Filmstrip Photos Tutorial
This tutorial will walk you through using the Warp function step by step in picture format. So you will not only end up with a nice display for your photos, but will have mastered yet another Photoshop tool!
Step 1
Open a new file 1500 x 1500, 72px resolution, white background
Step 2
Open the Filmstrips 8 picture from the Filmstrips set.
Image>Image Size – set width to 1500, auto height, click OK
Select>All
Edit>Copy (Ctrl + C)
Make your project active
Edit>Paste (Ctrl + V)
Step 3
Zoom into the image to at least 100%
Select the Magic Wand tool
Select and delete all the white/blue in the filmstrips – do not include the spool-holes at this time
Step 3
Open one of the photos you will be using
Copy and paste it into your project
Ctrl + T to transform the object
Hold down the Shift key, place the cursor over one of the corner handles and resize the image to approximately the same height as the aperture on the filmstrip.
Hit the Enter key to accept the transformation
Step 4
Select the Rectangular Marquee tool
Select a piece of the picture from one of the sides and hit the Delete key
NOTE: If your picture is fairly square you won’t have to do this – but most photos are rectangular and the apertures on the top filmstrip are nearly square. You probably won’t have to do it for the second filmstrip as the apertures are more rectangular.
Step 5
Follow the instructions in the images below to fit the picture into the aperture:
Place all 5 photos in the same way
Step 6
Merge the 5 photo layers together
Step 7
Apply the photos to the second strip in the same way, making sure you have them in the same order.
Merge this set of photos together
Step 8
With the second set of photos layer active
Image>Adjustments>Black and White – leave the settings at default and click OK
Image>Adjustments>Invert
Step 9
On the same layer
Image>Adjustments>Levels – apply the following settings:
Reduce the layer opacity to around 60%
Step 10
Turn off the visibility of the background layer
Right click on any visible layer and click Merge Visible
Restore visibility to the background layer
Step 11
With the photostrip layer active
Select the Lasso tool and make a selection around the top filmstrip
Edit>Cut (Ctrl + X)
Edit>Paste (Ctrl + V)
Using the Move tool and the Transform tool, place the filmstrips as required
Step 12
Copy and paste a suitable background image, or fill the background with a gradient or solid colour.
Step 13
Make one of the filmstrip layers active
Zoom into the image to at least 100%
Select the Magic Wand tool
Hold down the Shift key and click in all the white spool-holes
When they are all selected, hit the Delete key
Repeat for the other filmstrip layer
Step 14
Double click on the top filmstrip layer in the layers palette to bring up the blending options and apply the following Drop Shadow settings:
Create a new, empty layer and merge the top filmstrip layer with it to rasterize the style
Step 15
Double click on the bottom filmstrip layer in the layers palette to bring up the blending options and apply the following Drop Shadow settings:
The finished project:
It is always nice to have a different way to display your photos – especially if you are sending them to family and friends or making a slideshow or DVD with them, or uploading them to a social media or file sharing website. This method of displaying photos, although time consuming, has a very pleasing result.