Expert: Glen Demers - 1/9/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi,

I'm wanting to take my work in to be professionally printed. I want to make sure that my images are spaced with the correct border around them so as they can be mounted at a later stage. I'm wanting to print single images onto A5 sheets with twice as much space at the bottom  of my image ( for work title etc) as the top. How do i add this information. Is there a way that I can set my computer to space the work automatically every time I set up a new image? If I place it on the page with the rulers as guides will that work and how do i make sure that the computer at my printers dosn't alter my set settings??

I hope this isn't too garbled.

ANSWER: Hi Kerry,

The fastest way to accomplish this would be to make a template with a layer mask. Start with a blank document A5 size double click on the background layer to make it layer 0, so you can edit it. Drag guides to where you need them and using the marquee tool drag out a selection from guide to guide. Click on the layer mask icon, at the bottom of the layers palette the rectangle icon with the circle in it.  Save this document as a template and open a new copy of it for each image. When you are done editing your image just flatten and save.

Hope this helps,
Glen Demers
Adobe Certified Expert, Photoshop 7
Prepress Technician, Best Printing Online
www.bestprintingonline.com

For more Photoshop tips please visit our help pages here


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Glen,
Thank you for your advice. I am having some issues though. I can't get the masked doc. to save as anything other than a copy Alpha channels and as a PSD. I need it to be a PDF for my printing guys? I don't know what the difference is or what alpha channels mean.

Also I can't seem to get a image to be dragged into the saved template either, I'm just getting that black and white circle icon when the image snaps back to its home base so to speak.

What am I doing wrong? Why can't I save the template as a JPEG file? I'm using photoshop 7
thank you

ANSWER: Hi Kerry,

The template needs to be saved as a layered tif or a psd doc, I usually save as a Photoshop doc so I can see from the .psd extension that it's a template.
With the template open, open an image. You can select all or part of the image and either go to Edit>Copy or hold the Command(Mac) or Control(PC) key until a scissors icon appears. Drag you image over to the template or with the template active go to Edit>Paste.
Your image will now be on it's own layer on top of the layer mask layer.
Under the layer menu select Group with Previous or Merge Down. If you select Merge Down then select 'Preserve' in the next dialog that appears. Once you have merged the layers you can click on the chain link icon in the layers palette between the image and the layer mask symbols and it will disappear, allowing you to move the image without moving the mask.
Holding the shift key while clicking on the layer mask icon allows you turn the mask on and off.
Once you are satisfied with the picture go to Layer>Flatten Image and then you can save it as a pdf, tiff or jpg. Once you flatten the image make sure you do a 'Save as..' and rename it so you don't overwrite the template.
The layer mask is saved as an alpha channel. If you go to Selection>Load Selection and choose 'Layer 0 mask' in your template, then go to an image and Edit>Copy then the 'Paste Into' option is available on the template - this will paste the image on it's own layer with it's own mask saving you from Grouping or merging.
I hope this isn't too confusing, you are basically opening the template, pasting an image in it, and saving it as a pdf with a new name. Repeat with next image.

Hope this helps,
Glen Demers
Adobe Certified Expert, Photoshop 7
Prepress Technician, Best Printing Online
www.bestprintingonline.com

For more Photoshop tips please visit our help pages here


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: when the image gets moved across to the mask it turns black and white and there is no evidence of it in the layers. When changing layer 0 (this is the only layer if I click on it) to mask it, it changes from blue to a silver colour. Also 'group with previous' and 'merge down' are not highlighted so i can't select them.

What am I doing wrong??

Sorry for all the questions but it would make my life so much simpler if I could get this to work

kind regards
kerry

Answer
Hi Kerry,

When you open your template you should have a white box in the center(your mask area) and your border should contain the grey/white checkerboard, then Command(Mac) or Control(PC) click on the layer mask icon, this will make a selection of the mask area. You'll see the "marching ants" around the white box.
Open your image file and Edit>Copy the image you want. Then go to the template and hit Edit>Paste into.
Also, make sure your template and image are in the same color mode - RGB or CMYK

Hope this helps,
Glen Demers
Adobe Certified Expert, Photoshop 7
Prepress Technician, Best Printing Online
www.bestprintingonline.com

For more Photoshop tips please visit our help pages here