You may be trying too hard! To create a collage, open a new blank canvas and set it to the size you want, the resolution at which you want to print, and choose either a transparent or white background – unless you want a color.
Now open each image you want included in the collage and make sure the resolution of the image matches that of your new canvas and do any editing you want. (If you use adjustment layers you’ll have to flatten the image before the next step.) Select the Move tool, click on the image you want placed in your collage, and drag the image to the new canvas. Repeat for each image. Each one will open in a separate layer, so you can slide them around as you choose until you get the placement you want.
Thanks Beth. Works fine. Also could you answer this please. (I’m 70 years ols and trying to learn ).When I use the lasso tool it works fine, but when I try to use the rectangular selection tool I get an error message that not more than 50 % pixels selected,but I selected more than 50 %.
I’m not sure exactly what you’re trying to do, but check the image you’re working on and make sure that you have the layer that contains the image itself selected. Sometimes people will add an adjustment layer to an image, and then when they try and make a selection with that layer still active Elements doesn’t actually "see" anything. You need to make sure the layer that’s active is one that contains the image.
If this doesn’t solve the problem, please post a specific example of what you’re trying to do. Given that I just gave you instructions on dragging/dropping for a collage, the above answer might not be appropriate.
Beth. I dragging/dropping worked fine. A new question is while I was using the freehand tool to make selections for my collage, I just wanted heads not the entire body, I wanted to use the rectangular selection tool to select a "head":. I keep getting the same message that not 50% of pixels have been selected.I ‘ve tried to find out what this means,and how to correct it in the manual and alo "Dummies" but no luck. Thanks
Joe, make sure that the layer you’re working on is the layer containg the image you are trying to copy.
Dick
I started an answer almost an hour ago and then the phone rang! Sorry. Dick said the same thing I was going to, but I’m also wondering if you have the Layers Palette open on your desktop. Do you? If not, click on the tab that says "Layers" in the palette well and hold down on the button while you drag the tab out of the well and into some clear space on your desktop. When you let go, click on the image you’re having trouble with and make sure the layer that actually contains the image is the one highlighted (the highlight color changes depending on the settings you’ve got in your computer – on one of my computers it goes pink, another one goes blue.) If you’re working on an adjustment layer Elements isn’t "seeing" any pixels when you make your selection.
The following is from the help section. (Selecting > Softening the edges of a selection) Maybe it could be your problem.
Note: A small selection made with a large feather radius may be so faint that its edges are invisible and thus not selectable. If a message appears stating "No pixels are more than 50% selected," either decrease the feather radius or increase the selection’s size. Or click OK to accept the current setting and create a selection where you cannot see the edges.
Good grief, Bob! Who would have ever thought to look in the Help files?! Nice going! 🙂 (You know, this has come up before and that was the problem that time, too, but I forgot all about the feathering.)
Thanks Beth, Dick and Bob. I still don’t understand the "help files". I find them very confusing.
Thanks anyway. I really do appreciate your help.
I’ll try something else.
Well if you haven’t fixed the problem yet you can’t give up! It’s not allowed. 🙂
When you select the Rectangular Marquee tool, the items in the Option Bar just below the main menu will change. One of those options is "Feather". You want that set to 0 (zero), so just type it in. Of course I now have PSE 1 open instead of PSE 2 so I’m not sure what else is there, but I know the feather setting will be!
Joe, I get confused with the help files, too. Look at the options bar and the little box that says feather. Set the number in that box to 0. You can also right click on the icon of the tool (in the options bar, not in the tool box) and then click on reset tool. Now try a selection and see if it works.
Sorry, Beth, I didn’t see your message.
