Download a pdf copy:
ACDSee Photo Editor Using Templates
Free Template
A free template by Vicki Stegall at OScraps:
Important Note before you start working with a PSD Template file
After you open your psd template file and before you start working with your template, it is important to do this step:
Under File | Define Work Area Change Width to 12 & Height to 12 (or size desired) & Resolution to 300. Click on OK. After clicking OK, Photo Editor will take a minute to process the change which you can see happening on the bottom progress bar.
Online Version:
Using Templates in ACDSee Photo Editor
Why use templates? Using templates saves time because someone else has created the design and it allows the users to personalize them.
What are they? A template is a file made up of layers. Usually when a template is purchased & downloaded, you get two files - one is a jpeg (or jpg) and the other is a psd file. (There may also be a .tif file too, but we won't use that or the jpeg file). When you open the file in Photo Editor, the file will separate into separate layers. In looking at them, you'll see that each layer is a separate shape. The goal is to place the paper into them so that the paper takes it's shape. They are in grey scale to guide you as to where to put the lighter to darker tones.
*Note - To use templates in ACDSee Photo Editor they need to be .psd files.
*Note - Photo Editor calls each layer an object. Layer or object can be used interchangably.
- There are two ways to open a template in Photo Editor.
Under File | Open browse to folder where the template is located and choose the .psd file of the template (make sure not to choose the jpeg file).
Open the .psd layered template in Photo Editor by dragging it into the large grey workspace area.
- Click somewhere in the workspace to unselect the layers (the blue boxes around each shape will disappear).
- Under File | Define Work Area
Change Width to 12 & Height to 12 (or size desired) & Resolution to 300. Click on OK. After clicking OK, Photo Editor will take a minute to process the change which you can see happening on the bottom progress bar.
If the template is grouped (shows up as a single layer), ungroup in the Object Palette (on the right side of the work space) and right click on the Triangle to the left of Group & choose Ungroup
We recommend saving the template now as a working .apd file before continuing. Under File | Save As - choose where you'd like to save it. Rename the file & change file type to APD - ACDSeePhoto document (*.apd) Doing this allows you to save it & come back later to work on the layout. (It also prevents writing over the original file.)
Open your papers, elements and pictures in Photo Editor. To do this, you can either go under File | Add Images in Photo Editor. Or if you are using Photo Manager, simply click and drag the files into Photo Editor's Image basket at the bottom of the work area. Tip: The image on the next page is when you open My Documents & a folder where your kits are at. If you change the pull down on the icon on the right & change it to 'Thumbnail', you can see images of your scrapbooking kit rather than file names.
- For each template layer:
- In the image basket, double click on your paper. This will open the paper as a separate image.
With the paper window open, select Ctrl-A (Select all) and Ctrl-C (Copy). Close the paper file by selecting the smaller x in the top right - do NOT hit the top right one - or it will close Photo Editor! (You may need to hit “enter" to deselect the object if you are unable to close the file.)
- Switch to your template image window by clicking somewhere on the template.
- In the template image window, in the object palette select the template layer that you want to place your paper into by clicking on the appropriate layer box.
- Choose the magic wand tool and click in the shape object to select that area. You will get marching ants around that area.
Go to Image | Mask | Mask outside of area.
Now use Ctrl+V (Paste) Your paper will take the shape of the selected area.
Repeat step 6 for each template layer. To make it easier to identify each layer, you can rename the layer by right clicking the layer, and typing in the new name. When you are ready to add text, right click on the text layer & choose delete. Use the text tool and add your title adjusting the font & size.
Tip - if you'd like to have the same paper in more than one layer - after you've done the first layer with that paper, you can add the same paper to more by:
- click on another layer (which makes marching ants)
go to Image | Mask | Mask outside of area.
Ctrl+V (Paste)
Save your work periodically. File | Save (Ctrl-S)
- When done, save your work as an .apd file if you wish to edit it later.
To have a printable version of work, it needs to be saved as a jpg. Choose File | Save As, select JPG = JPEG (*JPG) . Change the Image Quality to Best Quality and accept the rest of the defaults and choose OK. You will now have 2 files:
- An apd file that you can edit easily.
- A jpg file that you can use to print, email or upload to a gallery. If you with to email or upload to a gallery, we need to save it as a smaller jpg, to do this see this tutorial ....
