Inspired by Linda Rodriguez's design on page 85 of our June issue, I've created this fun sports poster for my son, Zack. I've detailed the steps below so you can create your own poster-like effect. All you'll need is a photo, one digital patterned paper, and Photoshop Elements.

1. Open your photo in Photoshop Elements and crop to the desired size using the Crop tool. Be sure to leave space to the side of the photo to place your text. Select File > Save As and rename your new photo.

2. Open your patterned paper and click on the Move tool. Drag and drop the paper down on to your photo in the Project Bin. I've chosen to use a paper from the Up at the Villa kit by Erica Hite at Scrapgirls.com.

3. Select your Marquee tool and click and drag over the subject in your photo and press delete on your keyboard to remove the patterned paper.

4. Select your Eraser tool, and in the Options Bar, select a large feathered brush (mine is 1000 px) and click and hold and drag the eraser on the edge of the paper to fade out the hard edge.

5. Next, click on the Set Foreground color swatch, and with your eyedropper tool, click on a color in your patterned paper and click OK.

6. Click on the Gradient Tool, and in the Options Bar, double-click Foreground to Transparent in the Gradient Picker.

7. With the Gradient Tool still selected, click near the edge of your patterned paper and drag 1/3 of the way onto your photo. This creates a slight blending of the colors. You may need to undo (Ctrl+z) and repeat this step to get the desired effect. If the color is too dark, lower the opacity in the Layers palette.

8. Finally, select the Text tool and add your text. I've followed Linda's lead and altered the font types and colors for a fun effect.

Appeared in:

June 2009