Custom Collages Help
This set of action needs path as starting point. Good news is that you can create path from just anything that you can type, draw, paint or select in
Photoshop. Shapes and Custom Shapes are created from paths so you can just select outline (Path) and run action. Type can be converted to path outlines
on right click on Type Layer > Create Work Path what is also true for selections: right click inside any active selection with some of selection tools active
and choose Make Work Path.
To convert selection to
path, right click inside
selection with any of
selection tools active
and choose: Make Work
Path.
To convert type layer
to path, right click on
it and choose: Create
Work Path.
There are total of 40 actions named like this: Place 14 Images 2x7, Place 20 Images 4x5. First number (1-20) in the name of action tells you how many
images are included in grid collage. Second number (4x5) determines how many rows have collage and third number (4x5) tells you how many columns
have collage.
Important thing to bear in mind is that all anchor points must be selected before running any of actions and nothing else. Easiest way to select all anchor
points is to use Path Selection Tool and to click on path or shape outline anywhere what will select entire path and all its anchor points.
Ensure that all anchor
points are selected
before running action.
After selecting anchor
points (1) click on action
name (2) then clik Play
button (3).
After selecting path and running action, Photoshop will create new shape, convert it to Smart Object and edit content of smart object in a new tab/
window. In edit Smart Object content tab, Photoshop will create grid or in other words divide available space into equal parts and start opening Replace
File dialogs (Place). Your task is to navigate to image(s) you want to use in collage and to double click on it in Replace File (Place) dialog. Chosen image
will be placed in Photoshop and clipped to vector shape. You will see on your screen only portion that will be visible and you have ability to scale and
reposition it immediately after placement or you can accept placement and when collage is created to reopen edit contents tab for Smart Object and to
scale, reposition, hide or replace it. How many dialogs you will see depends on action, actually first number in action name.
Navigate to folder with
image you want to
place and double click
on it in Replace File
(Place) dialog.
After placing chosen
image, Photoshop will
turn into free transform
mode so you can scale
and reposition image.
At the end of action you have option to choose stroke color in Layer Stye dialog but also and to add some other layer effect. If you do not want stroke
effect just uncheck it and confirm on OK. Actions with small number of images will open several Layer Style dialogs for each placeholder while actions with
4 and more images will open only one Layer Style dialog and copy/paste same settings to all other placeholders (vector shapes to which are clipped Smart
Object layers with placed images).
Layer Style dialog will
appear at the end of
action.
After placing images and setting layer effects you will be returned to your main document and there will be Smart Object layer with collage iside path you
have selected before running action. At this point you can double clik Smart Object to edit content and to hide some images and placeholders, change
layer effects or to replace already placed images.
To replace placed image, right click on Smart Object layer and choose Replace Contents. If you want to modify shape to which is clipped image, first
move layer mask then modify shape. Just click on layer mask and drag it onto layer with image (image_x) which is always above shape (placeholder_1),
modify shape then drag mask again onto shape layer (placeholder_x).
Click on layer mask and drag it onto layer with
image (image_x).
Modify shape layer (placeholder_x) to which is
clipped image.
Drag mask back to shape layer (placeholder_x).