Creating a Quick Page From a Layout in PSE

In light of the current Quick Page Exchange going on at Scrapbook-Elements, I've had several people ask me how to make quick pages. If you can create a layout in Photoshop Elements or Photoshop, you can create a quick page (it can be done in other programs, however I am not familiar enough with any of them to write a tutorial). If you are using the full version of Photoshop, I recommend the Creating a Quick Page from a Layout in PSCS2 tutorial. This tutorial uses screen shots from PSE4, but should work with any current version of PSE.

The easiest way to make a quick page is to construct a layout as you normally would and leave the completed page in layered form. Be sure to save your layout as you will be 'deconstructing' it to create the quick page.



Start by deleting any layers that contain layout specific items, such as the date, journaling, title, etc. You can delete layers by clicking on the layer in the layers palette and dragging it to the trash icon at the top of the layers palette.



In the layers palette, hold down the control key while clicking on each layer located below the lowest photo layer. Right click on any of those layers in the layers palette and select 'Merge Down' from the drop down menu.



Hold down the control key and click on the icon of the lowest photo layer in the layers palette. You should now have 'marching ants' around your photo.




Click on the now-merged layer below the photo layer in the layers palette and hit the delete key. Drag your photo layer to the trash icon at the top of the layers palette. You should have a empty space in the merge layers where your photo was.

If you are working with a single photo layout, skip to the last step.



If there are layers between the merged layer and the next lowest photo layer, hold down the control key while clicking on each layer located below the photo layer. Right click on any of those layers in the layers palette and select 'Merge Down' from the drop down menu.



As before, hold down the control key and click on the icon of the photo layer in the layers palette. You should now have 'marching ants' around your photo. Click on the now-merged layer below the photo layer in the layers palette and hit the delete key.

Repeat the merging and deleting until all photos have been replaced with transparent 'holes'.



Right click on any layer in the layers palette and select 'merge visible' to merge all remaining layers. Save the document as a .png file to preserve the transparency of the 'holes'.