TERRIFIC TEMPLATES

Following on from my last tutorial where I showed how to insert an image into a shape using the clipping mask in Photopea, I'm going to now create a repeating printable page from that one tag I made.

This tutorial is useful if you want to quickly make a page of duplicates from one image with having to make each one separately.

Please bear in mind, there are many ways to use the tools in Photopea and I am showing just one method here. This is what I consider to be the easiest choice using my templates and having added an image into a shape using the clipping mask.

To begin open Photopea in your web browser.

Step 1:

I left off in the last tutorial with my gift tag template and I had inserted an image into the first tag. Now let's repeat that tag across the page in place of the blank ones.

To start, I want to close the tag folder just to make things easier to view. I'm also going to turn off tags 2 - 4 by clicking the eye icon for each layer. 

With the tag layer selected in the layers palette, I'll use a keyboard shortcut and click Ctrl + J.

Alternatively you'll find this command from the top menu bar under Layer>Duplicate Layer.

Step 2:

After hitting Ctrl + J you'll get a duplicate layer in the layers palette but the new tag layer on the canvas is stacked on top of the first tag. Let's drag that to the right while holding down the shift key.

Holding down the shift key keeps the layer moving only in a straight line while dragging it. Place it directly inline with the blank tag below it.

Repeat this step two more times so that you have a full row of tags. As below.

Step 3:

To create to more rows we're going to do a similar action, this time by duplicating the whole row.

Close row 1 and ensure it is selected, turn off rows 2 and 3, then repeat as above clicking Ctrl + J to duplicate the row. Holding shift drag each row down into place on the canvas.

And you're done. A full printable sheet of the same tag in a few simple steps.

To save, go to the top menu File>Export As and choose your file type. To save as a PNG file with a transparent background just be sure to turn off the background layer before saving. If saving as a PSD file make sure to re-name it so you don't accidentally save over the original blank template.

Happy Crafting
Shawnna

This tutorial works for any image and any shape using the free Photopea online editor. We'll be inserting an image into a shape using the clipping mask tool and this process can be used in any similar situation. You can also do this the same way in Photoshop or PS Elements.

Today, I'm going to use one of my gift tag templates as an example - this works exactly the same way with any of my templates though, or with shapes you draw yourself.

To begin open Photopea in your web browser.  

Step 1:

Click Open From Computer to select a PSD template file from your hard drive. It's important that you choose a layered photoshop file for this method - other file formats are not going to work with this process.

Once opened your screen should look like the image below. Locate the layers palette in the bottom right of the screen.

Step 2:

Open the folders by clicking the little arrow next to each and click to select the first tag.

Step 3:

To insert an image to this tag we need to first open our image. Go to the top menu bar and select File>Open and Place. Then navigate on your hard drive to the image you want to insert and double click it. The image will automatically be placed on your template canvas on top of the layer you selected in step 2.

Notice that the image also shows in the layers palette right above the tag I selected. If your image is in the wrong order in the layers palette you can simply drag and drop it to the right location. In step 4 we're going to right click on this layer.

Step 4:

As shown above, right click on the image layer in the layers palette as pictured, and a popup menu will appear. In this menu look for Clipping Mask and select this option.

The image is now 'clipped' to the shape and is ready for re-sizing and precise placement.

Step 5:

To finish, just resize the image as required using the toggle nodes and drag into position however you please.

By default you should have the move tool already selected. If not, just be sure to select this from the left hand tools list (top).

And that's it! Repeat this for each shape in your template if you are wanting to add a different image to each tag. For a repeating tag, check out my next post for instructions on how to duplicate.

Happy Crafting
Shawnna