How
to square up artwork using Photoshop Elements <> 65
step-by-step instructions for perfect results
You need a digital camera, a computer and a version of Photoshop
Elements
I will write detailed instruction for free open-source Gimpshop and
post a link here by 1-10-10
Take a photo of your art and select the best one for editing
1. Take several photos of your art <> try the macro
setting for close-up <> try both indoor lighting and
sunshine
2. Don’t fill the entire digital screen with art <> Leave
space around art
3. The more photos you have, the better the chance of having a good one
4. Download photos of art to computer
5. Choose a photo with as little camera distortion as possible
Get started in Photoshop Elements
1. To load photo, drag photo into Photoshop
2. Make sure Layers are visible in your Pallet Bin <> go
to Windows at top <> click Layers so a checkmark shows
next to word
3. Your initial art photo will show as the background layer
We want to create more layers
1. First, create a duplicate layer of art photo <> go to
Layer at top, select Duplicate Layer <> unless you title
it differently, this is called the Background Copy
2. Next, create 4 transparent layers <> go to Layer at
top, select New <> Layer <> repeat this
step three more times <> these are called Layers 1, 2, 3,
4
3. Now you have 6 layers
4. There are 4 transparent layers on top
5. Below the transparent layers are 2 layers each showing your art
Erase the excess from around your art
1. We want to isolate your art
2. Tip: as you are working, you can undo any step: Go to Edit at top
<> select Undo
3. First, turn off visibility of bottom background layer using eyeball
next to layer
4. Next, click Background Copy layer to make this the active layer
<> you are now going to work on Background Copy layer
5. Use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to trace around your art
6. Complete the full lasso around your art <> it doesn’t
have to be perfect, but make sure the lasso stays outside art
7. Now your art is outlined, but we want to erase everything except
your art
8. At the top, go to Select <> choose Invert so the area
outside the art is active
9. Use the Erase Tool and erase everything except the art inside the
lasso
10. Make sure eraser is set to 100% <> check ‘strength’
just above work area <> make sure all areas are fully
erased <> for ease, set the eraser size to 1000 or 2000
11. It is important to erase completely so problems don’t happen during
the ‘distort’ phase later
12. If the bottom background layer is visible during erasing, it will
appear as if nothing was erased <> make background layer
invisible by clicking eyeball next to layer
13. Once erasing is complete, go to Select <> click
Deselect so the lasso is deactivated
Create a straight line border around your art
1. I find the following technique is easier to work with than using the
Grid when aligning pictures
2. Now we are going to work on the transparent layers one at a time
3. Click Layer 4 to activate
4. Select Rectangular Marquee Tool
5. Draw a rectangle above your art that spans the width of the screen
and stops just above your art <> we are doing this
because we want a straight line at the top so the art can be squared up
accurately <> putting the rectangle on a separate layer
will let you move the rectangle without moving the art
6. If your rectangle is not right, start over by drawing another one
<> or go to Select at top and click Deselect
7. After the marquee is complete, use the Paint Brush Tool or Paint
Bucket Tool to fill the area with color <> select a color
that is different than the art so it is easy to distinguish the art
from the rectangle <> to change and select colors
<> click on the Set Foreground Color square located at
the bottom of the tool area <> use the slider and mouse
to select a nice contrasting color
8. Now you have one colored rectangle in Layer 4
9. Activate Layer 3
10. Draw a rectangle down the full right side of your art
<> it doesn’t have to line up perfectly with the edge of
your art because the rectangle can be moved later
11. Fill the rectangle on Layer 3 with color
12. Activate Layer 2 and draw a rectangle below your art
<> fill the rectangle with color
13. Activate Layer 1 and draw a rectangle on the left side of your art
<> fill the rectangle with color
14. Now you have 4 rectangles surrounding your art <>
they should form a complete enclosure around your art <>
and each rectangle should be on a different layer so they can be moved
separately
Time to assess your art
1. Your art is not square, and it may be bowed around the edges
2. Are each of the 4 sides straight? If they are straight, then you
might skip the next paragraph and go to the paragraph below
3. Is your art bowed? Are the sides curved? Is your art way out of
square? Then follow the correction steps in the next paragraph
4. For best result, use all the following information in whichever
order works best
Your art is bowed or curved or way out of square so we want to Correct
Camera Distortion
1. First, click on Background Copy layer so your art is activated
<> we don’t need to correct the layers with rectangles
since they are already straight
2. Go to Filter at top <> select Correct Camera
Distortion <> wait for tool to load
3. After art is loaded, manipulate the sliders to get your best result
<> perfection is unlikely <> try all the
features <> use the reset button to start over fresh
4. Remember, the objective with this tool is to get the sides of the
art straight as possible, the objective is not to make the art square
<> you can repeat this step again later if needed
5. Now your art is fairly straight on all 4 sides, but it’s probably
not square
Move rectangles to make a box around your art
1. Zoom-in close to your art
2. Activate Layer 4 <> use the Move Tool to move the
rectangle up or down until it meets a top corner of your art
<> since your art is not square, the rectangle won’t meet
both corners of your art so make it touch one corner
3. Activate Layer 3 <> use Move Tool to move rectangle
until it touches one corner of art
4. Activate Layer 2 and move rectangle until it touches one bottom
corner of art
5. Activate Layer 1 and move rectangle until it touches one corner of
art
6. Now your art is framed with 4 rectangles <> the art
touches the rectangles at 4 places <> these rectangles
are going to be the straight-line border for your art while we distort
the art to fit
Use the Distort Tool to make art square
1. Now we want to distort your art so all four corners touch the
rectangles
2. Activate the Background Copy layer so work takes place on your art
3. Select the Distort Tool: At the top, click Image <>
Transform <> Distort
4. Zoom in close to the art <> using the mouse on each
corner of art, drag the corner into place
5. Repeat process until all 4 corners of art are stretched to meet the
rectangles
6. Zoom out and look at the art <> is it square?
<> does it need adjustment?
7. If problems still exist, repeat some of the steps <>
or select a better photo to work on
8. As you can see, it takes practice to bring your art into the digital
world
Final step: Crop the art
1. Use the Crop Tool and draw a rectangle around your art
2. Zoom in close (keyboard shortcut for zoom: Ctrl +
& Ctrl -) <> move the crop so
it matches up with the rectangles from Layers 1-4 <> use
the rectangles as a guide so you get a perfect crop <> if
the crop doesn't work first time, go to Edit at top <>
select Undo and then start the crop again
Tricks
1. Don’t forget, as you are working, you can undo any step: Go to Edit
at top <> select Undo
2. Usually I edit the color and lighting of the art before cropping so
I have elbow room on the edges of the art
3. Sometimes when I crop, I leave a border of the rectangles so the
color shows it looks like my art has a mat <> for this
process, use the Grid to help with accuracy <> go to View
at top <> click on Grid so a checkmark appears next to
the word <> to set Grid preferences <> go
to Edit <> Preferences <> Grid
Original version
How to square up artwork using Photoshop Elements
You need a digital camera, a computer and a version of Photoshop
Elements
Take a photo of your art and select the best one for editing
Take several photos of your art <> try the macro setting
for close-up
Don’t fill the entire digital screen with art <> Leave
space around art
The more photos you have, the better the chance of having a good one
Download photos of art to computer
Choose a photo with as little camera distortion as possible
Get started in Photoshop
To load photo, drag photo into Photoshop
Make sure Layers are visible in your Pallet Bin <> go to
Windows at top <> click the word Layers so a checkmark
shows
Your initial art photo will show as the background layer
We want to create more layers
First, create a duplicate layer of art photo <> go to
Layer at top, select Duplicate Layer <> unless you title
it differently, this is called the Background Copy
Next, create 4 transparent layers <> go to Layer at top,
select New <> Layer <> repeat this step
three more times <> these are called Layers 1, 2, 3, 4
Now you have 6 layers
There are 4 transparent layers on top
Below the transparent layers are 2 layers each showing your art
Erase the excess from around your art
We want to isolate your art
Tip: as you are working, you can undo any step: Go to Edit at top
<> select Undo
First, turn off visibility of bottom background layer using eyeball
next to layer
Next, click Background Copy layer to make this is the active layer
<> you are now going to work on Background Copy layer
Use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to trace around your art
Complete the full lasso around your art <> it doesn’t
have to be perfect, but make sure the lasso stays outside art
Now your art is outlined, but we want to erase everything except your
art
At the top, go to Select <> choose Invert so the area
outside the art is active
Use the Erase Tool and erase everything except the art inside the lasso
Make sure eraser is set to 100% <> check ‘strength’ just
above work area <> make sure all areas are fully erased
<> for ease, set the eraser size to 1000 or 2000
It is important to erase completely so problems don’t happen during the
‘distort’ phase later
If the bottom background layer is visible during erasing, it will
appear as if nothing was erased <> make background layer
invisible by clicking eyeball next to layer
Once erasing is complete, go to Select <> click Deselect
so the lasso is deactivated
Create a straight line border around your art
I find the following technique is easier to work with than using the
Grid to align pictures
Now we are going to work on the transparent layers one at a time
Click Layer 4 to activate
Select Rectangular Marquee Tool
Draw a rectangle above your art that spans the width of the screen and
stops just above your art <> we are doing this because we
want a straight line at the top so the art can be squared up accurately
<> putting the rectangle on a separate layer will let you
move the rectangle without moving the art too
If your rectangle is not right, simply draw another one to start over
<> or go to Select at top and click Deselect
After the marquee is complete, use the Paint Brush Tool or Paint Bucket
Tool to fill the area with color <> select a color that
is different than the art so it is easy to distinguish the art from the
rectangle
Now you have one colored rectangle in Layer 4
Activate Layer 3
Draw a rectangle down the full right side of your art <>
it doesn’t have to line up perfectly with the edge of your art because
the rectangle can be moved later
Fill the rectangle on Layer 3 with color
Activate Layer 2 and draw a rectangle below your art <>
fill the rectangle with color
Activate Layer 1 and draw a rectangle on the left side of your art
<> fill the rectangle with color
Now you have 4 rectangles surrounding your art <> they
should form a complete enclosure around your art <> and
each rectangle should be on a different layer so they can be moved
separately
Time to assess your art
Your art is not square, and it may be bowed around the edges
Are each of the 4 sides straight? If they are straight, then skip the
next paragraph and go to the paragraph below
Is your art bowed? Are the sides curved? Then follow the correction
steps in the next paragraph
For best result, read information in both paragraphs
Your art is bowed or curved so we want to Correct Camera Distortion
First, click on Background Copy layer so your art is activated
<> we don’t need to correct the layers with rectangles
since they are already straight
Go to Filter at top <> select Correct Camera Distortion
<> wait for tool to load
After art is loaded, you have to manipulate the sliders to get your
best result <> perfection is probably not going to happen
<> try all the features <> use the reset
button to start over
Remember, the objective is to get the sides of the art straight, the
objective is not to make the art square.
Now your art is fairly straight on all 4 sides, but it’s probably not
square
Move rectangles to make a box around your art
Zoom in close to your art
Activate Layer 4 <> use the Move Tool to move the
rectangle up or down until it meets a top corner of your art
<> since your art is not square, the rectangle won’t meet
both corners so just make it touch one corner
Activate Layer 3 <> use Move Tool to move rectangle over
until it touches one corner of art
Activate Layer 2 and move rectangle up until it touches one corner of
art
Activate Layer 1 and move rectangle over until it touches one corner of
art
Now your art is framed with 4 rectangles <> the art
touches the rectangles at 4 places <> these rectangles
are going to be the border for your art after we distort the art to fit
Use the Distort Tool to make art square
Now we want to distort your art so all four corners touch the rectangles
Activate the Background Copy layer so work takes place on your art
Select the Distort Tool: At the top, click Image <>
Transform <> Distort
Zoom in close to the art <> using the mouse on each
corner, drag the corner into place
Repeat process until all corners of art are stretched to meet the
rectangles
Zoom out and look at the art <> is it square?
<> does it need adjustment?
If problems still exist, repeat some of the steps <> or
select a better photo to work on
As you can see, it takes practice to bring your art into the digital
world
Final step: Crop the art
Use the Crop Tool and draw a rectangle around your art
Zoom in close (keyboard shortcut for zoom: Ctrl + & Ctrl -) and
move the crop so it matches up with the rectangles from Layers 1-4
<> use the rectangles as a guide so you get a perfect crop
Tricks
Don’t forget, as you are working, you can undo any step: Go to Edit at
top <> select Undo
Usually I edit the color and lighting of the art before cropping so I
have elbow room on the edges of the art
Sometimes when I crop, I leave a border of the rectangles so it looks
like my art has a mat <> use the Grid to help with
accuracy <> go to View at top <> click on
word Grid so a checkmark appears next to the word <> to
set Grid preferences <> go to Edit <>
Preferences <> Grid
Gene Haynes