Creating a centre square design in Photoshop

Skills and techniques overview
Steps 1–8: the first segment
Steps 9–14: the second segment
Steps 15–16: the third segment
Step 17: the fourth segment
Creating pattern variations

Skills and techniques overview

In this activity, you will have the opportunity to:

Open files in Photoshop
Set the view of a document
Use the Rectangular Marquee Tool to select part of an image
Use Magic Wand Tool to select an area of an image
Use the Copy and Paste Into command
Select different layers in a document by using the Layers window
Learn about the Layer mask
Learn how to adjust a layer’s content
Use Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical to modify an image
Save a file (including set the filename, file location and file format).

Steps 1–8: the first segment

To create the first segment of your design, you will:

open a digital photo of your site in Photoshop
copy a portion of the image and paste it into one section of the template file
learn about Photoshop Layers
learn how to adjust an image in Photoshop
save a Photoshop document.

1 Open a digital photograph of your site

Open a photo in Photoshop.
1. Select Open from Photoshop’s File menu.
2. In the next dialog box, find the digital images of your site.
3. Select the one you want to use and click on Open.
Set the view to 100% by doing one of the following.
1. Type ‘100’ in the percentage box and press ‘enter’.
2. Select ‘ Actual Pixels’ from the View menu.
3. Double click on the Zoom tool.

2 Copy a 200 x 200 pixel area of the image

Choose an area of the image to copy. You may need to scroll to view areas of the image which do not fit in the window.
Display the Info palette (open it from the Window menu).
Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool.
Select an area which is at least 200 x 200 pixels (the Info window will tell you the height and width of your selection).
Select ‘Copy’ on the Edit menu.

3 Open the template file, prac_template.jpg

Open the template file in Photoshop, (File>Open). You may need to save the file, prac_template.jpg, to a location on your computer before you begin.
Set the view to 100%.
Display the Layers palette (open it from the Window menu).

4 Select a segment or square in the template file

Select the Magic Wand Tool.
Click on a segment of the template. A marquee (dotted selection lines) will appear around the edge.

5 Select ‘Paste Into’ on the Edit menu

Display the Edit menu.
Select the ‘Paste Into’ command.

6 View the pasted image and the new layer that is created

The pasted image covers one square or segment of the template.
The Layers palette shows that the image is in a new layer.
When you paste an element, Photoshop pastes it onto a new layer. Layers allow you to work separately on elements. Layers stack one in front of another. The content of one layer covers the content of layers below it.
The layers in a Photoshop document are shown in the Layers palette. You can use the Layers palette to:
1. rearrange layers
2. hide or show layers
3. create, merge or delete layers
4. add effects to layers and more.
The new layer includes a Layer mask. It masks or hides any part of the image that is outside the selected area you pasted into.
1. To display parts of the image which are masked, move the layer content. Press the Control key (Apple / Command key on a Mac) and drag the mouse.
2. To fit the image into the visible area, resize it. Select Transform>Scale from the Edit menu. Drag the handles that appear to resize the image.
The active layer is highlighted and indicated by the paintbrush.

7 Adjust the image (optional)

If the image is larger than the mask area, you may want to adjust it.
Make sure the layer is selected.
To move the image within the mask, hold down the Control key (Apple or Command key on a Mac) and drag with the mouse or press any of the arrow keys.
To resize the image, select Transform>Scale from the Edit menu. Drag the handles that appear to resize the image.

8 Save your document

Select ‘Save’ from the File menu.
Give the file a suitable name.
Set the save location to an appropriate place.
Check the following settings:
1. Format: Photoshop
2. Save: Layers.
Click on Save.

Steps 9–14: the second segment

To create the next segment of the design, you will:

copy the image in the first segment
paste it into the second segment
flip the image to mirror the first segment
adjust the image if necessary.

9 Copy the image in the first segment

Click on the Background layer of the Layers palette to make it active.
Select the Magic Wand Tool.
Click on the segment which contains the image you pasted. Marquee selection lines will appear around the edge.
Note: Because the background layer is active, you are actually selecting the green square in the layer below the image.
On the Layers palette, click on the layer which contains the image and Layer mask to make it active.
Warning: do not select the layer by clicking on the Layer mask.
Select Copy on the Edit menu to copy that part of the image which is within the marquee selection lines.

10 Go to the background layer and select the next segment

Click on the Background layer to make it the active layer.
Select the Magic Wand Tool.
Click on the next segment of the image to select it.

11 Select ‘Paste Into’ on the Edit menu

12 View the pasted image and the new layer

The pasted image covers the next square.
The Layers palette shows that the image is in a new layer.
The new layer includes a Layer mask.
The new layer is highlighted and has a paintbrush icon to show that it is the active layer.

13 Flip the image so that it mirrors the first image segment

Make sure the layer is active or selected.
Go to ‘Transform’ on the Edit menu.
If you pasted beside the original image, ‘Flip Horizontal’.
If you pasted below the original image, ‘Flip Vertical’.
If you pasted diagonally opposite the image, ‘Flip Vertical’ and then repeat the step and ‘Flip Horizontal’.
If necessary, adjust the image (by moving it with the arrow keys) so that it fills the square.

14 View the result and save your file

Consider the patterns that have been created by mirroring the images.
Save your file.

Steps 15–16: the third segment

In this section you will practise skills that you have already learnt in order to create the next segment of your design.

15 Insert the image into the third segment

Select the Background layer.
Select the Magic Wand.
Click on the third segment.
Select ‘Paste Into’ from the Edit menu.

16 Mirror the third segment of your centre square

Make sure that the layer with the newly pasted image is selected.
Mirror the image by flipping it (Flip vertical and/or horizontal from Transform on the Edit menu).
Save your file.

Step 17: the fourth segment

Complete the final segment.

Select the Background layer.
Select the Magic Wand.
Click on the last coloured segment.
Select ‘Paste Into’ on the Edit menu.
Make sure that the layer with the newly pasted image is selected.
Mirror the image by flipping it (Flip vertical and/or horizontal from Transform on the Edit menu).
Save your file.

Creating pattern variations

Place the original image in different segments and then mirror the other images to create different patterns.

Decide on the most effective design.