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Contents
Requirements and description Using Grid+ Layout Actions
How files are organized Step 1 Display Actions panel Step 2 Load Grid Layouts Actions Step 3 Expand Grid Layouts Actions set Step 4 Select and run action Step 5 Setup document Step 6 Choose file to replace image_1 Smart Object layer Step 7 Transform placed object Step 8 Choose files for other placeholders Step 9 Set stroke width Step 11 Change Stroke color Step 12 Replace Individual Images Step 13 Make adjustments or apply filter Step 14 Save composition on hard drive Using Grid Layouts Kit Step 1+ Create template Step 2+ Specify document settings Step 3+ Modify Template Step 4+ Place images Step 5+ Customize stroke segments Tip 1+ Creating layouts not included Tip 2+ Distributing images and placeholders Tip 1 Transform or move image (object) Tip 2 Fix anti-aliased edges Tip 3 Nudge and customize stroke segments Tip 4 Expand canvas size
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Customization tips
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Troubleshooting tips
Troubleshooting 1 Layer image_1-36 is not available Troubleshooting 2 The command is not available Troubleshooting 3 I do not see handles to scale image Troubleshooting 4 After replacing image I do not see it Real World Examples
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Maximum flexibility
This set of actions is created for maximum flexibility. You are not limited in any way since actions are extremely flexible and can be used for any purpose even to create thumbnails or to design business cards. Beside that you have choice for size, resolution, number of placeholders... every layout is easily customizable in terms of number of placeholders, their sizes and positions what is explained later in step by step tutorial.
Actions folder also contains 2 sub-folders: Grid Layouts Actions with Actions with Grid Layouts Actions.atn file with all actions included in set. Grid Layouts Kit (see Additional flexibility and convenience above on this page)
Folder Help contains PDF user guide with step by step instructions. To get started I strongly recommend you to read: Grid+ Layouts User Guide.pdf.
Click on Actions panel menu then choose Load Actions... from the list.
Navigate to folder with actions, select .atn file then click Load button.
Click triangle on the right side of Grid Layout Actions set to expand it and see all actions included.
First click on action name to highlight it then click Play When pop-up message appear, read it then click on button at the bottom of Actions panel. Continue button.
When Place dialog opens navigate to image you want to use, select it and click Place button.
Immediately after placing file Photoshop will display new message with explanation. Read it then click Continue. Note that this pop-up message appears only once during action regardless of numbers of files to be placed. Basically you can use percentage numbers in options bar to scale image or to drag handles. If you do not see handles thats because image is too big, try using percentages either in Width or Height fields in options bar or press Ctrl/Cmd + 0 (zero) and handles will appear on your screen. After transforming and moving object confirm on checkmark in options bar or by pressing Enter/Return.
Type same number for stroke width in all Stroke dialogs which will appear.
select, type numerical values or sample color from image. If you are working in previous versions of Photoshop you can set Color Overlay for each component of stroke by selecting its layer in Layers panel then visiting Layer Style dialog or to merge all components in group and to change color for all components from once. Right/Cmd + click on custom stroke group then choose Merge Group. After merging layers in group set color overlay and you are done.
To change stroke color in CS6 right click on custom stroke group and choose Blending Options.
To change stroke color in earlier versions right click on custom stroke group and choose Merge Group.
Click on square in front of image placement map layer Click on Replace image_number action name then to see placement map. click Play button.
images beneath it. If you want to limit adjustment to only one image (image_2 for example) first select it in Layers panel then click on adjustment icon in Adjustments panel. To limit adjustment to only layer directly beneath it click on clip icon at the bottom of Properties (CS6) or Adjustments panel. Alternatively you can use Create Clipping Mask command from Layers panel and Layer menu. To use filters first select layer with image to which you want to apply filter (image_3 layer for example) then choose filter from Filter menu.
To apply adjustment to all images in composition first select top most image then click on adjustment icon.
To modify vector placeholder first select layer then enter free transform mode: Ctrl/Cmd + T.
Insted deleting Smart Object layer you do not plan to use simply hide it to run Replace Images action.
and when it comes to hidden Smart Object layer (image_3 for example) place any image you have on your hard drive because you will delete that layer later anyway. So, first hide Smart Object, run Place Images action then delete hidden Smart Object you do not need in your layout. When you delete any Smart Object layer (image_xx) before placing images it is neccesary to modify Place Images actions. This tip is for more advanced users, by the way. Modification you need to make is to turn off or to delete steps in action which performs operation to place specific image for which Smart Object layer is deleted. For example if you deleted image_3 layer from created 4x4 Template then expand Place Images 4x4 action and turn off or delete following steps: Select layer image_3 Replace Contents Transform Set current layer To turn off steps with means that recorded steps will be excluded when action plays, click in front of each step on the left side where is checkmark. Checkmark will dissapear and steps will be excluded from action. Indicator for future reference if you have in action hidden or excluded steps is red checkmark on the left side of action name. To delete steps select them then drag to trash can or simply click trash can icon with steps selected. Now some of you are scrabbing heads and asking: is this guy asking us to destroy our actions by deleting steps to sale us again same actions? No, not at all. When deleting steps from loaded sets you will not modify original actions set unless you save modified over them. Just remember to not save modified actions over original, if you want to save modified actions then save them with different name. When you want to load again original actions with all non-modified steps included simply delete folder with modified actions in Actions panel ( Grid Layouts Place Images for example) and reload original from Actions panel menu > Load actions.
You have and third option available in Grid Layouts Replace Single Image set if you are not familiar enough with actions and how to modify them. When deleting Smart Object layers use this set and actions: Grid Layouts Photoshop Actions > Actions > Grid Layouts Kit > Grid Layouts Replace Single Image.atn to place images or files in remaining Smart Object layers.
panel. If you have done modifications like deleting Smart Object layers then read Step 3+, section: Run Place Images actions with modified template.
Step 4 Go to second document and select both groups (ussualy you will have images and placeholders and custom stroke groups) then group them to single group using Ctrl/Cmd + G keyboard shortcut and give it a name: Right side.
Step 5 Right click on Right side group and choose Duplicate Group. In Duplicate Group pop-up window select name of first document from Document drop-down list. Confirm on OK buttton at the top right corner.
When duplicating Right side group from second document choose name of first document from Document drop-down list in Duplicate Group dialog.
Step 6 Switch back to first document tab (or window). Right side group will be active and placed above layer or group which was selected in first document before duplicating and moving group from second one. With Right side group selected select Move Tool, press Shift key on keyboard and drag group to the right side. Last thing you should do to achieve result as on screenshot below is to adjust frame stroke (custom stroke group) for both compositions. Delete both frame strokes then create new one around entire document. Duplicate any of vertical strokes and move it where left side is touching right side document. See more in video on YouTube.
With right side group selected press Shift and drag with Final composition useful for web, print but also for Facebook covers. Move Tool to reposition and align all images imported from second document.
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In that case use actions to create template and place images located in Actions > Grid Layouts Kit. After creating your layout enlarge canvas from Image > Canvas Size then group image layers and placeholders. Select image_1 layer and placeholder_1 then press Ctrl/ Cmd + G. Do the same with all other image layers and placeholders. You can name your groups but anyway group 1 will contain image_1 and placeholder_1, Group 2 will contain image_2 and placeholder 2 and so on.
Reason to group image layers and their corresponding vector placeholders is because you can easily distribute groups. Move side groups, for example in layout 4x2 you will move group 1 which contains image_1 and placeholder_1 to the left side and Group 4 which contains image_4 and placeholder_4 to the right side. Select groups in range 1-4, ensure Move Tool is active then click Distribute horizontal centers in Options bar.
Select Group 1 and move it to the left. Do the same with Group 4 and move it to the right.
With Group 1 and 4 positioned and groups in range 1-4 selected click Distribute horizontal centers.
Repeat proccess for groups 5-8 (in 4x2 layout). Lastly if you want stroke then add it as layer effect to the vector placeholder. Right click on placeholder_xx and choose Blending Options then set Stroke position size and color.
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Customization tips
Tip 1 Transform or move image (object)
You can transform and move image or object clipped to placeholder at any time without running action. First select layer with image/object in Layers panel (image_1 for example) then enter free transform mode from Edit > Transform or using Ctrl/Cmd + T keyboard shortcut.
To transform and move placed image/object first select Use options bar or click directly on image with Move layer with image in Layers palette. tool and move it to desired position.
To fix soft edges select layer with placeholder, set reference point then change value to whole number.
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Troubleshooting tips
Troubleshooting 1 Layer image_1-36 is not available
When you run action Replace image_1-36 you get error message: The object layer image_1(-5) is not currently available. Message appears because layer image_1(-36) is renamed or missing. In order to run Replace image_1-36 action successfully you must have layer with matching name from this part in action name: image_1(-36) in Layers panel. Expand images and placeholders group and rename particular layer or use Replace Contents command available from right click (Cmd + click) on Smart Object.
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