Using ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Torn Edges

Note: Digital scrapbooking tutorial written with screenshots from a Mac running Adobe Photoshop CS2.

Open a new document and SAVE it. And don't forget to save it periodically while working on it!

Add your background paper (paper shown here from Blue Sea DEEP Papers) and a photo.

Hold Shift and drag both of the tear PNGs to the document so they are centered in the document. ("DMI_SSEmb_Torn_angled_bottom.png" and "DMI_SSEmb_Torn_angled_top.png" used here.)

Position the templates where you want them. If you need to flip them, group the two PNGs together and select the group. Go to Edit> Transform> Flip Vertically (or Horizontally). Position the templates where you want the tear to rip the photo.

The templates are not wide enough to cover the photo, so select the top tear layer and fill it to cover the photo. Do the same for the bottom layer. The color doesn't matter.

Command+Click (Ctrl+Click) on the top template layer. That will put marching ants around the tear.

With your top template area still selected, select the photo layer in the Layers Palette. Click on the Add Layer Mask button on the bottom of the Layers Palette.

Your layout should look something like this. Don't worry; your photo is still there!

Hide the top template layer (gray one).

Move the bottom template layer (black one) below the photo layer in the Layers Palette.

Command+Click (Ctrl+Click) on the PHOTO thumbnail (not the mask thumbnail on the photo layer). This will put those marching ants around the photo (and not the layer mask).

With marching ants around the photo and the bottom template layer (black one) selected, click on the Add Layer Mask button on the bottom of the Layers Palette.

To give the photo a white core, lock the layer transparent pixels of the bottom template layer by clicking on the first box in the Layers Palette. Make sure the foreground color is what you want. Hold Option (Alt), then hit Delete and your layer will be filled with the foreground color. Since the layer transparent pixels were locked, it filled only those black pixels.

If you want the tear to look more or less drastic, you can move the bottom layer to increase or decrease the size of tear. To do this, unlock the layer mask by clicking the link on the layer. Select the white shape and move accordingly.

To make the tear more realistic, you can add some texture. ScrapSimple Paper Templates work GREAT for that! I used ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Well Worn (BVA_SS_Papers_WellWorn_4.png). Shift+Drag the PNG above your bottom tear template layer.

I NEVER like to delete pixels, so add a layer mask to the texture that is the same as the bottom tear. Command+Click (Ctrl+Click) on the bottom template layer and add a layer mask to the texture layer. It's bigger than the photo, so the excess needs to be trimmed. Command+Click (Ctrl+Click) on the PHOTO. Shift+Command(Ctrl)+I to invert the selection. Select the layer mask of the texture layer by clicking on the mask. Fill the mask with black. Now the texture layer should have the same shape as the bottom layer.

Depending on the texture used, the opacity may need to be changed.

WOW! All torn and no scraps!

Now, just finish up that layout.

Layout by Diane Miller [dinny]
larger view

	Note: Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Torn Edges, Living Brush Set, ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Breezy, Frames RECTANGULAR Biggie and ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Well Worn are also available.

Tutorial written by Diane Miller [dinny]