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Anonymous
February 25, 2017
Question

Layer help

  • February 25, 2017
  • 2 replies
  • 297 views

Running PE12 on Win8.1. I edit a photo to, say, 12"x9", 200 ppi. I open a new blank file at 42"x 16", 200 ppi, because I'm trying to move, say, three such photos onto the blank file, so I can overlap them, move them up, down, sideways, then flatten the image when I've got the edited photos lined up correctly. Anyway, with the new blank file open in the work area, I go to the photo bin and drag my edited photo onto the blank file, where it should take up less than a third of the blank file image. HOWEVER, as soon as I move the edited photo onto the blank file, PE expands the edited photo to fill about 3/4 of the length and 100% of the height of the blank file, when it should just fill somewhat less than a third of the length and a little over half of the height. I seem not to be able to find any answers in the FAQ's or the tutorials, but then there's too much there to wade through. Please, what am I doing wrong here? Many thanks.

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    2 replies

    hatstead
    hatstead
    Inspiring
    February 25, 2017

    jk24400143

    I'm trying to move, say, three such photos onto the blank file, so I can overlap them, move them up, down, sideways, then flatten the image when I've got the edited photos lined up correctly.

    Here's how I do a project of this nature:

    Make sure that the resolution of the blank file (canvas) and of the picture files are the same value

    1. Open the blank file
    2. Go to File>Place. Point to where the 1st file is on disk, and Place.
    3. Repeat File>Place for the other picture files. Note that each one will be on its own layer.
    4. Position and make size adjustments as indicated.
    MichelBParis
    MichelBParis
    Legend
    February 25, 2017

    hatstead  wrote

    Make sure that the resolution of the blank file (canvas) and of the picture files are the same value

    I am not sure all users know how to check that, and it's a time consuming process which is not needed if you use smart layers. The imported layer will NEVER suffer a loss of quality.

    1. Position and make size adjustments as indicated.

    In most cases, you'll have to resize, move, rotate your layers several times. You'll lose quality after each new edit.

    When you add an image to a canvas, there is no reason that it can keep the same pixel size, which explains why you have a preparatory step in your workflow.

    It's much quicker to drag the image over the canvas, then to resize, move and rotate by ajusting the bounding box in the same step. And with smart layers, the best quality in insured without calculations and preparations before 'placing'.

    It's good that users can still use the traditional process you have described, but there are good reasons in favour of the new drag and drop with smart layers.

    hatstead
    hatstead
    Inspiring
    February 25, 2017

    That's ok with me. Different ways to do things in PSE.

    OP, JK24400143, stated very clearly that blank file & picture files are @200ppi, so no problem there.

    MichelBParis
    MichelBParis
    Legend
    February 25, 2017

    Your title might have been 'Dragging from the photo bin'.

    There has been many threads about that change of behaviour in recent Elements versions.

    Let's start with your goal:

    I edit a photo to, say, 12"x9", 200 ppi. I open a new blank file at 42"x 16", 200 ppi, because I'm trying to move, say, three such photos onto the blank file, so I can overlap them, move them up, down, sideways, then flatten the image when I've got the edited photos lined up correctly.

    In other words, you are 'compositing', that is using adding several pictures over a canvas, for srcapbooking, page compositions for books etc. Your blank file, the 'canvas' sets the size and pixel dimensions of your project (output). There is no reason that by miracle the photos you are dragging over it will have the desired size, location, orientation or angle needed for your project. Nearly always, you have to 'resample' the imported image as well as resizing, moving, straightening... The major problem is that compositing implies adjusting those parameters many times in the session to get the best 'mix' of your various elements.

    And those repeated steps induce a loss of quality.

    There is a wonderful way to avoid the loss of quality by repeated resizing or straightening. It's to use smart layers. That's what you are doing when dragging from the photo bin. The layer reflects your visual goal for the finished elements, not the final pixels. You can't tweak your elements until you 'simplify', that is you lose the link with the original photo and transform the 'project' into real pixels.

    My problem in older Elements versions has been that this drag from photobin option had an unwanted result. Most of my imported files are bigger than the canvas and they have to be downsized when dragged over the canvas. That is really annoying to show the bounding box outside the canvas and to reduce the size. In the latest Elements versions (I am on v 15), when you drag a file, it is resized and centered not to be bigger than the canvas. It's the most convenient and fast choice to resize without quality loss, then move and straighten for a starting point. That can be tweaked many times later until you choose to simplify if you want.

    There are other ways than dragging from the photo bin (copy and paste for instance) not to use the drag from photobin feature.

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