Open "VRA_ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates RipTorn," the 2a background.

Create a new, blank 8.5 x 11 file and open a background paper of your choice. Featured here is Keri Schueller's Silk Screen Papers: "KCS_SilkScreen ppr4" (retired).

Using the Magic Wand (make sure your Tolerance is at "0"), click on the black background and there will be "marching ants" around the edges.

 

Drag the ants to Keri's background paper and move the ants into a position you like by dragging the ants around on the paper, then copy (Ctrl+C).

Click on your blank file, paste (Ctrl+V) and the paper will be your first layer.

Close the paper and background template, name your base layer and save your layout file onto your hard drive.

 

Open "VRA_SS_DLTmp_RipTorn2g_lttr-PhotoLines.png," the photo lines, and drag it on top of the background paper.

 

Open "VRA_SS_DLTmp_RipTorn2h_lttr-TornBase.png," the torn edge, and drag it on top of the background paper, placing it in the upper left corner.

 

Open "VRA_SS_DLTmp_RipTorn2h_lttr-TornTop.png," the torn top of the paper. Select a complimentary background paper to be the torn paper, shown is Keri Schueller's Silk Screen Solids Paper Mini, paper 4 (retired).

Click in blank area of the torn paper template, then in the menu bar: Select> Inverse and drag the marching ants onto the background paper, positioning it as desired. Copy (Ctrl+C), then paste (Ctrl+V) onto your layout, and move to the upper left so that just an edge of the white torn paper base shows below.

 

Select the layer with the white torn paper and add a drop shadow for realism. Double click on the tiny circle "f" to open a window and adjust the size of the shadow to about 5 pixels for a more realistic shadow.

 

Start adding photos. This image is only at 180 dpi, so the resolution will not be as high a quality. Change the resolution to 300 dpi, but you will also need to change the document size to about half, the width can change to 8 and the height here automatically drops in proportion to 6 inches. (That's because there is a black bar on the right with a link, meaning these two measurements will also change in relationship to each other.)

 

Open the Main Photo Template. Now that the photo has been resized, with the Magic Wand, click on the Main Photo Template, copy and paste it on the photo. Make the template transparent: in the Layers Palette, change the opacity in the top right corner so that you can see the image below. Move the template layer until you are happy with how your photo will be cropped, click on the template layer to get the marching ants, and then select the photo layer: copy and, moving to your layout, paste. The photo will appear on a layer of its own. Drag the photo below the lines and position it.

 

Repeat the process for each photo:

• Scale your photos to the correct resolution.

• Place the template on the photo (drag or copy and paste).

• Change the transparency of the template so you can see how to crop.

• Click on the template with the Magic Wand to get marching ants.

• Select the photo layer.

• Copy.

• Click on the layout page and paste the photo.

• Position the photo on the page.

 

All the photos have been placed. I left the last image empty; I liked the way the paper pattern peeked into the photo area.

I added a few embellishments, a title and journaling. Here is the finished page, fast and easy!

Layout by Valerie Randall

Tutorial written by Valerie Randall