step by step

Step One

  • Open each of the scanned JPEG images in Photo Shop.
  • Crop the image to place in your collage.
  • Rename and save image as a JPEG.
  • Repeat for other two scanned images.

Step Two

  • Open Photo Shop and select NEW from the File Menu.
  • Set the canvas size to 18" X 16".

new canvas

  • Make certain that you save your collage as a Photo Shop Document (.psd) until you are totally finished. Once you save it as a JPEG, you will not be able to edit it the way you need to.

 

Step Three

  • Open all three of the cropped images.
  • Use the select tool to outline one of the images.

selection tool

  • From the Edit Menu, select Copy and minimize the image.
  • Maximize the collage canvas and select Paste from the Edit Menu. Your first image should appear on the canvas.
    (Note that I have only pasted a part of my image just for this illustration. You will copy and paste your entire image.)

paste option

Step Four

  • Maximize the second image and follow the same steps. Now you should have two images appearing on the collage canvas.

paste two

  • Notice that Photo Shop is placing each image in a separate layer. You will see a thumbnail of the image next to the layer name in the Layer Palette. In order to move an image, you must select the layer on which it appears. (I have pasted a picture of the Layer Palette below.)

layer palette

  • Using the Move Tool, place the second image where you want it on the collage canvas. move tool
  • Your images will probably overlap. You can choose to send one of them to the background, as I did with my second image. To send an image to the background, you must select its layer and choose Arrange, Send to Back from the Layer Menu. See illustration below.

arrange layers

Step Five

  • Maximize your third image and follow the same steps above. All three of your images should now appear on the canvas.

Step Six

  • To type on your collage, select the text tool. Notice that Photo Shop places each phrase you type in a new layer. The words appear in the Layer Palette. To customize your text with options like Drop Shadow, Bevel, etc., select the text layer and then left-click on the Add Layer Style button (round f) . You may select an individual style, but choosing Blending Options will open a separate dialog box that allows you to preview options.

blending xxxblending options

Step Seven

  • Continue adding text until your collage is just as you want it. When you are pleased with your collage, save it as a JPEG. This file format makes it accessible to nearly all viewers and makes it easy to insert into a Web page.