Inset Page Elements (Photoshop Elements)

We have a new family member! A sweet little puppy has filled our home with love and completely disrupted our regular routines. We have been amazed at how much changing things up a bit has breathed new life into our older dog. Sometimes doing something different is just what we need.

In digital scrapbooking, the usual way of doing things is to layer embellishments and text on top of the background paper, but this tip shows you how to mix it up by placing your photos, embellishments or text under your background paper instead!

Step 1: Inset a Photo

Begin by creating a new document at 300 pixels per inch in RGB color mode or opening a piece of digital paper.

Open a photo. Using the Move Tool, drag it onto your scrapbook page. Position the photo on your page, then select the Layer Styles icon in the Effects Panel. From the drop-down menu, choose Inner Shadows and click on the shadow labeled Low. Click Apply at the bottom right corner of the panel to apply the inner shadow. The photo will appear to sink down beneath the background paper.

Step 2: Create an Inset Mat

Select a mat color by clicking on the Foreground Color Chip. Choose a color from the Color Picker or drag your cursor outside of the Color Picker to pick up a color from your photo. Click OK to confirm the color choice.

Create a new transparent layer underneath the photo by selecting the photo layer. Press the Ctrl key (Mac: Cmd key) as you click the Create a New Layer icon in the Layers Panel.

Get the Rectangular Marquee tool and drag out a selection slightly larger than your photo. (Holding the Shift key as you drag will create a perfect square.) Press K on your keyboard to get the Paint Bucket tool and click inside your selection to fill it with the color you chose. Deselect the mat by pressing Ctrl D (Mac: Cmd D) on your keyboard.

Inset the mat by applying an inner shadow to the mat layer using the method in Step 1.

Step 3: Create an Inset Shape

Custom Shapes, brushwork on a transparent layer, and text can be inset using the same technique. For the sample, I selected the Custom Shape tool and chose a bone shape from the Shape Picker drop-down menu in the Options Bar. Holding the Shift key to maintain the aspect ratio, click and drag out a shape on your scrapbook page.

Select the shape layer and open a piece of digital paper. Get the Move Tool and drag the paper onto your layout. It should be positioned one layer above the shape layer. If it isn’t, click on the paper layer in the Layers panel and drag it above the shape layer. Hold the Alt key (Mac: Opt key) and click between the patterned paper layer and the shape layer to group the layers. The patterned paper will take on the shape of the custom shape.

Select the Custom Shape layer and apply an Inner Shadow to it using the method in Step 1. The patterned shape will appear to be floating below the background.

Credits:

Scrapbook page by Sara Horton
Lily Papers by Michelle Martin at Designer Digitals
Ruff and Ready Element Pack by Pattie Knox at Designer Digitals
Font: Bookman Old Style

Download a PDF version of this “Inset Page Elements” 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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