Question about Coloring Katie's Simply Overlays

[digitalgurl]

I bought Katie's Simply Overlays, they are fantastic, they are also black. I used my paint bucket tool in PSE4 to recolor a set to orange, took FOREVER, there has to be an easier way to recolor these overlays. Can someone help????

[katie pertiet]

okay, this is my method...

open the png
make a new layer
make the black/overlay layer an active selection
by command+clicking on the layer in the layer palette [on a mac]
in your new, blank layer
with the marching ants going of the overlay design
select a foreground color
Edit>Fill

HTH!
Keep me posted!

[digitalgurl]

I'm using a PC, I did your steps, and the way I made it active was by choosing the rectangle tool and drawing a rectangle on the layer then I saw the ants, but when I chose the foreground color and did Edit/Fill it colored my whole page the green foreground color. Did I miss something, or do I invert? Sorry to be so lost here...

[katie pertiet]

try moving your mouse over the layer in the layer palette
when you hold down ctrl the cursor should change to a marquee
when it does, click on the layer
then, make sure you're in the new, blank layer
and edit > fill

keep me posted

[Britgirl]

well I cheat! LOL
just select the colour you want in your foreground colour box, then with the overlay or embellishment open go to enhance- adjust colour- adjust hue and saturation. check the colourize box and slide the sliders about til you have the colour you want (if it starts in black for example you need to slide the lighten slider up, and prob the sat. slider too) this does it pretty easily and give you the option of lighter/darker than you chosen shade.
I hope that makes sense!

[shhbabymine]

does this work for png files as well - i just cant figure them out - since they dont get loaded like a "brush"

[katie pertiet]

yes, this works for any PNG

[cconley777]

Just a note from another Elements user. To select a layer, hold "control" and then click on the "thumbnail" (left side) of the layer you want to select in the pallette. It doesn't work if you click on the "text" side of the active layer.
It was something I struggled with too.

[anitavp]

THANK YOU Katie! I have been painting every little bit of stamps, and it was taking forever and very frustrating!

[RatherBScrappin]

Great tips...I've bookmarked this thread

[elseepe]

I haven't used any of Katie's overlays, but this might be another easy option if the overlay is on a transparent background. If you bring the overlay into your layout, select the overlay layer. At the top of the layer pallete are a couple of buttons, one of them is to lock transparent pixels, click on it. then you can fill the layer using your foreground, background or other selected color.