Sharp Uploads: How to!

Hi everyone!!!! I have a little tidbit for you today! When I first started scrapping digitally, I was so green and so baffled most of the time! Things get easier as you learn more about your program, play with features and try new things out.

So, when I first started, I was so confused about saving for the galleries that I literally no clue what I was doing! Today's tutorial is to help you Save for a Gallery Upload! Hope you enjoy it!

For my example, I've used Chelle's Blessings Kit. It is a beautiful kit and perfect for many milestone pages, such as births, weddings, communions, and other events you would like to scrap! My layouts end up being 600x600 at 72 dpi. I usually scrap double pages, and will convert each side to it's own file for the web as well as a file for my album uploading.

This is my layout:

First, you should have your layout open in Photoshop.

Flatten the image by right clicking on the topmost layer in your layers palette and choosing "Flatten Image."

Duplicate the layer. You should have a Background layer and a Background Copy layer. You can re-name this Sharpen if you like or something you prefer.

Next, you will run the High Pass Filter on the duplicated layer (Background Copy or Sharpen if you renamed). Click on the Filter in the Menu bar > Other > High Pass.

My pages usually use a figure between 1.4 and 6. More than that makes my layout look off. Click ok. You should now see a grey box on the layer above your layout. Do not flatten at this point.

Next is the addition of a Color Pop, though this is optional. To add a Color Pop, add an adjustment layer to the original layout layer, Background.

Your adjustment layer is an adjustment in Hue/Saturation, and you will be changing the saturation specifically. My mouse moved, so my screen print changed when I took the "picture," so your Hue/Saturation should be highlighted on your screen. Click on Hue/Saturation. You will be brought to this screen.

The range can be anywhere from +1 to +10, depending on the colors and brightness of your photos or kit choice. Once the Color Pop is added, you can change the opacity to lower how much of a POP you want. You will have to change the Blend Mode to Overlay.  Just make sure you have the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer selected in the layers palette, so you are adjusting the correct layer's opacity and blend mode.

Flatten the image. Depending on your needs, you can save this version as a jpg since it is still full size. It will be ready for uploading to an album. If you are going to upload to a gallery, here is what I do.

First, choose Image on the Menu Bar, and choose Image Size. Change the 3600 x 3600 sizes (or 12 x 12) that are there to 600 x 600 (or 2 x 2). Click ok.

Next, choose Save for Web and Devices from the File Menu drop down. You will be brought to a different screen from your original layout.

In the top right of the Save for Web Screen, you should see an options panel or menu drop down, click on this. Click and choose, Optimize to File Size and a menu will pop up.

Enter in the number you wish -- I always enter 149.5, just to be sure I am below the 150kb limit. Click ok, and your image re-sets to the correct highest quality for the size.

Click save, and save your WEB version. That's it.... nice right sized, sharpened, gallery layouts - ready to go! There are multiple ways to sharpen and re-size, I just thought I'd share this one, as it is just my own method. That is a great time-saver to use that optimize feature, right?!

Once you get used to these steps, try to save them as an action! Then all you have to do is click the button and presto! :)

Created originally by me for Chelle's Creations: HERE!

Thanks for visiting today! Have a great week!

Jenn (jk703 or The Typative Scrapper)

So Simple Selective Coloring Tutorial

Hi Everyone!  Time for another tutorial!  Yeah! I'm here to share a cool new photo technique that I learned!  It is so fun, and really makes for some fantastic pops to your pictures!  I'm going to show you how to EASILY do selective coloring to your pictures!  Easy... YES!  Woot!

OK, let's get started!  First, open your photo, and save a copy so the original will be available if it is ever needed.  Complete any cropping, brightening or toning adjustments that you'd like.  Then comes the good stuff!  :) By the way, this is Colin... from St. Patty's Day.  He is my youngest, and my ham!

In the Layers Palette, click on the Adjustment icon, and then choose Hue/Saturation from the list.

Press D on your keyboard to make sure that your background and foreground colors (black and white) are back to the default setting.  

With the adjustment layer selected, click on Edit in the Menu Bar, and then choose Fill.

The Fill Menu will pop up so you could change the color, add a gradient, or a bunch of other things. Make sure that white is listed.  Click ok.

Now, when I look over at my Layers Palette, I see the Adjustment Palette showing.  I am going to move the bar for Saturation all the way to the left.  This will remove all color from the photo.

When looking at the Layers Palette, my adjustment is still selected.  Make sure that your adjustment layer is selected, and your "adjustment thumbnail" is selected.

Click on the Brush Tool, and then choose a soft round brush.  I used Approx. 65, soft, and at 100% opacity.

Paint over the desired areas of your photo that you want to bring color back.  As you paint, the color will re-appear and the grey will disappear.  Change your brush size as you get closer to edges and areas that you don't want color to appear.

See the above picture - there is some slight brown/glow showing on the upper edges around the hat.  I need to fix that!  So, if you accidentally paint an area that you want to stay gray, all you have to do is switch the brush color from black to white.  Then paint the spots back to grey.  Easy Peasy!

Hope you learned a cool technique with the easy but fun tutorial!  Can't wait to see what you do with your photos!

Originally created by me for Chelle's Creations: HERE!

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!
Jenn
(jk703/The Typative Scrapper)

Google What? Read All About It!

Hi Everyone!  I'm here to share some chatteryness with you today!  I had a fantastic idea for today's post, but it hasn't panned out... so that one will hopefully I will get to post next time!  I've been blogging a lot lately on my scrap blog, and I read sooooo many blogs that I needed to figure out a way to be able to know what I've read, what I've seen, and keep my blogging time down without missing any cool or fun posts!  How to do this?! Hmmmm...

I was introduced to Google Reader, but a fellow digi scrapbooker!  Google Reader is "a fun way to browse interesting stuff on the web," per Google!  It really is, but they forgot to mention one fact -- it is EASY!

Here is the link to the Google Reader - Give It A Try page on the web. Now, let me tell you a little about it.

Say you read 20 websites that you visit to read daily.  Each has it's own posting schedule, and it is random.  Some might decide to update when they feel like it, some once a day, and some multiple times, some once a week....all random  How can you follow all that?  Ugh!  You could bookmark each website, and check each daily, wasting a lot of time, and effort for posts that might not be new or updated.  Then when you miss a day, you might miss some of the new updates too!

Google Reader does all the checking for you... it lets you subscribe to the websites, and then it does all the checking for you!  Every so often, it checks for updates and new information. So, instead of having to visit those 20 websites and checking each of them, you log into Google Reader.  Google Reader tells you which of the websites have updated, and what they updated with all at once!  How easy!!!  AND... you can view the new content, either in Google Reader, or click on it to go straight to the website.

Right now, I think I have about 50 blogs that I subscribe to!  If they update 10 times per day or once per day, Google Reader usually finds out about the new items within minutes. Even if one blog doesn't update for 6 months or a year, I'm sure that Google Reader will know within hours of that update! That is so much easier than visiting every day!

Now, I need to show you how to add Geek Chic Scraps to the subscriptions after you run over there and sign up, lol!

One step easy peasy!  Just click the Add a subscription, and place the web address of the blog or website you want to subscrips to and click on Add.  You're done!  Sooooo easy!

Well, there you have it... easy way to follow everyone!

Hope you had a great Tuesday and so happy you visited!

Post was created by me for Geek Chic Scraps: HERE!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jenn
(jk703/The Typative Scrapper)

Crusin' Outside!.... Last time!

No... I'm not going crusin around the neighborhood... we have horrible rains right now and I would be soaked.  I'm going to show off Shayne riding a mini quad... and not crashing!  :)

For these layouts, I scrapped with Jennifer Fox's Grab Bag - Just for Fun... and I used EVERYTHING in it!  lol!  This is such a great grab bag, and so versatile!  The faded paper is of my doing, but the masks that are in the grab bad provide the faint yellowing behind the photos and clusters!

Jennnifer Fox Designs - Just for Fun Grab Bag
Includes: Just for Fun Mini Kit, Just for Fun Tinted Krafties, Scraps To Go V13, 

Just for Fun Photo Masks and Wonderfully White Alpha.
Ali Edwards - Outside Word
Font is LD Noodge (P2).

I can't wait for more warm weather!  We are itching to get out of hibernation mode and enjoy all the outside can offer!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!  A tutorial is up next!
Thanks for visiting and I'd love you to share my bloggity blog with your friends!
Jenn
(jk703/The Typative Scrapper)

Juicy.... :)

Fun titles to my posts, right?! LOL!  Anyway... Here is a layout spread using the absotutely fantastic Amy Stoffel goodies and some amazing templates from Jenn at True Blue Studio!!  I don't think I can scrap badly when I use their digi goodies at all -- I love every page!

Amy Stoffel - Only The Sky Is The Limit
True Blue Studio - Blueprints: Set 5
Font is LD Mixed (P2).
Faded Mask (P1) - by Me.

I really love the way these pages turned out!  I might not have gotten a smile from Colin, but theses pages sure make me smile!

Thanks for looking!
Jenn
(jk703/The Typative Scrapper)

Woody.... :)

Hi Guys... How is everyone!?  I am having a good weekend and thought I'd share some recent layouts!  Each will be linked to the gallery and the credits between the layouts!  Hope you enjoy them!  Happy weekend!!!

Scrapped with Chelle's Yee-Haw Goodies and some yummy templates from Fiddle Dee Dee Designs!

Chelle's Creations - Yee-Haw Combo
Fiddle Dee Dee Designs - Fuss Free: Set Nine (P1)
Fiddle Dee Dee Designs and Cluster Queen Creations - Gimme Layers - Spaced Out Volume 1 (P2)
Font is LD Youngster.

Thanks for looking and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Jenn (jk703/The Typative Scrapper)

What About Blending?

Hi Everyone! It's Jenn again... here to share some tips about Blending. I've been scrapping about a year, and had no clue what blending was until I started playing with my software. There is so much to learn in Photoshop, these tips are just touching what we can create with our digital scrapbook layouts!

Layer blending modes have been part of Photoshop for years, but I didn't think they were easy to understand at first glance. I was stumped!

Photoshop and Elements allow for layer blend modes that change the way layers react with each other. Some of them you will use in every day and become your favorites; while others you may never like how it turns out. These blending modes are useful on photos and digital scrap supplies. If you have a photo that is too dark, for example, a quick fix may be to duplicate the photo layer in the layers palette and change the duplicate layer mode to Screen. If a photo is too light it can sometimes be corrected by duplicating the photo layer and changing the layer mode to Multiply.

How do you know what layer blend mode to choose? Let's take a look, and take some of the blending mystery away! (A little at least, lol!)

The Blend Modes

Blending is how pixels in two separate layers interact with and effect each other. It might be helpful to think in colors and effects: The base color is the original color in the bottom layer. The blend color is the color being applied by the upper layer. Results are from the blend of those two layers.

Normal mode is the default. The colors of the two layers will not interact in any way. What you see in the image window is basically what you get.

Dissolve makes the lower layer take on the colors of the top layer, and how much depends on the opacity of the upper layer. The layer 1 opacity is set at 50% here. Disolve only affects pixels with some transparency, which is why I lowered the opacity to 50% in this example.

Darken Categories

The key color for the darken modes is white. Anything white will have no effect on the layers below when a darken category mode is selected -- essentially becoming invisible.

Darken compares each pixel value of the upper layer to its counterpart's pixel value of the lower layer and chooses the darker of the two to display.

Multiply darkens the lower layer based on the darkness of the upper layer. No part of the image will get lighter. Any applied tone darker than white darkens the lower layer. White becomes transparent.

Color Burns in the color of the upper layer with the lower layer. No part of the image will get lighte

Linear Burn works like color burn, but more intense to the colors.

Darker Color isn't really a blending. Basically, whichever is darker wins. Of the two layers used, the color will vary across the image, and change according to which is darker at each spot.

Lighten Categories

The key color for the lighten modes is black. Anything black will have no effect on the layers below when a lighten category mode is selected -- essentially becoming invisible.

Lighten works with the new color, if it's lighter than the color, it replaces that color. If it's darker than the color there, it doesn't add anything.

Screen brightens by lightning the lower layer based on the lightness of the upper layer. The result is always lighter, and makes it a good mode for correcting exposure in photos that are too dark.

Color Dodge dodges the lower layer with the upper layer, resulting in a lighter image. No part of the image will be darkened.

Linear Dodge works like screen but with more intense results.

Lighten Color isn't really a blending. Basically, whichever is lighter wins. Of the two layers used, the color will vary across the image, and change according to which is lighter at each spot.

Contrast Categories

The key color for the contrast modes is 50% gray. Anything 50% gray will have no effect on the layers below when a contrast category mode is selected -- essentially becoming invisible.

Overlay multiplies the light colors and screens the dark colors.

Soft Light will multiply the dark tones and screen the light tones.

Hard Light muliplies the dark colors and screens the light colors.

Vivid Light will dodges or burn the lower layer pixels depending on whether the upper layer pixels are brighter or darker than neutral gray. It works on the contrast of the lower layer.

Linear Light is the same as Vivid light but it works on the brightness of the lower layer.

Pin Light changes the lower layer pixels depending on how bright the pixels are in the upper layer. It acts like Multiply when the upper layer color is darker than neutral gray, and acts like screen if the upper layer color is lighter than neutral gray.

Hard Mix mode enhances the contrast of the underlying layers when blended

Difference reacts to the differences between the upper and lower layer pixels. Large differences lighten the color, and small differences darken the color.

Exclusion uses the darkness of the lower layer to mask the difference between upper and lower layers.

Tonal Categories

Hue changes the hue of the lower layer to the hue of the upper layer but leaves brightness and saturation alone.

Saturation changes the saturation of the lower layer to the hue of the upper layer but leaves brightness and hue alone.

Color changes the hue and saturation of the lower layer to the hue and saturation of the upper layer but leaves luminosity alone.

Luminosity changes the luminosity of the lower layer to the luminosity of the upper layer while leaving hue and saturation the same.

Final Tip:

This is one quick tip that I discovered recently that can save so much time, and make looking at the blend modes so much faster! If you are working on a Photoshop layer and have the move tool selected then you can use the shift key with – or + to go through the layer blend modes, from Normal, Dissolve, Darken, Multiply … right through to Color and Luminosity.

I hope you learned a little more about those Blending Modes! try them with textures, colors, and mix up pattern papers! You never know what you will get unless you play and experiment with your software!

Thanks for visiting! Share what you would like to learn more about -- I'll try to help you out!

Post was originally created by me for Chelle's Creations: HERE!

Jenn (aka jk703 or The Typative Scrapper)

Layouts... Layouts and some more Layouts.. oh... and 2 CT Calls!

Hi Everyone!  I'm always posting tutorials... so I'm going to share some recent layouts that I have done... and then 2 CT calls that you should send your apps in... RIGHT AWAY!  :)

All images are linked to my gallery.... hint, hint.... lol!  :)
First up are my layouts (that I am behind in making) for my P52 project!  It doesn't bother me that I am behind, because I have every intention of working on them... time just goes a lot faster than I can scrap!  You might have noticed that my continuous theme for this album is paper blocking.  I try to add a little color and some cute ellies to each P52 layout, and paper blocking is an easy and fun way to make it pop!  What do you think?

Week 4 Layouts, credits between the pages.  Jenn's papers are just awesome and pop off that pale BG... I love them!

Color Me Happy - Jennifer Labre Designs
Scrapping with Liz - Block Templates
Font is The Pencil by Heather Hess

Week #5 Layouts, credits between the pages.  Amy's kit was a fun flea market kit and had great little ellies with a shabby feel.  I used a photo treatment to match my pics to the kit!  Another little tidbit... see the pale, pale brush on the creme background?  That is an awesome grunge spot from Inspirations from Day... a perfect little boost to add to any BG!

Saturday Flea Market by Amy Stoffel
Grunge Smears by Inspirations By Day
"Zine" Style Templates bu Scrapping with Liz
Font is Throw My Hands Up In The Air. 

ScrapMatters introduced a fun idea in April... the Mix A Kit!  It ties all the designers together with the same palette.  You get so many things to choose from, and basically make the kit you want!  So custom made!  Here is a layout that I made with A LOT of the pieces!  :)
Credits below, and my page is linked!  :)

Spring Stitches by Inspirations by Day
Springy: The Elements by WM [squared]
Footloose and Fancy Pattern Papers by Graham Like The Cracker
Letterpress Paper Pack by Chelle’s Creations
Sprung: Little Bits by Stolen Moments Designs
Spring Punch Alpha by Jennifer Labre Designs
Spring Punch Papers 2 by Jennifer Labre Designs
Blueprints Set 3 by True Blue Studio

I love scrapping double pages... I know they will fit nicely together in my printed books, and it also allows me to use the supplies a little more!  We all have that big a stash that it makes me feel better that I've used things a couple extra times, lol!  My most recent page... I'm waiting on summer to come, so I thought I'd scrap it!  Plus, this kit is sooooo girlie... I mean, c'mon... It's A Chick Thing... .just called out a challenge to show off the masculine side of the kit!  Credits between pages.

It's a Chick Thing by Spinky Dink Scraps and Daybreak Scraps
Sweet Spring Set 2 by True Blue Studio
Font is Teletype.

Thanks for checking out my pages... remember, hint, hint... I love love!  LOL!  Up next will be some sort of tip or tutorial.... I have a couple ideas!  IF there is something that you would like to see, please share!


I almost forgot... check out these two CT calls over at ScrapMatters.... So, get those apps in... and fast!

AND...

Again... Thanks for visiting!
Jenn
(jk703/The Typative Scrapper)