Create a greeting card for the coming Christmas

Christmas is not too far away and it's time to send out a few greeting cards. How to create such a self-designed card in Adobe Photoshop, will be shown here.

1. First we open Photoshop and create us about Ctrl + N a new document. This has the dimensions 210 x 148 mm, 300 dpi resolution, CMYK color mode and a transparent background. We can of course also the template A5 - 1-sided - landscape.psd here to download. Tips and tricks for using our artwork you will find the way here .

2. we use either the templates or we need to trim with power lines, which we pulled out the ruler, in 2 mm - the distance set by the document edge itself. About View -> Guides block we prevent the guides are moved accidentally.

3. we now consider ourselves to the rectangle tool and a rectangle with the color of the paint bucket, one black. With Ctrl + J to duplicate this layer and we color the new layer with a wine red (872D2A) one.

4.  In the top level, we are writing a layer mask by clicking on the red icon marked down in the Layers panel. With the Gradient tool , we move from the center outward radial one sale from black to transparent and reduce the opacity of this layer to 70%

5. In a new layer ( Ctrl + Shift + N ), we create with the rectangle tool in the black rectangle and then lower the Opacity of this layer to 40% .

6. Now we take the rounded corners tool at hand and create with a radius of 10 px , a white rectangle.

7. we duplicate this now with Ctrl + J 3 times, so we now have a total of four rectangles. About Ctrl + T , we call the free transform tool to rotate and each rectangle while holding down the Shift key , and this figure emerge:

8. By holding down the Ctrl key , we now highlight all four rectangular planes and add them together into one layer.

9. We duplicate this layer again with Ctrl + J and Ctrl + T , we reduce the new layer and rotate it a little, so that results in something like this figure:

10. From the toolbar, we call the Custom Shape tool to create us and hold down the Shift key a five-pointed star. This we call as shown in the image on:

11. With the Direct Selection tool and hold down the Shift key , we select the anchor points shown here:

12. Over Edit -> path , we use free transform the vertical scale to 20% down . It must be decoupled from the anchor symbol.

13. This star is then with the Move tool is pushed over the previously created two Schneestern levels. Now we duplicate the star - Level 2-times turn again to new levels, a little to unite and to one every 5 levels.

14. In the next step we create first a new layer and call this "tree". The tree we create with the Line tool . With the Direct Selection tool , this path still being processed. The path may now several levels for the tree to reduce and, if desired, nor Ctrl + T to free transform.

15.  The snow yesterday, we now duplicate on several occasions and arrange it with the Move tool (available in several different sizes to edit by pressing Ctrl + T ) to within the tree, to about the following picture emerges:

16. Well to reduce all the stars on a snow level, and this duplicate ( Ctrl + J ). The level "tree" can now be deleted, because she has only served as an auxiliary level. The duplicate layer "soft snow star" now on Filter -> Gaussian Blur -> Blur blur with a radius of 10 px.

17. The two snow-star levels , we now add back together to form a layer. This new level, we again duplicate ( Ctrl + J ) and reflect this on Edit -> Transform -> Flip Vertical Flip. Then we move the layer with the Move tool.

18. In the new level, "Snow Star copy", we add a layer mask back on and fill it with a linear gradient from black to transparent. Then we reduce the opacity of this layer to 80%.

19. With a hard, white brush up in the new layer "brush" creates a texture. We vary the size of the brush several times and finally set the opacity of this layer to 30% down and change the layer mode to "Soft Light" from.

20. The plane with the points we duplicate again and again turn to the new layer a Gaussian Blur with a radius of 20 px on.

21. Let's add it all in a new layer add a little more snow in which we have a hard white brush 10 px Radiu s apply. At this level, "Snow", we then apply the filter Motion blur (-50 °, 10 px) on. This is like the Gaussian Blur with the Blur Filter to find.

22. Next, we create once again a new layer e, call these "corners" , the level push to the top of the Layers palette and create in this layer with the rectangle tool again, a black rectangle. Then we apply the brush tool So on to the newly created layer mask, which leaves only the black corners. The opacity of this layer , we reduce to 80% .

23. We will now create a new adjustment layer for Hue / Saturation ( color: -5 / Saturation: +25 ).

24. In another Curves adjustment layer, we modify the curve as follows:

25. Finally, insert the text you want, hide the guides again and finished our greeting card.

Spice up a boring birthday invitation or a personalized business cards

We would like in a tutorial showing a configuration option that can be used to spice up a rather boring birthday invitation or a personalized business cards.


1. We therefore invite, first download the template and open it in Photoshop (Ctrl + O). Then we invite us here to download the free and royalty-free wood texture and put it with the Move - Tool (V) in our document. About Ctrl + T, we can hold down the Shift - key to adjust the size of the texture on our canvas.

2. Now we have to make the wood a little darker and a little desaturate. On "New Fill - create or adjustment layer" button and add two new levels for a Levels and Hue / saturation level of our wood. Change at the level of "Levels" will return on 50 / 0,80 / 255 and reduce the level of "Hue / Saturation" the saturation to -30. Then create clipping masks for both planes (right click to create the appropriate level and then cut mask), so that corrections can be applied only to our timber level.

3. We now load from here down the paper texture and open the document in Photoshop (Ctrl + O). Now we mark with a magic wand - Tool (W) the white background of our image and remove it. Then we move with the Move - Tool (V) the texture in our original image. Since the edges of the paper will now appear a bit flat, we avoid them smartly with a lasso - Tool (L) and remove the protruding parts of the paper plane.

4. Hold the Ctrl - key, we go on the layer thumbnail of the plane of the paper to highlight only those. Then we go with the Burn tool - Tool (O) from the edges of our paper layer to darken slightly. For the exposure we'll select the 50% process and only the depths and midtones.

5. About our paper plane now add a new layer and name it highlight. Here we add a large, soft, white brush to a point exactly in the middle. Then we set the mode on this level yet, "Soft Light".

6. Since the paper now appears a little too new for old paper, we have to grow old with two setting levels for brightness / contrast and hue / saturation a bit. The brightness is reduced to - 30 and the saturation at - 35 For both levels, we re-create clipping masks, so they can act only on the underlying paper layer.

7. So that the paper not only simply rests on the wood, but something before that "floats", we add a subtle drop shadow for our paper plane. For this we go twice on the plane of the paper and on call as the layer style. Then we reduce the tab "shadows" the opacity to 50% and enter at a distance, trapping, and the size of each value of 15.

8. With the text - Tool (T) we now insert any text. Previously, we invite us here a desired font (in this case Western) and install it under C: \ WINDOWS \ Fonts. The text we provided with the color # 502516th

9. Now we use the Line tool - key to draw two horizontal lines of varying thickness - Tool (U) by holding down Shift. Then we move again to duplicate the two planes and rotate them by pressing Ctrl + T. In turning down the Shift - Hold down the key, so that the beams rotate exactly 180 °.

10. Now it is time to open the attached file with the nail (Ctrl + O) and in our place to document (File -> Place). The size and location of our nail change and confirm the change by clicking on the check.

11. Since I now have something to nail the dominant appears we create another adjustment layer ("Brightness / Contrast") with a clipping mask and reduce the brightness to -90. We then reduce the opacity of the layer "nail" to 60%.

12. Now we make it, paste the image of "wanted" person. To the image of here to download and open it in Photoshop (Ctrl + O). Then add a layer mask and set free with a hard, black brush face. The cropped face with the move - Tool (V) move into our final document.

13. Use Ctrl + T, we can scale our faces again to the desired size. Then we add on the plane with the face again add an adjustment layer "Levels" and create a clipping mask for them. In setting the level we set the following values: 50 / 0,65 / 255 Now we reduce the opacity of the layer with the face on 70% and make the layer mode to "Luminosity".

14. Now look to Scripture and the face is not really old and scratched, we still need to edit these levels with a Layer Mask. For this we first combine all the lines - planes. For all levels by holding down the Shift - key and clicking "Merge Layers" right-click (or Ctrl + E). The text also combine levels so and then add the three levels (cowboy, lines and text), each a layer mask.

15. With a Brush, which I here have downloaded and C: I \ Program Files \ Adobe \ Adobe Photoshop CS5 \ Presets \ Brushes, now do I edit my layer masks, so that a scratched screen. Different brushes with different opacity and use different character angle. These settings are adjustable in the Brush window. Everything is already saved and our invitation or other printed material ready.

Divide an image into nice looking polaroids.

In this tutorial,  we'll see how to divide an image in Photoshop in several Polaroids Output image is our right woman with the headphones. Here is the main image-

1.We begin by opening our desire to picture in Adobe Photoshop image (Ctrl + O) and to duplicating the Background layer security again with Ctrl + J.

2.with the rectangle tool (U), we create a square, hold down the Shift key, which gets the color # 7e7e7e.

3. The level "Form 1" we now use Ctrl + J to duplicate and transform the newly created layer with Ctrl + T. For this we enlarge with the Shift and Alt keys out the shape from the middle and then pull the bottom edge a little after below. Then we change by double-clicking the layer thumbnail or the foreground color to white and move this new layer below our level, "Form 1".

4. By holding the Shift key, we mark both rotate and move this Polaroid levels and using Ctrl + T in the desired position.

5. We now turn our duplicate background layer "woman" and then hold down the Ctrl key and click the red box layer mask of layer "Shape 1" to select it. In this selection we click with the lasso tool (L) with the right and choose "Layer via Copy". Now we push the level of our newly created layer "Shape 1" and you're almost finished our first Polaroid. We need to connect only the new level and the level of "Polaroid 1" (select both layers by holding down the Ctrl key - connect> Layers -> right click).

6. Polaroid both levels, we again duplicate (both highlight -> right click "duplicate layers" on) and repeat steps 4 and 5 until the whole picture (or the desired image detail) is covered with Polaroids. It can be cleared each time after completion of step 6, the level (or the copy of the plane) "Form 1", since these are only used for selection

7. Every Polaroid we have therefore assigned its own individual image. Now we still turn in the arms of a little trick. For this purpose we mark by holding down the Shift key all Polaroid shape layers and reduce its opacity to 20%. With the Lasso Tool (L), we drive around in our level, "Mrs." now the image parts that are to be placed over the Polaroids, so it seems as if his arms would reach out from the image.

8. The by now "Layer via Copy" newly formed entirely in the plane, we move up the Layers dialog. Minor rework on this level we can use the eraser tool (Shift + E) or with a layer mask. Then we set the opacity levels of the Polaroid back to 100%.

9. Now we select the top polaroid layer and add this on Layer -> Layer Style -> Drop Shadow to Shadow (Opacity: 50%, Angle: 120 °, distance: 10 Px, trapping: 15% Size: 25 Px). Then we click with the right to choose this level, "Copy Layer Style", highlight by holding down the Ctrl key and click all the other Polaroid levels right there again with "Paste Layer Style" to get so all levels Polaroid a drop shadow.

10. Finally, we add the image nor any background in the Layers dialog and push it over the plain "woman."

Here is the final result