Want to make a particular thumbnail

[DJWN]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to photoshop - I want to make a thumbnail like this but I want to know how to

• put a solid line right on where the photo splits
• I don't need the people on top of the other images. I want it like a equal split.
• Also how do I make sure the split is equal 50/50.
• Then after I make this thumbnail I just want to reuse it again and again.
• On the right the background will be black with white text on top with my logo on that side (I guess I just add a layer to put my logo on there?) then a photo of the person I'm interviewing on the left.

Any help will be greatly appreciated! 

[jane-e]

Hi

You might use guides to help you. I think you are asking about the two shapes and the white line?

• Go to View > New Guide
  50% will add a guide to the middle
  You might want guides a bit to the left and right of center, so add two more: 45% and 55% (or so)
• Use layers
  The shape on the left can be a rectangle and put it on its own layer
  Draw the shape on the right with the Pen tool on its own layer. Use the guides to assist.
• Draw the white line with the Pen tool as a shape. You may or may not need new guides.

Photoshop does not have angled guides like Illustrator, so you are creating a pair of guides and using one for the bottom and the other for the top.

Is this what you are looking for?

~ Jane

[davescm]

As Jane said build it in layers with an embedded photo layer and shapes plus text. The example below showing the layers may help you

Dave

[jane-e]

Hi DJ_Editor,

I've modified Dave's good start to pop the person out to the front of both shapes. Note that the people will be masked out for the transparency.

I'm not sure if there's an automatic way to get three black shapes behind each of the three lines using PS — it would be possible in Illustrator and a cinch in InDesign. Would you be okay with one big black box? If so, just draw it and add the text on top as Dave shows. Or draw three boxes and fiddle with it with Alignment and Distribution. Or maybe someone else knows how to do it automatically using Photoshop.

Jane

[jane-e]

For an FYI, this is how it works in InDesign with Paragraph Borders. You can also use thick ruling lines with the baselines shifted up. Unfortunately, Photoshop does not have this kind of control with text formating because it is, at its core, an image editor.

[DJWN]

Thanks for the replies. My PC has been acting up so I've only got the opportunity to reply today and try. I've just tried a guide and it didn't give me a percentage option sadly! It's all new to me so I'm struggling a bit but I'm going to try do what I can. Thanks again

[davescm]

Right click the ruler and change the units to Percentage

Dave

[jane-e]

Jane said:

• Go to View > New Guide
  50% will add a guide to the middle
  You might want guides a bit to the left and right of center, so add two more: 45% and 55% (or so)

You can right-click your ruler and change to Percent as Dave said, and then change the ruler back to your preferred measurement when you are finished adding guides.

I'm a bit lazier than Dave, so I go to View > New Guide and type "50%". When I said this the first time, I forgot to say to type the "%" sign — if you are in inches, for instance, and you type "50" without a unit of measurement it will assume inches (or whatever measurement you are working in.)

Both ways work, so do whichever suits you best. Adding guides at percentages such as 45%, 50%, and 55% is often faster than doing the math to get the numbers.

~ Jane

[DJWN]

Thanks