Using Place to Quickly Add Overlays to your Papers
Tools: Adobe CS5; SnickerdoodleDesigns Patterns Set 4 {Damask Transparencies} & CU Overlays Sampler freebie.

The benefit to opening with Place is three-fold; 1) your texture/overlay/pattern opens perfectly centered on your work-in-progress; 2) it adds as a Smart Object (one of the big benefits being scalability without quality loss); 3) it adds the file name on the new layer, great for crediting in your TOU when required.

Let’s get started:

  • Open photoshop and create a new document (12″X12″, 300dpi)
  • Floodfill with a palette color or gradient (I choose blue #3960a1)
  • Click File –> Place
  • Choose: SnickerdoodleDesigns_Patterns_Set4, SD_Patterns_Set4-6.png
  • Click: Place
  • Click the Check Mark in your Menu Bar to accept (aka commit)

 

 Now you can add an overlay to add some texture:

  •  Click File –> Place
  • Choose: SD_Overlays-Sampler, sd_overlayssampler1.jpg
  • Click: Place
  • Click the Check Mark in your Menu Bar to accept

 Adjust your blend modes in the Layer Palette to get a look unique to your paper.  I went simple:

  • For sd_overlayssampler1.jpg I choose Blend Mode: Overlay
  • For SD_Patterns_Set4-6.png I choose Blend Mode: Soft Light
  • Be sure you are on the correct layer when changing your blend modes: 

My final result was a beautiful, softly-textured paper: