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Need a little help with multiple images on a canvas


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plnewton

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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
 
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.
 
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
 
plnewton said:
Hi

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

Cheers
Click to expand...

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.
 
Yea the color mode would depend on what printer is being used.
 
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 :)
 
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
 
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.
 
I'm not sure this is what your asking but you can free hand the transform and then type info into the boxes to fine tune the selection.

Make sure you click on the little link icon to maintain aspect ratio.
 
Well I am open to suggestions :)

I have since found there is an option under the Marquee tool to specify the size in inches which is perfect, so if if I start with the background image I can then use the Marquee tool to specify the size in inches that I need for each cut out where the Image is going to be dropped in later

There is never any soft edges or anything, the back ground is a solid colour and there could be three or four images on the canvas so the tricky bit has always been getting the gaps between the images all exactly the same
 
If you want to soften the edges on the Marquee tool just add a number to the "Feather" box... the higher the number the more it will soften the edge. Remember to change it back to 0 when you want a hard edge.
 
Ok This is what I am doing

I have created an Image that is 30 inches Wide x 26 Inches High and I have 1 Image that is 24 x 20 and two that are 10 x 8 all images are portrait orientation, I need t have a 1 inch border in between all the images and a 1 inch border around the outside of the canvas

So I create my base Canvas and then add a Colour Over lay to it in Black, I then use the Marquee tool and select the Fixed size option and enter in the size of the first mask which is 23.75 x 19.75 (slightly smaller than the actual image)

It is at this point that I need to try and get the Selection I have made with the Marquee tool in the correct position, I need to either tell it the position is going to be 1 inch from the top and 1 inch from the left or work out the number of pixels and enter it but as soon as I go to Free transform and try to move it cuts out the selection leaving it in the original position I created it in

I am at a bit of loss now as to how to get it in the correct position
 
Its OK, I think I got it (the penny just dropped)

I have been selecting Free Transform from the edit menu where I should have been selecting Transform from the Select Menu :)
 
Right. Free Transform will transform whatever pixels are inside the selection... Select --> Transform Selection will transform the selection itself.
 
Well with a few pointers from you guys and a little googling we managed to make some new templates in Photoshop, it is then first time we have managed to get anything done that size without having to drop the res down, anything over 250 dpi in photoimapct was just not going to happen

Thanks for the tips everyone

Cheers
 
You are welcome.

Feel free to post up your designs and you can probably get some good constructive feedback from the community.
 
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