If you've already created your photo composite project, then you're ready to see how I created mine. I'll start by choosing file new, blank file to create a new document. I'll call this Photo Composite. I'll open the Document Type menu and choose Photo.

Then I'll open the Size menu and choose Landscape 5x7, which will automatically enter seven by five inches at 300 pixels per inch, RGB color, and white for the background contents. That's what I want. So I'll click OK. And here is my new document.

Here I've opened the files I plan to use, I decided on the blue paper and two of the photos. I thought two photos would fit better on a five by seven card and I liked these two the best. I'll be using all four elements as well.

Let's start by moving the paper onto the document. I'll select the paper thumbnail first and then close the Photo Bin. I want to move the paper via the tab because the paper is larger than the card document and I don't want Photoshop Elements to resize the paper to fit the card.

With the Move tool, I'll click and drag the paper to the tab of my card document, then down into the document and I'll press Shift as I let go of the mouse to center it. The size of the pattern isn't too bad, but I think I'll make it a little bit smaller. Press Ctrl T on Windows or Command T on a Mac to get transform options. Press Ctrl 0 in Windows or Command 0 on a Mac to view all four corner handles. Press ALT in Windows, Option on a Mac, and click and drag from a corner handle to resize all four corners of the paper at once. About there looks good. So I'll click on the green checkmark to commit the change and I'll press Ctrl 0 in Windows or Command 0 on a Mac to fill the available desktop with my document.

I want my car to have a white stroke outline. So I'll open the Photo Bin and find the stroke, which is hard to see because it's so thin. But it's this thumbnail right here. And I'll click and drag it on to my card. So what I'll need to do is make my card the active document and then click and drag it onto my card.

So this is how my card looks so far. Now let's work with the photos. I could just click and drag the photos onto my card and resize them. But I did some calculation about what size would look good for each photo on my card so I could use the Crop tool and be more exact. I'll get the Crop tool and open Tool Options. instead of choosing a preset size from the menu I'll leave it at No Restriction and enter a custom width and height. I'll enter 3 inches for the width and press the Tab key and enter 3.75 inches for the height. Then I'll click on the Resolution field over on the right and type 300 pixels per inch.

I'll mouse over the crop suggestions and see if one of them is close to what I want. And this one on the left looks at closest so I'll click on that. And then I'm going to close this and just click and drag this up so that it goes up to the top of my photo and click on the green checkmark to commit the crop. For the baby feet photo, I'll use 2.5 inches by two inches at 300 pixels per inch. This time I won't choose a crop suggestion I'll just close Tool Options and click and drag on the photo and adjust it as needed. This actually looks really good right there. So I'll click on the green checkmark to commit the change. If I choose View Rulers from the Menu bar, you can see that the dimensions are indeed two and a half inches by two inches.

Now I'm ready to put my card together. I will press Ctrl minus in Windows or Command minus on a Mac to make my card small enough to see above the Photo Bin. Then I'll click and drag the larger photo from the Photo Bin onto my card.

Now I can get the Move tool and click and drag it into place and I'll move it a little bit over to the left. I'll add the second image and move it next to the first photo. Since I have the Snap function turned on in the View menu, the layers you move will snap to nearby objects when you get close to them making it easier to line up the photos. Then I can use the arrow keys to move it over a bit.

Let's center these two photos better. In the Layers panel Shift click on the first photo. To select both photo layers on your document, click, press Shift and drag in the direction you want to go. Remember that adding the shift key will keep you moving in a straight line. These two photos snap into place between the two stroke lines. Very convenient. Let go of the mouse and then let go of the Shift key.

Let's add a layer style to the photos. In the Layers panel click on one photo layer to de-select the other photo layer. In the menu bar, choose Layer, Layer Style, Style Settings. When the dialog box comes up make sure the lighting angle is 120 degrees. Click on stroke. Enter 30 for the size, inside for the location, leave the opacity at 100%. If you need to, click on the color chip to get the Color Picker, click and drag into the upper left corner to get white, and click OK.

Now click on drop shadow. The angle stays the same as a stroke angle. Set the size to five, the distance to five, and the Opacity to 50%. Click OK. To copy the style to the other photo, press Alt on windows or Option on a Mac and click and drag the effects icon from the first photo to the second photo. Remember to add the Alt or option key, which will duplicate the layer style. If you forget to do that, you'll simply move it from one layer to the other, and we wouldn't want that.

Now let's add the banner element. When I click and drag it onto my page, I see a problem. The stroke outline is above the banner and it should be below it. So in the Layers panel, I'll click and drag the stroke layer down in the stack of layers until it's just above the paper layer. And that fixes the problem. Since I have Auto Select Layer checked in Tool Options, I can now click on my document to select the banner and move it up. And then resize it, Ctrl T and windows or Command T on a Mac. And I'll click and drag from a corner handle and bring this over here.

I can see another problem. It's below this photo as well. But let's go ahead and resize it. Use the arrow keys to bump that up just a little bit... right about there. And maybe move it to the left slightly. And I'll click on the checkmark to commit the change. And then I'll move the banner up above the photo.

This element already has a drop shadow on it so I don't need to add one. Next I'll add the heart. I want it on the left side of the left photo. So I'll click and drag the heart over the photo so it will land above that photo. And then I can move it over to the side and use the Transform tool. Click and drag from a corner handle to resize it. And then I'll move my mouse outside the bounding box until I see a double curved arrow and click and drag in the direction I want to rotate it. Let's make this a wee bit smaller down there, and then I'll click on the green checkmark and move it over just over the edge of that photo.

This will need a drop shadow. So in the Menu Bar, I'll choose Layer, Layer Style, Style Settings. Let's move this over here. The angle will match the other layer styles in my document, so I'm good there. Click on Drop Shadow, enter 2 for the size, 1 for the distance, and 55 for the opacity, and click OK.

Now I'm ready for my title which I'll place under the right photo. I'll click on the top layer in the Layers panel to make it the active layer. Then I'll get the Horizontal Type tool and open Tool Options. Since I know what font I want, I'll click on the font field and enter it in here. I want Ematic Bold, so I'll click on that. Also, let's try 48 points and middle alignment. The color is black, but since I have a dark background, I'll click on the color chip and choose white. I'll click on the Caps Lock key on my keyboard for all capital letters. And now I can click on my document which will create a new layer in the Layers panel. Then I'll type the name Carter.

The letters are smaller than I thought they would be. I'll press the Ctrl key in Windows or the Command key on a Mac, to get a transform outline and click and drag outward from a corner handle. Still holding the Ctrl or Command key, I'll move my mouse inside the outline and drag it into place. And then click on the green checkmark to commit the type. Remember not to put a layer style on regular type.

I'll click again to create a second type layer and type cute as a bug. This type could stand to be a little smaller, so I'll do the same thing. press the Ctrl key on Windows or Command key on a Mac and resize from a corner handle. Then click inside and move it into place and click on the checkmark to commit the type. And I'm going to press V to get the Move tool and then just use my arrow key to drag that over a little bit. Now also click on the top layer, the Carter layer, and I'll bring that down with my arrow keys as well.

My last step will be to add the ladybug element. I'll click and drag it from the Photo Bin onto my card over the type. Then I'll press Ctrl T on Windows or Command T on a Mac to get the Transform outline. Move it over to the right. I'll resize from a corner handle and click and drag outside the bounding box to rotate it. Make it a wee bit smaller. This can be a small little bug. And then click on the checkmark to commit the change. And we'll move that up just a little bit and use the arrow keys to move it over.

Now I'll copy a drop shadow from the heart layer to the bug layer. So I'll press Alt in Windows, Option on a Mac and click and drag the effects icon from the heart to the ladybug. The shadow needs to be a little bit bigger though. So I'll double click on the Effects icon to get the Layer Style dialog box. And now I can increase the distance to 5.

And let's do the size at 9. And then click OK. All that's left is to save my layer document. Choose File, Save As. I already have a name, so I just need to choose my folder, which will be my Practice Files on the desktop. I'll choose Photoshop from the Format menu and make sure Layers and Embed Color Profile are checked. Including the elements organizer is optional, and I won't click that. Then click Save.

If I want to email this card to a friend or family member, I would also want to save for web. Let's close the Photo Bin and in the Menu Bar, choose File, Duplicate. I'll add -web to the end of the name and click OK.

I'm currently at 66.67%. And so this is a little large for an email. So I'll click in the percent field and type 60 and then press Enter. And that looks like a good size for emailing so I'll need to remember 60% when I change the size. First though, let's flatten the layers. In the menu bar choose Layer, Flatten Image, then choose Image, Resize, Image Size. Uncheck Resample Image and change the resolution to 72 pixels per inch. Now check Resample Image and make sure Constrain Proportions is checked. Change the unit of measurement to percent and change the width to 60%, which will also change the height to 60%. Choose a method of size reduction from the menu at the bottom. I always leave mine at Bi-cubic Best for Smooth Gradients. Then click OK.

Press Ctrl plus in Windows or Command plus on a Mac until you're up to 100% size and that's the size of recipients will see in the email. To reduce the file size even further. Choose File, Save for Web.

On the right choose JPEG at a quality of 45 to 60. I'll use 60 set the Blur to zero and the Matte to none. Check Optimized and click Save. Choose your location and click Save.

So that was my entire process for making this card. It takes a lot longer to tell about it then to do it. Your card may have turned out quite different than mine and that's great. We all have our own style. The important thing is to practice, practice, practice until you get comfortable using Photoshop Elements and gain in speed and confidence. This brings us to the end of QwikLearn Part 3. Be sure to check out QwikLearn Part 4 to learn about clipping masks, one of the very coolest things you can do in Photoshop Elements.