Photoshop help!

This is simple instruction of making a timeline.

First

Layers are the COOLEST advantage u have on photoshop. Do u remember those.. anatomy books with transparent layers of pages showing organs and bones?? it is kinda like that! So u can work on different layers, so that major elements of your projects can be divided into layers.

for example. lets say u want to make the timeline with a cool antique map of vietnam to be on the background, instead of a boring white background. So u make it all... then after all the work, u notice that the timeline is off center!!!

if the picture of the antique map, and the graphic timeline was in the same "layer" then... u can not just move the timeline around without moving the map picture. because u directly painted on top of it.

if you used a layer, it is like you painted the timeline on a transparent paper.. then placed it on top of the antique map picture.

Pretty neat huh? then u could move around the graphic timeline picture around, and the map picture will just stay there undamaged.

-------------
Make a file
-------------

Make a new file!, lets say u are making a 8.5 x 11 timeline.

1. go to File>New
2. put the title of your time line (ex. vietnam timeline)
3. put the size (ex 8.5 inches for Width, 11 inches for Hight / if it is in Pixels, pull down to pick Inches)
4. put resolution (100 is good, this determines the quality of picture)
5. Set mode as RGB, and under Contents.. keep it White (this is the background color)

--------------------------------
Lets put the cool antique map(or any other thingie...)
--------------------------------



1. go find a cool antique map online and save it (google images, etc...)
2. open the picture u downloaded on photoshop
3. Drag the selection to your blank file (the one with a layer),

to drag it, u need to have the "Move Tool" selected. It is in a "Tool Window" (if its not there, go to Window>Tools). Tool Window should be on left side, in a long vertical shape.

imagine you are a robotic arm, and tools u select here are like the cyborg arms u put on. And the tools are in the Tool Window like a tool box.

"Move Tool" is the one that is on top, right inside the Tool Window.

select it, and now u got a robotic arm that lets u move stuff around

5. Now the antique map picture is not the right size is it! Probably it is smaller than the area u are working on.

6. To resize the antique map picture, press Cntrl+T or Edit>Free Transform.

7. Just like how you resize a window in windows. change the size of it to fit it! If you want to keep the proportions so it doesnt get squashed. Hold down SHIFT button as you move one of the corners of the box it made.

8. When it is at a satisfied size, press enter and voila. It is done.

------------------------
Make a layer to work on
------------------------

Like i said before, u want to work on a new layer now without damaging the background.

1. find the Layer window. It should be on your lower right corner. (if it ain't there, go to Window> Layers)

2. make a new clean layer by clicking the button next to "trashcan", it is shaped like two rectangles. It shows you "Create a New Layer" when mouse is placed over it. Press it and you should see that it made a new layer called "Layer 2"

3. select the layer. U see that "Layer 2" is highlighted. Now, when u do anything do the picture u have made... it affects that layer only. When u make a new layer, it is automatically selected. Right now, it is already selected for u.

4. Layer 1, which is now under Layer 2.. probably was made already before when u put the background in.

5. Keep it selected to Layer 2, and lets put the graphic timeline in.

------------
making a graphic timeline
---------------

a simple line can be made with just a brush tool. if clicked on your work area, then clicked at another point in work area while holding shift down. It will make a straight line!

but, a line is not so great looking.. i suggest u use a straight rectangules, then fill those in with Text and Pictures.

1. Find the "rectangular marquee tool", the button of it is shaped like a dotted line forming a rectangle. It is usually on the top, upper left corner of the "Tool Window"

2. ok, now u got the power to select an area with your new cyborg arm. Select a rectangular area

3. Pick a color, and press Alt+Backspace to fill the area w/ color

-----------------
Inserting text
-----------------



1. The "T" button in the Tool Window will let you type
2. U can change colors and what-not to make it look good as you type
3. U will notice that adding text to your workarea made a new Layer for you.

--------------------
Making more solid backspace, for more text and pictures
-----------------



1. it is the same thing as before, make some graphic rectangles filled with color.

2. ah, but make sure you are still no in the "Text Layer" because u can not put a solid shape into the layer of the texts. So make a new layer like you did before, then put the solids in there.

------------------
Inserting Pictures
-----------------



1. find all the descriptive images that describe the specific time. (google image is good)

2. open them one by one and start putting them in, and resizing them. Just like you did before w/ the background


The Magifier tool, will let you Zoom in/out. If you are working on small picture or text.

---------------------
New smaller text
---------------------



1. when u are making bunch of small text like these, it is better to just keep making seperate layers of text.

2. after you wrote all the text out in the smaller descriptions of historical incidences, u can again use the Move tool to set them aligned.

----------------------
Saving the work
---------------------

This is in now a PDS format.
So right now, if you save as a PDS file. it will have saved all your seperation of layers. But, the file size is quite big, and it can only be opened by Photoshop

So you should save it in a popular JPEG format of TIFF format.
for a print out, i suggest TIFF. for saving it on the web, i suggest JPEG

1. Just incase u have to edit some parts again, (ex. if you spelled something wrong and need to fix it fast)... save this file as a PDS file first.

2. Flatten image (this makes all layers into a single layer)

Layer>Flatten Image

3. Save it!

File> Save As


-------
Done
-------



ps. if u have time, u can tweak around in the PDS file. such as opacity of layers, adding lines, typing in your name, etc.


this is as simple and fast as i can explain. for any more detailed works. u should look up some simple tutorial websites. The Help section on photoshop might be too confusing if you are new to photoshop.

i hope you do well on it.

thanks a million bubbleme80! I owe you big time for that brilliant help! I'll try and put your good advice into action soon and i'll let you know how it turns out. once again.... thanks for your help! saved me plenty of time, energy and embarrassment!

Hey great mini tut. I have about 4 years of playing around with photoshop *my father uses it for his business (graphical designer) and is PROSTAR* me, i just do what I like and get some pretty good turn outs. The walk through was very well explained but being a university student as soon as I finished reading it I thought.... Who do the intellectual rights belong to? Bubble published online a walktrhough of how to do an exact project. Which makes the idea his, so now if cshed creates somethign similar but of his own design and publishes it in a magazine alogn with an article he wrote, but credit was never given.... basically I guess I am asking what is the deal with publications and webforums?

ah.. i think people who post in webforums do realize that their ideas can be taken easily and be used. But people do still post knowing it.

the hardest thing about making mini-tut on forums is that it is usually for a specific purpose (because general tutorial can be found easily in programmer's website). And since it is also created for a specific viewer, such as someone who has no experience vs. person who has experience.. u can't really put anything out of neccisity (ex. pathway w/ pen tool, gradiants, or filters)

and it is kinda funny when people give no credit after considering all those, haha. i've once made a tutorial for scripting and tweaking for Half-life mods... and i found the exact same tutorial in a korean website translated by someone, using my screenshots! lol.. (im korean)

But once again, i knew it was to be used by others. And i would not mind much if any of my tutorials were taken and used. But i'd wish they'd pay me for it because i am poor and no job. T_T

An art piece is very different for me, EVEN A DOODLE. when i found out my doodle was used in someone's personal webpage background w/o permission i was PISSED.

i graduated from an art college too, hehe. majored in illustration.

hey i couldn't be more grateful for the help so i'll happily credit you in the magazine if you PM me your name bubbleme! Not that it will matter much to you if you don't get to see it but the thought is there!

hehe i can't pm people, lol

but if it ever gets published, it could just be "Leo An" woohoo.

consider it done!

I might be pushing my luck here but i need a little more help from anybody if possible. need to create an effect of a newspaper cut out - so it looks like it has come from an archive. any thoughts?

u mean so it looks like it was printed on news paper, and u cut out, like black and white??

or u mean it looks like something more traditional with linial graph, like something that would be in a newspaper?

erm... sort of so it is ragged round the edges and looks like it has been ripped out of the newspaper. a bit jaggy, spikey all round the edge. hard to explain it properly.