Digital Scrapbooking Tips

How to use a Quick Page in Photoshop Elements:

Quick pages and Quick books are designer pages with transparent "windows" for you to place your photos in.  The transparent "windows" contain a grey and white checkerboard area when the image is opened in PSE and PS.

Photoshop and PSE use this checkerboard pattern to indicate that an area is transparent.

Quick pages are fast and easy to use.

Open the quick page and photos by selecting File > Open.  Browse your computer using the drop-down menu next to the Look in: box. Hold the Ctrl key (Mac: Cmd) to select several photos at once, then click OK.  All of the items you have opened will populate in the Project Bin at the bottom of the editing window.  If you can't see the Project Bin, select Window > Project Bin.

Double-click on a photo in the Project Bin to make it active (which makes it the large preview in the editing window.) Now click and drag the photo down onto the quick page in the Project Bin. Release when the photo is directly on top of the quick page. 

The quick page will become the active document and the photo will be on top of the quick page.  Get the Move Tool and drag the photo directly over the quick page photo opening "window."

Next, look in the Layers Palette (bottom right corner of the screen.) You will have two layers:  the photo layer and the quick page layer. The photo layer will be above the quick page layer.

Get the Move Tool and drag the photo layer under the quick page layer in the Layers Palette.  This moves the photo under the quick page, so that the photo peeks out from behind the window.

Get the Move Tool to reposition the photo under the quick page openings.  If you need to resize the photo, click on the photo layer to select it.  Get the Move Tool. Hover your cursor over one of the four corners of the photo. A small box will appear and your cursor will change into a diagonal arrow.  Drag toward the center of the photo to make it smaller or away from the center to make it larger.

To tilt the photo, hover your cursor over one of the four sides of the photo.  When you reach the handle on the side, your cursor changes into a curved arrow.  Use this handle to tilt the photo.

You can use the Eraser tool to erase away any part of the photo that shows in another "window."

Another way to erase away the excess photo area is to delete it.  Here's how:

1. After you have placed the photo behind the window, select the quick page layer in the Layers Palette.

2. Select the Magic Wand tool and make sure "Contiguous" is checked in the options bar.

3. Click once inside the window that you are filling with the photo.

4. Type Ctrl + Shift + I (Mac: Cmd + Shift + I) or Select > Inverse from the Menu bar to select the inverse (marching ants around your area and the outer perimeter of the page).

5. Select the photo layer.

6. Press the delete key or backspace key on your keyboard. This will delete all of the picture that was outside of your desired area.

7. Type Cmd + D (Mac:Ctrl + D) to deselect (get rid of the ants.)

To add text, select the quick page layer and get the Text Tool.

Choose a font, font size, color and orientation in the Options bar across the top of the editing screen.

Click on the quick page and begin typing.  When your text is complete, click the green checkmark to confirm the text. You can move and resize your text using the Move tool and the handles (just like the photo.)