Collage

[Anime Angel]

How do I collage images? I don't want them to look cheap like how you collage in MS Paint, but I idon't see a collageing tool and I don't know how to do it.

[Sark]

This is a quick answer. You will need to look in the help files for more explicit directions for the various PS tools/functions.

Create a new doc with a canvas large enough to take all your images.

Open your images. Each will appear in its own doc. To place an image into your working doc (canvas), hold the mouse button down over the image and drag to the working doc. Repeat for each image before closing the unwanted docs.

Each new image appears in its own layer in the working doc. Select a layer and click the "Layer mask" button at the bottom of the Layers palette. A Layer mask icon will appear next to the image icon in your layers palette, if you click this icon you can now paint with black, or white, paint on the document to control how the image blends with underlying layers. White makes your image opaque, black makes it transparent. Remember, you need to click the images icon in the layers palette if you want to edit the image again. Repeat for each of your images.

There are other things you can do, but you will need to master the basics before creating sophisticated collages.

Sark