It’s a DRAG! (Photoshop Elements)

I love using pre-made alphabet letters on my layouts for titles and accents, but I hate having to open each letter file individually, then drag the letter onto the layout, then close the letter files. But I’ve found a way to make my alphas easy and fun to use!

I make a dragsheet.

Here’s how to make one:

Step 1: Choose an alpha you like to use a lot, and open all the files in Photoshop by choosing File>Open in the Menu Bar.

Step 2: Choose File > New and create a new blank document that is 12×12, 300 pixels/inch with a transparent background. I like to make mine 12×12, but you can make a larger or smaller one depending on the size of your letters. You can always crop away unused space later, so go ahead and start large!

Step 3: Get your Move tool and click on the first letter and drag it over to your new document. Do this for all the letters and symbols. You can rearrange them as you go, or just let them pile up in the center and move them around later. What’s important is that you can see each letter clearly so you will be able to click on it when you want to use it. It doesn’t matter if they overlap some, as each will be on its own layer. Once you have all the letters, numbers, and symbols on your sheet, you can close all the individual files.

Step 4: Choose File > Save and save the single dragsheet file as a .psd file. This will preserve the layers so you can drag individual letters off the sheet later. I name the file the same name as the kit, with the word “dragsheet” at the end, so I can find it in the folder.

How to use your dragsheet:

The next time you want to use this alpha on a layout, all you’ll have to do is:

Step 1: Choose File > Open and navigate to your saved dragsheet to open it.

Step 2: Choose your Move tool, and in the Options Bar at the top of the screen, be sure the box next to Auto Select Layer is checked.

Step 3: Then get your Move tool, click on a letter you’d like to add to your layout, and drag it over to the layout page! Repeat until you have all the letters you need, then close the dragsheet (no need to save it again). Easy and fast!

Take it to the next level:

This is a great way to gather the supplies you use most often. If you’re like me you like the staples from one kit, the paperclip from another, etc. Sometimes it’s hard to remember where your favorites are! So make a dragsheet with them. Just like we did with the alpha, but with one extra step:

Step 1: Open the files you want to collect (File > Open).

Step 2: Create a new document (File > New).

Step 3: Get your Move tool to click and drag all the items onto the new page.

Step 4: Rename each layer with the filename of the item. To do this, double-click on the layer name in the Layers panel and type in the filename, then press Enter to save the new name. This will help you if you need to provide credits for a layout, and remind you where you got that item in case you want to find other elements from that kit to coordinate.

Step 5: Choose File > Save and save the file as a .psd, and you’re good to go!

So go find those alphas and elements you love and make yourself some dragsheets so you can get the most from your kits!

Download a PDF version of this “It’s a DRAG!” tutorial.

Windows: Right click on the link and choose “Save Target As” or a similar command.
Mac: Click on the link to download the file.

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