how to make a template in Photoshop or coreldraw? Help required pretty please!!

[danno]

Afternoon guys!

Well, without boring everybody to tears, I have an old copy of Coreldraw (version 9!) and an old copy of photoshop elements v3.

What I'd really like to be able to do is if someone sent me a photo that they wanted on a mug, I'd like to be able to just import it into my preset mug template, print it off and press it. But I'm having trouble creating a simple template with a cut out window, so that when the photo is placed on the template, it will only show the part of the photo within the cutout window......like the templates you get from pAul and others.

Can anybody tell me how I can go about doing this?? I've been trying all morning, but it seems whatever I do I end up with a mess!!!!

Thanks in advance

Dan

[arthur.daley]

Hi Danno

This has come up several times before and if you search for it you should find it, you could also look through my history as I know i have written this one up before.

that said


open your template in elements - it will by default be your background layer
select the whole image - ctrl A
copy ctrl C
create a new layer
paste image into new layer ctrl V
select backround layer
select all ctrl A
delete - backspace key

you should now have two layers, one has your image and the other is empty. make sure the layer with the template image is on top and the empty layer is beneath it

select template layer
select area you want incoming image to show through feathering the edge if needs be
select empty base layer

open incoming image in new tab
select new image
copy new image ctrl C
click on your template tab to open it
paste new image into empty layer
goto image transform, scale
adjust size of new image up or down to suit window in template
move image around until aligned

close new image tab so only one image tab is open - template with new image behind it

select new image
adjust levels so it looks good alongside your template
save as a psd so that you retain the layers - if you want to alter it later you can, call it something like 'customerX' master
flatten image
save as jpeg or better still as a TIFF call it something like 'customer X' as printed v1 (makes it easy to tell the difference if you create a new version later)
send to printer

job done

as with many things in Photoshop, there are always several ways to reach the desired result. We are all creatures of habit and the above is the way i figured out to do it way back in the dark ages and it works for me ;o) The bit which you can play with is how you cut the hole in the template for the new image to show through. Do you want a hard edge of a diffused edge do you need to completely fill the hole, do you need to feather the edge of the new image - it has all kinds of crap in the back ground??

The bit about fiddling with the colour and levels - it often happens that you can look at the new image on its own and it looks ok but as soon as you put it up against another colour what originally looked like a very small colour cast that no one would notice suddenly looks horrendous. Try putting a very slightly green image against a magenta background and you'll soon get the idea!

On the subject of colour - you really do need to calibrate your screen and be using an ICC profile to print with - also been done in detail recently

Let us all know how you get on.






regards

Arthur

[danno]

Thanks for the detailed info arthur, I will have a go and report back

[JackB]

I use Coreldraw X5. open template, then open picture. With picture highlighted go to effects-powerclip then click on template and it will insert it. If you need to edit just right click then press edit and finish editing when you are done.
Jack

[JMugs]

You tube is you friend here.
Take the info from above, watch the videos and copy as you go. I find that works for me. Both routes above work, but I need to see it on screen and follow for it to sink in.

Have fun
Janners

[arthur.daley]

I am with Janners on this one - show it to me and I can pick it up in a minute, well maybe five minutes. Make me read it and its hard work. That said, I know the written routine i outlined above looks a tad on the long side but if you run through it line by line it really is quite easy and ten minutes later you will wonder what the fuss was all about.


Arthur

[danno]

Thanks for the tips guys, I will get round to getting my head around it!!

I think I may be running a too old version of photoshop, it's V3 on a win 7 32 bit machine........I keep seeing a grid on the screen that is in negative mode!!!! very strange but very offputting!

[arthur.daley]

Thanks for the tips guys, I will get round to getting my head around it!!

I think I may be running a too old version of photoshop, it's V3 on a win 7 32 bit machine........I keep seeing a grid on the screen that is in negative mode!!!! very strange but very offputting!

CAn't be sure of what you are seeing but that could just be the Photoshop background - if you cut a hole in something you will see a chequerboard effect in the hole - its just so that you can see the hole

[daviddeer]

It may be a pixel grid here's how to turn it off.