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I'm creating a template for my son's school yearbook and set it up so that pictures could be placed inside squares. I put the photo layer on top of the first square layer and hit "create clipping mask." However, the picture doesn't appear. Any ideas as to how to troubleshoot this? Thanks!!
Hi
Has the layer below your image layer (i.e. the one you are clipping to) got solid pixels. The color does not matter but there needs to be solid pixels in the shape you want to clip your image to. If it is a shape use the fill property.
Dave
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How are you planning to populate your template. Your layered document does not seem to be well suited for automating populating it with images.
Photo Collage Toolkit
Photoshop scripting is powerful and I believe this package demonstrates this here is a video showing a 5 image collage PSD template being populated with images
The package includes four simple rules to follow when making Photo Collage Template PSD files so they will be compatible with my Photoshop scripts.
There are fifteen scripts in this package they provide the following functions:
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Thanks so much, JJMack. I had no idea Photoshop could auto-populate pictures. I'll have to try that sometime. This time around, I'm going to have about 60 photos flying my way in unknown formats, so it may not work out for this project. However, it's good to know about!
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Hi
Your layers panel shows one definite issue and one possible issue.
1. Your layer 6 is not clipped to the layer below. To get it to clip Alt click on the border between the two layers in the layers panel. A small down arrow will appear.
2. To act as a clipping mask the layer below must have some solid pixels. It is hard to tell from the thumbnail, but it looks empty.
Dave
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Thanks so much for helping, davescm. I accidentally turned off the clipping mask on layer 6 when I took the screen shot. I turned it back on, but the photo still didn't appear.
I disabled everything else except the template squares. I then added a layer of pixels right above the background layer. Unfortunately, nothing changed.
Would you happen to have any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong? Photoshop's graphic design features are not my strong suit, regrettably.
Thanks!
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Hi
Has the layer below your image layer (i.e. the one you are clipping to) got solid pixels. The color does not matter but there needs to be solid pixels in the shape you want to clip your image to. If it is a shape use the fill property.
Dave
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I color filled the layer above the background layer with white. I'm not sure if I did it correctly. Nothing appears still.
Here's what my layers look like now:
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Perhaps this will help demonstrate
Dave
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Ha! That worked! I was filling my shape incorrectly. This makes total sense now. Thanks so much for sticking this problem out with me and helping me find the answer. You rock!
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No problem - glad to help
Dave
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Wow, I wish that would have been suggested in all other forums I have searched! What a small simple thing to miss when explaining the clipping mask. The shape needs a fill! Thank you very much!!