Wavy Photo Strip

wavyphotostrip

Title:    Wavy Photo Strip

Software:      PhotoImpact X3 - Can also be done in earlier versions.

Author:          Carol Williams

Skill Level:    Beginner/Intermediate

Featured Tools: Path Drawing Tools, Custom Shape, Easy Palette, Layer Manager, Magic Wand & Eraser Tools

Additional Files:    You will need a selection of your own photographs to use in the wavy photo strip sections.

Description:    Learn how to edit custom shapes to help you to create a wavy photo strip to display your photos.

PhotoImpact X3 gives you a choice of work modes. For the purpose of this guide we will work in Full Edit Mode . This will be found in the top right hand corner. Personally I keep this mode (Full Edit) as it was when I first opened PhotoImpact X3 so that I can always go back to the default edit mode whenever I like. You will be able to customize as many work modes as you like and save them under names of your choice. Should you change modes, do not forget to save your current mode otherwise you will lose any updates you have made since last saving.

This tutorial has been written keeping the beginner in mind and for this reason I have included quite a few screenshots.

Don't forget to save your work often.

A New Image

Open a new Image, white background, RGB data type, User Defined Size of 500 x 500 pixels. I found this a convenient size for the project and the comments and screen shots throughout the tutorial are all based around this size.

Before going any further let's make sure you have selected to preserve the base image. On the Menu Bar go to Selection/Preserve Base Image.

Creating Wavy Photo Strip

1. In the Toolbox click on the Path Tool Icon and select the Path Drawing Tool. You may need to click on the little arrow to activate the submenu if the Path Drawing Tool is not the active path tool.

With the Path Drawing Tool selected click on the little arrow next to the second icon on the Attribute Toolbar and select Custom Shape.

Using Custom Shape Fr06 draw a shape approximately 110 x 100 pixels using the colour black. If you use any other method of resizing you will have problems when you come to Step 3 of this section of the tutorial. You will not be able to correctly apply the Path Wrap.

2. Duplicate this black single frame and on the copy change the colour from black to a colour of your choice.

3. With the coloured single frame selected open your Easy Palette and in the Galleries go to Text/Path Effects/Wrap/Path Wrap. Select Path Wrap3 and double click to apply these properties to your custom shape.

4. Your custom shape will have now become an extended wavy photo strip.

5. Now select the black single frame and in your Easy Palette/Galleries once again go to Text/Path Effects/Wrap/Path Wrap and select Path Wrap3. This time right click and select Modify Properties and Apply. There is only one change to make and that is to the Spacing - set it to zero.

You will now have an extended wavy photo strip without gaps in the frames.

6. Selecting each of your wavy photo strips, one at a time, right click Align/Center Both. Then using your Layer Manager, select your coloured wavy photo strip, right click Arrange/Bring to the top. (You will only need to do this if your coloured wavy photo trip is not already on top after being aligned.)

Converting Individual Frames to Objects

At the moment your entire wavy photo strip is one object and this will not allow you to insert photos into each individual frame. We will fix that now. We will be working on the top layer wavy photo, the coloured one.

1. On the Toolbox select the Magic Wand and on the Attribute Toolbar activate Select on Object and make sure that Preserve Base Image is also selected (this will show as blue when selected). Use the settings shown on the Attribute Toolbar in the screenshot below.

Using the Magic Wand (with the Attribute Toolbar settings as above) click in the first of your frames. Selection lines will appear. Right click and Convert to Object. If you look in your Layer Manager you will see that you now have an additional object. Using your Pick Tool (first tool in Toolbox), click anywhere outside your wavy photo strip to deselect your new object.

2. Repeat the above step for each of your frames each time making sure to activate Select on Object. Check as you go to ensure that you can see the new objects in your Layer Manager.

4. We will no longer need the coloured wavy photo strip (that will only get in the way now) so select it in your Layer Manager and delete it. You will be left with your black solid photo strip and the object frames that you have just created.

Colouring the Individual Frames

Looking in your Layer Manager you can see that each of your new objects for the frames are white and this would not be easy to work with. So let's colour the individual frames.

1. Using the Layer Manager and holding the Ctrl key select each of the objects you have just created (all the white ones). Now right click and Group. Looking in the Layer Manager and you will see that you now have a white wavy photo strip as well as a black wavy photo strip.

2. To colour this white strip you need to first bring it to the foreground. Using your Pick Tool select your white wavy photo strip in the Layer Manager, right click and select Arrange/Bring to Front.

3. On the Menu Bar select Edit/Fill and using a colour of your choice change the colour of the grouped frames.

Erasing Sprockets from coloured Frames

You will be using the coloured frames which you have just created and grouped for your photographs. However you won't want to fill the sprockets with your photos, so let's get rid of the sprockets on the coloured frames.

1. To do this you will need to ungroup your coloured frames and work on one frame at a time. Select your coloured frames and right click/Ungroup. You can also do this from within the Layer Manager, simply select your grouped objects in the Layer Manager, right click and Ungroup.

2. Using your Object Eraser (found on your Toolbox) select your first section and carefully erase away the sprockets. As you do this you will see the black duplicate appearing from underneath. With the erasing I used a soft edge of 2 and used the zoom tool to magnify my sections.

3. Continue erasing until the sprockets have been erased on each of your sections. When all the sprockets are erased, select each coloured area of the wavy photo strip and group. This would be a good time to drag your grouped wavy film strips to your Easy Palette for future use.

Inserting your Photos

Now it is time to insert your copyright free photos into each of the coloured objects frames.

1. Select your coloured frames, right click and Ungroup. We will be working with one frame at a time.

2. Using your preferred method, resize your photos slighter larger than the individual coloured frame.

3. Right click on one of your photos, select All. Right click again and Convert to Object. Right click once more and Copy.

4. Select the first of your coloured frames and on the Menu Bar click on Edit/Paste into Selection. Using this method of placement will enable you to move your photo around to suit yourself. When you are happy with the positioning, click on your mouse and your photo will be locked into position. If you don't like the results of your pasting use the Undo button. This way your coloured frame will still be there for you to have another attempt at pasting and positioning your photo.

5. Continue adding a photo to each of your frames.

That's it! Now you have completed your Wavy Photo Strip. Try some of the other Path Wraps. Some work much better than others.