Need a little help with multiple images on a canvas

[plnewton]

Hi all

I need a liitle help with Photoshop cs3

We have a wide format printer that we have recently started to do large canvas prints on

I was trying to do these in photoimpact but that is driving me nuts with it crashing all the time

Basicaly what I want to do is do a large canvas with may be four images of diffent sizes but all with even gaps around them

When I do them in photoimpact I just set the background canvas size and then resize the images, drop them and then position them by pixel positioning

What would be the easiest way todo these sorts of prints in Photoshop, is there a way I can create templates with masks in them and then just drop the images in?

Ideally if we can create some templates and then just resize the base canvas would it be possible to just drop the images in without having resize them and crop them every time

I am a total noon with Photoshop but with some basic instructions in the right direction I am sure we can do it a better way

Any help will be greatly appreciated

Cheers

[Gaussian]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Post moved to proper section.

You can easily do this in Photoshop, basically the way you described doing it in photoimpact. Just make a canvas and add your pics, use the Transform tools to change the size and orientation.

For the templates you can make them on different layers, and just mask out the area you would like to place images in. Then position the images underneath the template layers where they will show through the masked areas.

If you have any troubles or need more specific details let us know.

[plnewton]

Hi


Thanks for your quick reply

I will have play with trying to do some templates tomorrow, can you tell me if Ivan get the templates to work can I just resize the base canvas and all the masks I put in will resize accordingly?

Cheers

[Steve]

Hi

.......................... can I just resize the base canvas and all the masks I put in will resize accordingly?

Cheers

You can adjust the total image size by using Alt+Ctrl+I on a PC, Alt+Command+I on a Mac.
This brings up the Image Size box where you enter your new values.

[Dezigns Unlimited]

Make sure your working in CMYK colors and your DPI setting is at at least 350 to 400 for your prints...

[Steve]

Make sure your working in CMYK colors and your DPI setting is at at least 350 to 400 for your prints...

The OP didn't say what kind of wide format printer they had or how large the canvas prints are but CMYK is used when sending out to commercial printers and I'm assuming this is an inkjet printer.

[Tron]

Yea the color mode would depend on what printer is being used.

[plnewton]

The Printer is a HP Designjet 8000s Solvent Printer
We have been doing the images in RGB and only running at 200DPI, if you have ever tried to do a large format Image in Photoimpact you will soon realize that a big 350DPI image is just not going to happen which is the reason I am here now

[plnewton]

Hi Guys!!

Ok, I have managed to work out creating the masks but one problem I am having is how to actually enter in the size of the mask, when I select an area to mask out and go to free transform it allows me the option to set the positioning in pixels but it only gives me the option to scaled the selected area by %, is there are a way for me to roughly select an area to mask and then actually type in the dimensions of the area?

Cheers

[Gaussian]

Well I don't know if that's the best way to make the mask you want, but you can transform your selection from Select --> transform selection to resize it.

You can use many other tools for masking such as the brush tool to paint or even gradients if you want a soft edge. Anything black will be masked out, and anything white will be fully opaque. Gray and shades in between will be semi-transparent.