want. For the example above I adjusted the spacing (click on Brush Tip Shape then find the spacing). I also set the angle jitter to direction. To do this you click on Shape Dynamics then click on the drop down menu under angle jitter then choose direction.
8) Now you are ready to stroke your path. Make sure the brush tool is still selected and you are on the right layer. I usually like to be on a new layer (ask if you don't know how to do that).
9) Click on the "stroke path with brush" icon and you are done.

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You can follow these same steps for any shape you turn into a selection. It doesn't have to be text.

Erin
05-29-2007, 04:36 PM
Awesome April!! I love those letters. I'll try it.

elise
05-30-2007, 03:51 PM
Is there a way to do this in Elements?

April
05-30-2007, 11:28 PM
No. Well, you could kind of fake the same effect of this exact example.

In Elements you can press control then click on any layer to select around the contents of that layer (just like step 2 above) then you could stroke the selection by clicking Edit then Stroke. Last erase anywhere you don't want the stroke... this would be somewhat time consuming but not too bad.

I just realized I forgot part of the tutorial above. I'll add it in red very soon.

crystalclark87
07-23-2007, 04:21 PM
I tried to do this, I have CS2, and I'm not sure if it worked right or not... Are you suposed to delete the text afterwards, and just be left with the dotted lines? Because I do the path and it puts the dotted lines on just fine, but then it also outlines the text, or object that I am trying to put the dotted lines around. What am I doing wrong?

Alyson
07-23-2007, 05:35 PM
Crystal, I think you have to delete the path after you stroke the path. Does that make sense?

In the path palette, drag the path that you have just stroked to the trashbin (bottom right corner of palette). This, I think, should get rid of the outline you are talking about. If this does something crazy, you can always go back a step in your history palette.

mindy
07-23-2007, 06:20 PM
That is so cool April! Love your tutorials!

Jamie Hamblin
07-23-2007, 08:20 PM
I wish i had the full version! Maybe for Christmas! April is just soo good! She has the cutest pages!

April
07-23-2007, 09:27 PM
Thanks Jamie! Sometimes I post other people's pages too. I always try to mention that though.

digiferfer
07-23-2007, 10:48 PM
Just tried this out, I wasn't able to stroke the path until I rasterized the layer, so am I doing it right?
Thanks, jenny

crystalclark87
07-24-2007, 09:35 AM
Thank you Alyson, that did help, my outline is now gone! Yay
But...
I can't get the dotted line to follow it in a row. If I do the angle jitter thing it does what the first picture shows, if I just leave it alone, as normal, it does what the second picture shows...

a_c_danica
01-24-2008, 11:40 PM
April I just tried the paths for some text around a picture then I played around with it for stiching to make text and it was so cool! Thanks for the great ideas, and showing us how to do them!!!!

April
01-25-2008, 07:16 AM
crystal, there is an option that tells your stroke to go in the direction of the path. I can help you later and look it up if you don't quickly find it.

chryslergreen
01-25-2008, 11:28 AM
I have admired that page in your gallery for a while now, it's one of my favorites! Unfortunately I only have elements, but maybe someday! That's a very cool trick. Btw, I love the font you used - what is it?

April
01-25-2008, 06:03 PM
Liz, I can't remember. I don't have it on my computer anymore but I really love it too. I'll try to remember and let you know.

A-to-Z
01-27-2008, 11:38 PM
Ah full version...as a student I can get CS3 extended for $300 which is a really good deal so I'm going to try and save my pennies so I can get it before I graduate!! :)

Alyson
01-28-2008, 11:48 AM
Amy, good luck! I love having the full version. At first I didn't think there were very many differences, but now there are quite a few things I do that I wouldn't be able to do in Elements. Not that Elements isn't great...especially for the price!

I really love the fact that I can create a new layer with my drop shadow. It helps in manipulating the drop shadow in different ways, and I'm slowly learning how to do fun new things with shadows.