Photoshop Elements

[Greenie]

Does anyone know where I can find instructions for making patterns with Photoshop Elements>

Thanks in advance

Eddie

[amazingkevin]

Does anyone know where I can find instructions for making patterns with Photoshop Elements>

Thanks in advance

Eddie

My best guess would be to google it

[Scrappile]

There are tutorials here that may help:

 

http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/

[CharleyL]

Photoshop Elements is a stripped down version of Photoshop, but it's very powerful for many of the more basic needs and should be more than capable of everything that a pattern designer would want to do. However, if you haven't learned how to manipulate your patterns or work with "layers" it can be somewhat daunting. My explanations will work with any version of Photoshop Elements or Photoshop.

 

Here is a bit of an explanation about "layers".

 

A layer works like a piece of invisible clear piece of plastic that you can cover your image with and then add pieces of image, colors, etc. to it without really affecting the original picture or pattern until you save it. When you look through this layer you can see the combination of what is on this layer or layers combined with what is on the original base image. So you can load an image of an apple and then add a layer containing oranges, and then another layer containing grapes. All are still separate images, but because they are on separate layers you can remove, add or change any one of them without affecting the rest. You can even move the grapes around to position them on the other side of the apple if you want, again without affecting the original images. What you see when looking through all of these layers is a whole group of fruit and you can print this whole group of fruit without doing anything else, then move or change the fruit and print another picture with them in those positions. When finished working on your whole group of fruit and you don't ever intend to go back and modify this layer group image you can select "flatten image". This squashes all of the layers together, makes the file size smaller, and makes a single picture out of all of the different layers. Unfortunately, once you do this, you can never move the grapes or the oranges with respect to the apple again, so make sure that you save at least the original file with all of the layers if you ever think that all or part of this picture might need to be modified or used for something else. The multiple layer version just takes a little more hard drive space to store.

 

Clipping - (selecting) a piece of one image to use as a layer in another image is also something that proves daunting for newbies.

 

It's possible to use the select tools to single out a piece of an image but it takes a little practice. The select tools will put a line of moving black and white dashes "marching ants" around what you want to cut out or copy. Slight errors in the position of these "marching ants" can be corrected by holding down the + or - keys as you "select" the area missed or needing to be added. Once you have the "marching ants positioned exactly where you want them you can "copy" or "cut" this area out of your image to possibly be "pasted" on a new layer of a second pattern or photo. If you "cut" it, your original complete image is still in your hard disk, or at least it is until you replace it with this cut image, so be very careful about what and how you save the files that you have opened. The "copy" command will let you just make a copy of the image inside the marching ants, which you then "paste" onto a new layer on this picture or in a new layer on a different pattern or photo. Of course, both patterns or photos need to be opened and on the screen to do this.

 

The big disadvantage with using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements is that the images can't be significantly enlarged without the image becoming pixelated (lines get rough looking and distorted) These programs will allow image enlarging, but not infinitely. A  Vector based program like Inkscape will allow unlimited enlarging without this problem. If you don't plan on ever enlarging a postage stamp piece of an image to 8 1/2 X 11 or larger, then either Photoshop program will work for you. To me, they are easier to learn too. I'm still learning Inkscape.

 

Charley

Edited July 29, 2016 by CharleyL

[Greenie]

Thanks to all you guys--great info. 

This is such a great site, I have never been involved with such a great bunch of people, always taking the time to help others learn the art and making it so we all can enjoy it more.

THANK YOU THANK YOU         

[Phantom Scroller]

You can use photoshop to create patterns flood the picture with colour after to see where the bridges are needed then import it into Inkscape to smooth out the pixelated lines as Charley says above. Roly

[CharleyL]

I usually find patterns and photographs that have pieces of what I want and then select and copy these pieces into layers of the pattern that I am building. Then I move and resize each layer until I get the pattern or image roughly the way that I want and then sometimes create yet another layer and hand draw in any missing lines. Being on a new layer these hand drawn lines can be moved and erased many times without affecting the layers under them, until I have exactly the pattern that I want. Then I print it. I sometimes print on paper and sometimes use overlay film. to print on. This overlay film is a clear mylar sheet with a peel and stick backing. I have a Graphics Tablet, which is a special electronic version of a mouse pad that comes with a wireless mouse and a special pen shaped wireless mouse that provides pen or pencil like accuracy for hand drawing images. It's even pressure sensitive, varying the width of the line being drawn by the pen pressure on the pad. I watch the screen while moving this pen on the mouse pad to create the images that I want. A company called Wacom makes these graphics tablets.

 

 

After printing on either paper or the overlay film I then roughly cut out the pattern with scissors and stick it to the wood. When I do compound cutting I always use paper and rubber cement because none of the surface pieces of wood with the paper on them are ever kept. They are all scrap. When I carve, I print my patterns on the overlay film so I can position and re-position my pattern until I get it just right, or apply several different  pieces of patterns printed on overlay film so they intersect to form the image that I'm looking for. I use a very small pointed 1/16" bit in a high speed carving pencil that is air powered and spins at 30-50,000 rpm to follow the lines in the pattern and transfer it to the wood. I then remove (peel off) the overlay film and then begin to carve (shape) the pieces of the pattern between the lines as I wish. A full image, carved less than 1/8" deep into the wood, with different colored stains applied in the right places, can be quite attractive.

 

I sometimes just carve images into flat wood pieces of furniture, cabinets, gift boxes, etc. Or sometimes cut out a pattern with a scroll saw. Some of these then get carved, where I shape the surface of the pattern to kind of produce an intarsia appearance to a pattern, but in a single piece of wood. This is relief carving, much like is frequently done on gun stocks.

 

Attached is a photo of a cross that I cut from one piece of mahogany using a scroll saw, and then relief carved this way, followed by two coats of tung oil, and then green Rub-N-Buff was wiped on the leaves to color them. Each cross has taken me about 12 hours to complete and I've made 16 of them so far, but none in the last three years. The original pattern for this was purchased, but I resized it and cleaned it up before cutting and carving it. None were sold. My family has every one except one, that I gave to a minister friend who helped me through a very rough live/die time in my life.

 

 

Charley

Edited July 30, 2016 by CharleyL

[NC Scroller]

Charlie that is a beautiful piece.

[Greenie]

Man, that is one beautiful cross Charlie. Thank you so much for all the great info. You have been a great help. Now if I can only put it to good use. I have printed it so I will be able to find it.

Thanks again.

Eddie

[WayneMahler]

Charlie that's is one beautiful piece. And reading this it has deep meaning too. Great job.

Edited August 1, 2016 by WayneMahler

[Phantom Scroller]

Sounds like you know you stuff Charlie nice piece.     Roly

[CharleyL]

Thanks everyone. 

 

The other significant project that I did many years ago, and kept, is my dragon clock. I call him "The Keeper Of Time".

He was made from two pieces of 3/8" thick red oak "pallet wood", glued edge to edge and grain matched to make the joint invisible, to make a wide enough board. The pattern came from an old copy of Scrollsaw Woodworking and Crafts magazine and he took me almost 50 hours to cut. A photo of him is attached. Every line and scale is a saw cut. He is mounted to a mahogany base.

 

Charley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[meflick]

Just wanted to say to Charley how. Ratified both the cross and your dragon clock pieces are. 50 hours - I can see why. You do great work. Thanks for sharing your photos. I am sure every cross you have made is great

Y treasured by each person who has one.

[alexfox]

I use photoshop to make patterns

here is video - pattern creation for example

https://youtu.be/oz8KgYxgw1c