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Let's have some fun!
Photoshop isn't working for everyone yet, so we are going to do things a little out of order and have some fun with a free online clone of Photoshop called Photopea. We will be creating a dozen or so of what I call "Difference Mode Backgrounds" that we will use in several different ways throughout the year.
Photopea HD Settings
Photopea HD Settings
When you click "New Project" on the Photopea website:
Find the "Screen" tab of presets
Choose Full HD (1920x1080)
Paste the file name in the "Name" field
File --> Save As --> go to Project Folder
Gradient Backgrounds
Gradient Backgrounds
There is an easy way to create unique backgrounds using the gradient tools you need to check out. You should know that there is a slight adjustment you have to make when you try to do this in Photoshop.
There will be a Photopea-specific video soon to show how to create the colorful background using the free website. Use the following name for the BG file and use File ---> Save as PSD to save it to your project folder.
260914 Difference Mode BGs - Firstname Lastname
Make sure and choose the Screen --> Full HD (1920x1080) settings when you start the new Photopea project for this activity so that your artwork is the right size, and paste the file name above instead of trying to type it in.
Sign in to Adobe to begin our official Photoshop unit now that everyone should have a license. If the sign in page doesn't appear automatically, look for Photoshop in your Start menu (tap the Windows key in the lowest left of your keyboard or click on the Windows symbol in the lowest left of your screen). Enter your full email address instead of using the Sign-in With Google button for best results.
Introducing Photoshop
TITLE SCREENS for My Favorite Things
You will introduce your video and each category with a text screen - we will use Photoshop to create highly legible text that also looks great. Before we add some "special effects" called Layer Styles, we draw a text "corral" and choose fonts and sizes that are appropriate for this specific job. We'll start off with our Intro and then move on to the 3 category Titles.
Step 1
A) Start Photoshop and click "New File"
B) Select the "Film and Video" tab and choose HDTV 1080p, the first option
C) In the top right, change the name from "Untitled-1" to
260914 Titles for My Favorite Things - Lastname Firstname
D) As soon as it finishes opening, use "File --> Save As" and save it to your Project Folder. If you forgot to change the name from Untitled in step C above, change the name now.
E) Locate the Text Typing Tool (its icon looks like a fancy "T", in other words) in the vertical toolbar on the left.
Firing up Photoshop
Firing up Photoshop
This video show you how to start the program and select the right size preset, 1920 x 1080. NOTE: Our project folder is now in the OneDrive folder, NOT in Documents.
Step 2
YOUR FIRST TEXT BOX
A) Center your text. NEVER use spaces - let the computer calculate it for you.
B) We will start with a larger font size by clicking in the font size field and typing "150".
C) Draw a rectangular box in the safe zone that stretches from one corner of the smallest blue box to the other - now your text can't go off the screen. It will wrap around or hide instead. I call it a "corral" for text.
D) Type "My Favorite Things" in the box. The next part only works when the text is selected.
(Return to edit a text box by double clicking in between two of the letters).
E) Change font to something big and bold - you can use the drop down menu or click once on the name of the font so it is highlighted and use your up/down arrow keys to browse.
F) Click the check mark in the upper right to complete the operation.
Typing in Photoshop
Typing in Photoshop
The text tool does allow you to simply click and start typing, but that's not the best way to make something like this. You need to click and drag a rectangle for your text that I call a "corral". It prevents your words from running off the side of the screen. Instead, they disappear when they don't fit, although they are still there. To see them, the text has to be made smaller or the corral made bigger.
Things to remember about fonts:
1. Legibility is KING - choose a font that is easy to read at a glance.
2. Use solid fonts - letters with transparent parts will be harder to read with special effects.
3. If the font has a bold style available (just to the right of its name), select it.
4. Change the font size so it is nice and big but all the words are still visible.
5. Ctrl-A is the shortcut for Select All - very handy for selecting even text you can't see.
Ctrl-S is the keyboard shortcut to save your file whenever you accomplish anything. These programs will crash and you cannot count on any Autosaving. Use just your left hand - keep your right on the mouse!
Step 3
Draw another text corral in the safe zone across the bottom of the screen and repeat the process for your name. Full name is preferred but not required, and you CAN use a "scripty" font for this ONE thing if you make it large enough, so it looks a bit fancier even though it is harder to read. Like a signature... just this once!
Your Second Text Box
Your Second Text Box
Draw another text corral in the safe zone across the bottom of the screen and repeat the process for your name. Full name is preferred but not required, and you CAN use a "scripty" font for this ONE thing if you make it large enough, so it looks a bit fancier even though it is harder to read. Like a signature... just this once!
Step 4
Your image collection and Intro title is the main priority right now, but if that is complete then making more colorful and unique backgrounds for your video's Title graphics is simple and even somewhat addictive. Don't forget to preserve your unique creations by creating a new layer from time to time - you'll never get exactly the same results as there are some random elements at play here.
Gradient Backgrounds
Gradient Backgrounds
There is an easy way to create unique backgrounds using the gradient tools you need to check out. You should know that recent changes to these tools can make them behave very differently from previous versions.
Choose "Classic Gradient"
Choose "Classic Gradient"
Once you find the Gradient tool (click and hold on the Paint Bucket if you need to) you have to change the setting from "Gradient" to "Classic Gradient" for the Difference mode technique to work right. I do that in the video above but it bears repeating here.
Videos found on this page:
https://youtu.be/lPAo1yymCkc
https://youtu.be/TGvpHz1nFMA
https://youtu.be/9KUMFez95Rs
Free Photoshop Gradients
Free Photoshop Gradients
"Resource Boy" has a number of Gradient presets that can give you a head start on the colors you'd like in your gradient. After downloading the .GRD files, click on your gradient color bar and choose Import to get a new folder filled with the color set your chose.
Download your chosen Gradient file from the Google Drive folder
Click on Photoshop's gradient color bar
Click "Import"
Navigate to your Downloads folder (or wherever you moved the .GRD file to)
Select the .GRD file. There you go! New folder with gradients ready to use.
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