PDN for Digital Scrapbooking
PDN is short for Paint Dot Net, a FREE photo editing & image creating software.
SECTION 3
A BASIC BEGINNER TUTORIAL FOR A SIMPLE FIRST LAYOUT
I placed “Step 16” at the top of this page, too. It will be easier for you to not have to change web pages to see the numbered tool chart while I explain the following steps.
Step 16:
Before we go further, I‘m going to show you an image of the tool window.
On each image if you put your mouse/curser over each tool without clicking on it and wait a few seconds, USUALLY (but not always), words will appear to tell you the name of each tool your mouse is paused/hovering over.
It might be easier if I refer to a numbered tool chart I made for this tutorial if you have no experience with this type of software.
1. The hammer, clicking it makes the entire tool window below it go away or appear again.
2. That white "x" closes the tool bar to make it go away.
3. MAIN SELECTION TOOL, or, "Selection Tool"
4. Square Selection Tool
5."Move Selection Tool"
6. Lasso
7. Zoom
8. Circle Selection Tool
9. "Pan"
10. Magic Wand
11. Gradient Tool
12. Paint Bucket
13. Eraser
14. Paintbrush
15. Color Picker
16. Pencil
17. Recolor
18. Clone Stamp
19. Line Curve
20. Text
21. Shapes
In the prior steps you have learned how to open PDN, look for yellow file folders with your mini kit pieces to select, and how they open up inside of PDN. You also learned about the location of thumbnails at the top middle section of PDN, as well as how to click on them to delete them and how to get them back. As I further explain a process and refer to a red number on the "numbered tool chart" you can look up at the chart as a guide.
Step 17:
You should have your blank 8"x 10" canvas showing. Use PDN to find and select the yellow file folder of the mini kit you downloaded and unzipped. Once you select a background digital paper, click on it to select it THEN click on the button down below on the open window that say "Open". When you do it will open up inside of PDN onto the large work area and an identical small thumbnail of that same image will also be showing at the top middle area of PDN.
For this tutorial I will select "Cottage Swirls.jpg" for my background.
I need to show you another area of PDN to use when dealing with huge images. I call it the "View Slider". Look down at the bottom right corner of PDN. Since "Cottage Swirls.jpg" is a very large image I'm going to use the "view slider" to make my work space easier for viewing huge images. I'm going to move my view slider to read 50%. The "View Slider" will ONLY reduce or enlarge the work space for PDN. Only the viewing area to make it easier for when working with huge images or to get a super close-up look at an image for extremely detailed worked.
Above is what I call the "View Slider". It makes what you are working on larger or smaller to view. This helps to easily view a huge image or to zoom in very close on an image. The number to the left, 63%, can be changed by left clicking on it to enter an exact percentage. Put your mouse on the slider the red arrow is pointing to, LEFT click, hold down the left clicker mouse button while you slide it around. Try it.
Step 18: For this step, instead of me typing every detail it will probably be easier to have a visual. Follow this step in order from part 1 through part 9.
Right after you do part 8 a pop-up box will appear. Select "Keep canvas size"
Now you have selected the image for your background you want to go on top of the white canvas for your layout. Notice all the way around the edges of the canvas are what looks like tiny moving dotted lines. Some people call those "dancing ants"...or a "marquee". Always remember when you see those tiny moving dotted lines (the dancing ants) it means that image is active for further altering, moving around, reducing or enlarging.
However, the huge image digital paper you have selected for the background of your canvas is currently way too big. While you could leave it like that, it wouldn't be as nice as it will soon look if you make that huge image smaller to fit better on your 8" x 10" layout.
In the next step you're going to learn how to reduce an image that is too big into a size more appropriate. Use this method for future images on your canvas that are too big.
Step 19: Don't scare yourself in this step. It's really a simple process. Some might find it helpful to move the "view slider" to the left before you start this step, allowing you to see the entire size of your background image and those "tiny moving dotted lines" (dancing ants) outline the entire background image you are dragging to a smaller size. If you slid the entire image off of the white canvas you can still drag it back on if you can see the dancing ants in the gray area and using the directions in part 1-c.
In this step if it all goes heywire and you don't know what happened, don't worry. It's no big deal. Since practicing basic steps will be useful to you, just delete the layer of your background image (see Step 20) from the layer box and repeat Step 18 once again.
Once you get your background image to fit the way you want it to on your canvas you want to go to the top left menu bar, click on the word "Edit" and once the drop down menu appears, at the bottom click on "Deselect"
OR
Click on 4, 6, or 8 on your tool window (see above) and then click on any part of the gray area.
Doing either of the above makes the tiny dotted moving lines (dancing ants) stop. That means that image is no longer active.
You can now repeat all steps for each item in your mini kit you wish to use for your layout, including the use of a photo. You will obviously have to know where the location of your photo is on your computer and retrieve it the same way you got each of your mini kit images to use in PDN.
Throughout making your layout, to move layers in your layer box above or below other images, put your mouse arrow on the image you wish to move and hold down your left mouse button while dragging the selected image up or down....OR....click on the image to highlight it in the layer box (see below/Step 20) then go to the BOTTOM of the layer box. Click on either the arrow pointing up and the arrow pointing to move the highlighted image up or down.
This is where you also will need to learn about "layers" and that small box probably in the lower left side of PDN. If you look at the box called "Layers" you will notice within it, on the bottom layer is your blank white 8" x 10" canvas. Above that, on the top layer, is your background that you pasted onto the blank white canvas.
Layers allow you to work individually on each image you put on your canvas. Part of the next step will involve basic knowledge of the layer box because your layer box goes hand-in-hand if you are going to work with more than one image. It's like team work.
Step 20: Meet another part of your PDN team members; "Layers", located in the layers box. (Believe it or not it's very easy, so don't worry about it. In time you will appreciate how the layers process works. )
If you don't see a box named "Layers" this will show you how to make it appear. That icon is located in the top right corner of PDN.
Step 20 is to show you in a meaningful way basic information you will need to know about layers and the layer box. If you don't want to change the names of layers in the layer box you don't have to but at least now you know how to. Hovering your mouse over the little icons at the bottom of the layer box will tell you what they do.
Whatever image on your canvas you want to delete make sure it is highlighted in blue. If not click on it to highlight it in blue, Once the image is highlighted click on the red "X" at the bottom of the Layers box.
Digital Scrapbooking with Paint Dot Net
Questions or comments may be directed to pdnscrapbooking @ gmail dot com (Due to spam everyone is sick of, I didn't write it the traditional way.)