Photoshop Tip of the Week #4: Making a Storyboard

Since posting the DAD freebie and then my storyboard on some photography forums, I have gotten questions about how to make a storyboard. The finished product is above.

To start making a new template/storyboard, go under FILE - NEW.



In order to cut holes into your canvas, you need to rename your background layer - so it is editable. To do this, double click on the word "background" and name it template. Then you will use your marquee tool to make the boxes (squares, rectangles, etc) where the photos can go time after time.

If you want to line up things perfectly, you can use VIEW - NEW GUIDE. Then you will pick where you want guides and it will line guides up for you to work from. You can add these both horizontally and vertically.

Once you have your guides, or if you do not want to use guides, select the marquee tool. Make your boxes where you want photos to go. Once you have a box done, click delete on your keyboard. It will then look like a checker board underneath. This means it is transparent. And a picture can be placed underneath. Add as many holes as you want.

If you want to add a border around each, this is what you do next.



Next go under EDIT - STROKE. That will pull up this dialog box:



Now when you click ok - you will have your border. If it is too thick or thin, go back and do it again with a larger or smaller number.

Make sure to save your file as a PSD. You can change the color of the background or the stroke by selecting the appropriate layer and dumping paint from the paint bucket into the area. You can also turn off the border for a more simple storyboard.