How to create stripe and plaid papers in Photoshop Elements

How to create striped and plaid papers in Photoshop Elements.

In this tutorial I use Photoshop Elements 10.

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 First I start with a blank file.

I choose to make my digital scrapbook papers 12x12" 300 dpi (resolution or pixels per inch). I like the high quality. If you're designing papers to sell, it's a good idea to create high quality.

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For the striped paper the next thing I do is "view" rulers. Once I can see the ruler I can click in the white area of the ruler I click hold and pull a blue guide line down. It isn't necessary to have a guideline for this tutorial, but I enjoy guidelines to make my work even. They don't show up in my final product. Sometimes my work becomes so crisscrossed with guidelines I have to go back and "view" to uncheck the guides.

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Now I'm going to use the 1) Paintbrush tool. After I select that I 2) select square brushes. Then I choose the size of my 3) brush.

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I want to make a "dotted" line so while I'm still in the paint brush tool I 1) click on the paintbrush at the top of the screen where I can 2) change the spacing -I choose 220 here. In the right corner 3) I can see about how far apart that will space my squares.

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It's difficult to move a background layer. Here I 1) choose layer, new, and layer in the top bar. Then in the bottom right hand corner of my screen I can see 2) that I now have an additional layer on top of my background.

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Repeat after me: "Shift Click saves me a lot of time in Photoshop Elements." Good job.

In the picture above where you can see the additional layer, notice that it is black instead of grey at the side. This means I am working on that layer. I am still in the paint brush tool. I've spaced it. I've choosen the color red. I'm ready to make... okay, not stripes. Not yet. But the beginning of stripes. On top left of the blue guide line 1) I click to make a single red square. I then go to the end of where I want my dotted/dashed line 2) and shift click. Voila!! You might want to stop and click the undo button here so you can get the thrill of the Shift Click magic again. You'll see a dotted/dashed line.

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It's time to say "Hello, baby striped paper!"  In the right side bar you're going to make sure you select the 1) move tool . After you do that you'll see a dotted line around your dotted line. See those little grey squares the red arrow is pointing to? you can grab them with a hold click and pull/stretch your line down.

Keep stretching.... The whole paper...keep going.

When you're finished you'll probably have to keep stretching the striped layer past the edges of your canvas. You can see the in the image below that I've stretched it beyond the canvas. You betcha. If I don't do that it the stretched edge shows...and it's ugly.

You can stop here and file save as, choosing JPG to make your striped paper. You don't need to flatten the image. Photoshop Elements will flatten the file for you because you chose JPG. 

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Too easy, right? It's true. You shouldn't be satisfied with a measly stripe. You need a plaid.

On the lower right hand side of your screen I right click (repeat RIGHT click) in the black area of my stripe layer. I then choose "duplicate. You can see that now I have two stripe layers.

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Now at least half of those lines need to tip over. Sitting on one of the layers, in the top bar choose Image, rotate, then Layer 90 degrees right. (The word Layer is important there. If you choose the option without the word Layer it's going to turn your whole file sideways.)

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The wonderful thing about plaid is some spots are darker. some are lighter. In the bottom right hand corner where you can see your two new layers and the background layer you're going to select each layer and change the opacity. I used 50% for this paper. Play with it and choose what you like. I change both layers, as a rule. You can do this with different colored stripes. It looks really neat.

Needless to say, I Love Photoshop Elements!!!

Find it here:

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I hope you enjoyed this. More than that I hope it is easy to understand. Happy digi designing.

✪ Download this file HERE.

✪ Download this file HERE.