Hi [USER=116463]@cdtcpa[/USER]
There are many ways to approach your project, so the good news is that you can choose. Based on your first request, I will show you an approach to put 1.5 x 2-inch images on a 4x6 for printing and cutting.
I am going to fit three arbitrary baby images as examples of the approach that I got off the internet:
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First, create a blank document that is 4x6 inches at 300 dpi. Note I can fit four 1.5 x 2 inch images in this 4x6 size.
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I set the ruler to the inch scale and left a 1/4-inch margin on all sides, using Photoshop guides to avoid the edges.
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Create a new blank Layer and use the rectangular Marquee Tool to make a selection 1.5 inches wide by 2 inches high near the upper left of the document.
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Fill this selected area on the new Layer with any solid color (I am using black):
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No, bring in the first baby image via File > Place Embedded command, and select the first baby image. This brings the image in as a Smart Object on its own Layer (more on that later)
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Now right-click on the image Layer and choose the option to "Create Clipping Mask."
This will make the Black Square of the lower Layer act as a mask for the first baby Image (though not yet in the right place)
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Now, using the Cmd + T (Ctrl + T on PC) keyboard shortcut, you can move and transform the image to fit in the areas clipped by the black square. Hold down the shift key when transforming to maintain the same aspect ratio and not introduce distortion:
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You click on the accept checkbox to end the transformation, and your first image appears in the upper left corner.
Now you repeat the same steps below for the next three images to create the final image and Layer Stack shown below:
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By using the Smart Objects and the transform command, you do not lose any quality of the original image. You can redo the positioning and size at any time, and all the original pixels are there. So edit to your heart's content, and then you are ready to print and cut out your images for your project.
Hope this is a helpful approach to consider.
John Wheeler
