Binder Part Two: Creating the Binder Rings Digi Scrap Tutorial by Nannette Dalton on January 22, 2013 Time to learn how to add the binding to those perfect row of holes that we created last week. (Binder Part One: Cutting the Holes) Creating your own binder rings is fairly easy to accomplish in Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. It is just a matter of doing a little digital magic turning a flat oval shape into a 3-D looking ring. Step One: Prepare Your Workspace Open the paper with the holes (File > Open) that you made from last week. Press the letter D to reset the Color Chips to the default of black and white. Press the letter X to make white the Foreground Color Chip. In the Layers panel, activate the holes layer. Step Two: Create the Ring Shape Get the Rounded Rectangle tool. In the Tool Options, set the Radius to 10 px and choose Unconstrained from the Geometry Options dropdown box. Click on the Create a New Shape layer icon. (Photoshop: Also click on the Shape Layer icon.) On your scrapbook page, click and drag out a long rectangle shape, going from hole to hole. (see image below) In the Tool Options, click on the Simplify button. (Photoshop: In the Menu Bar, choose Layer > Rasterize > Shape.) Page 1
Step Three: Give the Ring Some Dimension Photoshop Elements In the Menu Bar, choose Layer > Layer Style > Style Settings to get the Style Settings dialog box. Alternate Method to get the Style Settings dialog box for Elements 8.0 and earlier: In the Menu Bar, choose Window > Effects. In the Effects panel, click on the Layer Styles icon, click on the drop down menu, and choose Drop Shadows. Double click on the Low drop shadow icon. Minimize the Effect panel by double clicking on its tab. In the Layers panel, double click on the fx icon in the shape layer to bring up the Style Settings dialog box. In the dialog box, place a checkmark next to Drop Shadow and twirl open the settings. Set the Lighting Angle to 90, the Size to 9px, the Distance to 21px, and the Opacity to 56%. Place a checkmark next to Bevel and twirl open the settings. Set the Size to 59 and the Direction to Up. Click OK. Adobe Photoshop In the Menu Bar, choose Layer > Layer Style > Drop Shadow. In the dialog box, set the Blend Mode to Multiply, the Opacity to 56%, the Angle to 90, the Distance to 21px, the Spread to 0%, and the Size to 9px. (see image below) Page 2
Click directly on Bevel and Emboss. Set the Style to Inner Bevel, the Technique to Smooth, the Depth to 100%, the Direction to Up, the Size to 59px, and the Soften 0px. (see image below) Click OK. All Versions Press the letter X to make black the Foreground Color Chip. In the Layers panel, Ctrl click (Mac: Cmd click) on the thumbnail of the shape layer to get a selection outline around it. Get the Gradient tool. In the Tool Options, open the Gradient Picker and choose Foreground to Transparent. If you don t see Foreground to Transparent, open the flyout menu and choose Reset Gradients. (Photoshop: Click OK.) Mode should be Normal, Opacity 56%, check Transparency and Dither, uncheck Reverse, and click on the Linear Gradient icon. Page 3
On your scrapbook page, click and drag slightly from the outer edge of the selection outline in towards the center. Repeat on the other side. Press Ctrl D (Mac: Cmd D) to deselect. Step Four: Duplicate the Ring In the Layers panel, make sure the ring shape layer is still the active layer. Press Ctrl J (Mac: Cmd J) to duplicate the layer. Repeat until you have one for each set of holes that you have created on your paper. They will all be on top of one another, so you will not see a change on your scrapbook page. Get the Move tool. On your scrapbook page, hold down the Shift key and click and drag one of the rings to line up with the bottom set of holes. (see image to the right) In the Layers panel, click on the top ring shape layer to activate it. Holding down the Shift key, click on the bottom ring shape layer to activate all the ring shape layers at the same time. In the Tool Options, choose Distribute Vertical Centers. With all the ring shape layers still active in the Layers panel, press Ctrl E (Mac: Cmd E) to Merge all the rings into one layer. Wow! We did it at least I hope we did! Let me know if you have any questions. Have fun using your new bound paper on a layout. Credits: Digi Scrap Tutorial Binder Part Two: Binder Rings by Nannette Dalton Page 4
Layout: Recipe by Nannette Dalton Paper from: Rule My World by Irene Alexeeva, Overlay: Digital Scrapper Plus Goodies, Stitching: Recollection by Joanne Brisebois Arrow brush from Fancy Free by Jenny Binder, Stamp from Travel Adventure Kit by Digital Scrapper (from Costco 2011 Goodies CD) Fonts: Ali s Hand, American Typewriter, DJB So Very Susan Page 5