They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes a word is just the thing you need to enhance a special photo.
Creating a customized photo mat gives your project a personalized touch. In just a few minutes, you can make your scrapbook page one-of-a-kind!
Step 1: Create the Photo Block
Begin by creating a new document at 300 pixels per inch in RGB color mode. For the sample, I created a 12×12-inch scrapbook page.
Create a new transparent layer over the background by clicking the Create a New Layer icon above the Layers panel. Get the Rectangular Marquee tool and draw out a rectangle on your document.
Fill the Rectangle by selecting Edit > Fill Selection from the Menu. Choose Black for the contents and make sure that the Preserve Transparency box is not checked.
Press Ctrl D (Mac: Cmd D) to remove the selection.
Step 2: Add the Title
Next, get the Text tool and select a font that matches the theme or style of your photo. Chunky, filled, headline fonts work well for this technique. For the sample I used Titania font, which I downloaded from 1001 Free Fonts.
Press the letter D to reset your Color Chips to black and white. Type your title word in black, across the top or bottom of the black rectangle you created in Step 1.
Click the check mark in the Options Bar to confirm the text.
Get the Move tool, and make sure Show Bounding Box is checked in the Options Bar. Move the text so it rests along the upper or lower edge of the black rectangle, flush with the left side. To resize the text so it fits all the way to the right, click and drag a corner handle to make the text larger or smaller. When you’re satisfied with the size, click the green check mark to confirm the change.
With the text layer selected, press Ctrl E (Mac: Cmd E) to merge the text and the rectangle layers.
Step 3: Insert a Photo
Add a photo to your block by opening an image. Get the Move Tool and drag the photo over the text mat you created in the last step. Make sure the photo layer is just above the mat layer in the Layers panel. With the photo layer selected, press Ctrl G (Mac: Cmd G) on your keyboard to create a clipping mask which will “glue” the photo to the mat. At this point, the photo will take on the shape of the mat beneath it.
Variations:
- Try placing the text up the left side or down the right side of your photo mat.
- A scripty font gives an elegant, lacy look to the text mat.
- Add a phrase or quote around the entire perimeter of the rectangle for a different look.
- Create a very large text mat, then clip patterned paper to it as a background mat for your scrapbook page.
Credits:
Scrapbook page by Sara Horton
Out-of-a-Box Elements by Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals
Audubon Notebook Paper Pack 1 by Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals
My Family Geneology Clippings No. 2 by Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals
Digitally Pressed Petals No. 2 by Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals
Vintage Photo Frames Curled and Flat by Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals
Download a PDF version of this “Text Mats” 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.
Leap Frog To The Next Level!
Rather than learning a bit here and a bit there, why not leap frog to the next level? Our CD, Learn Digital Scrapbooking, takes you step-by-step from rank beginner to confident digital scrapbooker in a fraction of the time!
Find out more and get a free sample video lesson.
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I love this idea and had a great time trying it out. Thanks Sara!
I ALWAYS LOVE YOUR TIPS!
THIS ONE IS A GREAT IDEA AND HAS ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES.
THANKS SO MUCH!
I have seen this on other people’s scrap pages and have always wondered how it was done. Thanks for explaining it so simply!
What a fun tip! I took a great picture at the beach today that will be awesome with this technique.
Thanks so much for this wonderfully simple tutorial. I’m all over this idea with endless possibilities! Truly can’t thank you enough for each and every one of your superb lessons!! Hugs to you!!
Absolutely gorgeous idea
Your timing is brilliant for me, I was just doing an autumn based theme for a friend and this is inspiring, thank you
What a fantastic idea! Thank you Sara
I have been wanting to learn how to do this for so long, I bought a set like this a few months ago, but wanted something different for another layout..thank you thank you thank you ..I just love Scrappers Guide.
Thank you so much Sara. I’ve seen this described before but never as clearly as you have done here. I’m going to use this today!
I have a question – I just loved this tutorial and did a neat photo mask but because I’m new I saved it along with the bg paper. How do you save just the mask or clipped photo without the paper behind it? I feel like such a dummy!!! My email is: lapoints1207@yahoo.com. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help this newbie!!!
Hi Julie!
If you save it as a .psd file, you’ll have the layers so you can go back and use it as a mask again.
If you want JUST the mask on a transparent background, click the layer visibility icon (looks like an eyeball) on the left side of the background layer.
It will look like the mask on a grey/white checkerboard background. Save this as a .png file to preserve the transparent section.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions,
Sara
Thanks so much for this tip. I did this a different way, but I think this is simpler.
I just love to get the TOTW. They are all so good. Thank you for such creative and innovative ideas.
I really want to do this, but I must be missing something. I can get to the part where you open the picture, but when I open the picture it covers everything and becomes the background and nothing else is visible on the left. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks so much for the great tutorials.
Are you in the Maximize Mode? You will only be able to see one photo at a time in the Maximize mode. To see both documents at once, choose Window > Cascade.
If you’ve already moved your photo onto the mat document, you may just have a very large photo, or it could mean that the original document you made was at a very low resolution. Try creating a new document that is 12 x 12 inches at 300 ppi and trying it again. Very few photos would be larger than that.
Even if your photo covers everything up you can still go on to the next step, which is to group the photo with the word frame by pressing Ctrl G (Mac: Cmd G). If your photo is large, though, you will need to resize it. Get the Move tool and make sure Show Bounding Box is checked in the Options Bar. If you can’t see the outline of the photo choose View > Fit on Screen. Click and drag from a corner handle to resize the photo. Click on the green check mark to confirm the change.
I did it! Thanks so much!