Paper cropping help needed

[wileyclan]

I am so frustrated!!!! I am working on a layout. So far, I have the following layers, 1 Background layer, 1 Layer that I used the paint tool to make white, and 1 Layer that I put a paper in. I am trying to create a layout with a white background and strips of patterened paper in varying sizes. But, when I go to crop the paper, it crops every layer.........I have cropped before in PS 7, and this has never happened! I am a new user that is trying to learn through tutorials and experience, but can't seem to figure this one out. I am sure that it is something simple that I am just missing :o .

Thanks in advance!!!:)
Lisa

[Vania16]

The crop tool does crop the whole image - so if you have multiple layers, it will crop all of them. To get one piece of paper cut down, I usually crop it to the size I want in it's own image file (although I tend to not do it, it's smart to use a copy of your original paper so that you don't save the cropped version and lose your original) and then I drag it into my layout file. If you want to cut it to size in the layout file itself, try using your marquise selection tool (it's on the top left of your tool bar in PS7) - make sure you're on the layer of the paper you want to cut and use it to make the shape you want - you'll get a rectangle of marching ants. You can then go to select - inverse and it will select the rest of the paper instead of the box you drew. Then just go into edit and hit cut - the rest of the layer should be gone. I hope that helps - if anything's unclear or that doesn't work post again :)

[DianneRigdon]

Yes the crop tool crops the entire image, not just one layer. If you want to crop one layer you will want to use the rectangular marquee tool. I'll look for an online tutorial for you.

http://iit.bloomu.edu/vthc/Photoshop/BLENDING/selectiontools.htm

http://www.myjanee.com/tuts/shapes/shapes.htm

Maybe these might help?

[wileyclan]

Thank you both! I am at work, but will try that tonight. Thanks again, I really appreciate the help!

[Beelissa]

WooHoo!

I'm new here and I use a mostly unknown, open source program called The Gimp to make my digital scrapbook pages (as well as web graphics, etc.). I'm excited to see that, for once, there is something my program does easily that the big name programs don't. I haven't found many digiscrappers who use it, and I haven't found tutorials written for it, not scrapbooking tuts anyway. Usually I can translate a tut written for another program.

I can crop a layer or the whole page in The Gimp. In fact, I can pretty much do anything to a layer that I can to a page (colorize, resize, apply a filter), just by selecting the same command from the "Layer" menu instead of the "Image" menu.

The Gimp is free. If it's okay to post a link here, and anyone wants to know where to find it, let me know whether it's against the rules and I can post it. Or, just Google The Gimp. It stands for Gnu Image something, Gnu meaning it's open source.

Melissa