Creating Graphics: Combing Photos, Text, & Graphics

Topics Covered in This Photoshop Tutorial:

Adding Type, Smart Objects, Importing Vector Graphics (Such As Logos), Type Anti-Aliasing

Exercise Preview

Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

Exercise Overview

In this exercise you’ll learn how to design a graphic with a photo, text, and vector logo. You’ll create a social media graphic for Facebook, but the foundational design concepts will be useful for creating any kind of graphic (print, web, etc.).

Creating the File

1. In Photoshop, go to File > New.
2. At the top, click the Web tab.
3. A few presets are listed, but click View All Presets+ to see more.
4. Click on Web Small (1280 X 800px @ 72 ppi).

5. On the right of the window set:

   • Width: 1200 Pixels
   • Height: 630 Pixels

   NOTE: This is the standard size of a Facebook post. Refer to Sprout Social’s Always Up-to-Date Guide to Social Media Image Sizes at tinyurl.com/ssmis

6. Click Create.

7. Do a File > Save As and set the following:

   • Set Format (Mac) or Save as type (Windows) to Photoshop.
   • If you’re not already in the Photoshop Class folder, navigate into it.
   • Name it yourname-Facebook post.psd and hit Save.

Importing a Photo & Non-Destructive Resizing

1. Go to File > Place Embedded.

   NOTE: Place Embedded adds a copy of the placed file into the current Photoshop document as a smart object. If you share the Photoshop file with someone else, they will not need the original file to edit the smart object. Place Linked retains a link to the original file on your computer. When changes are made to that linked file on your computer, Photoshop will prompt you to update the smart object. If you share the Photoshop file with someone else, you would also need to give them the linked file for them to be able to edit the linked smart object.

2. Navigate to Desktop > Class Files > Photoshop Class and double–click on makeup.jpg to open it.
3. Make sure you see plenty of gray area outside the file (so you have room to work). If needed, zoom out by pressing Cmd–Minus(-) (Mac) or CTRL–Minus(-) (Windows).

4. In the Options bar at the top of the screen, make sure the link icon between W and H is checked on (it’s darkened).

   NOTE: This ensures the image is scaled proportionally. If the link were unchecked, you’d need to hold Shift while scaling to maintain the original image’s proportions.

5. Use the resize handles to size the photo, and drag anywhere inside the photo to move it, so it ends up looking approximately as shown below (around 30% W/H looks good to us):

   

6. Press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) to accept the size.

Importing a Vector Graphic (from Adobe Illustrator)

1. Go to File > Place Embedded.
2. In the Photoshop Class folder, double–click on Loreal logo.ai to open it.
3. In the dialog that opens, make sure Crop To is set to Bounding Box.
4. Click OK.

5. Use the resize handles to size the logo, and drag anywhere inside the logo to move it, so it ends up looking approximately as shown below (around 165% W/H looks good to us):

   

   NOTE: It’s OK to enlarge vector graphics (bigger than 100%) because they don’t lose quality. It’s NOT OK to enlarge pixel-based graphics (such as the photo). Keep pixel-based graphics 100% or smaller, or they’ll lose quality.

6. Press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) to accept the size.

Adding Type

1. In the Tools panel, choose the Horizontal Type tool .

2. In the Options bar:

   • Set size to 43 pt.
   • Click the Center text button .

3. In the Options bar, click the color swatch (shown below).

   

4. In the color picker that opens, choose black and click OK.
5. On the right side of the image, click at the top of the empty space and type in Labor Day Sale
6. Select the text.

7. Set the font and size , so it looks approximately as shown below. We like Helvetica Neue Regular, but you can choose whatever you want.

   

8. In the Tools panel, choose the Move tool .
9. Choose the Horizontal Type tool again.

10. Depending on the font and size you chose, the type may not look as good as it could. Type must be converted to pixels and the edges are smoothed using anti-aliasing. In the Options bar, to the right of the font size click on the Anti-Alias menu and try all the options (except None).

    The differences can be subtle very for some font/size combinations, and more noticeable for other combinations. Choose with whatever setting you prefer the appearance of.

11. In the Tools panel, choose the Move tool .

12. Drag the type into a position as shown below:

    

13. We have more text to add, which will be on multiple lines. To make sure there will be an appropriate amount of space between the lines, go to Window > Character.
14. In the Character panel, set the Leading to Auto.
15. In the Tools panel, choose the Horizontal Type tool .
16. Click in the space below the Labor Day Sale to add a new piece of text.
17. Type in Free Brush with each word on its own line.
18. Select the text.

19. In the Options bar set the font and size , so it looks approximately as shown below. We like Helvetica Neue Bold, 160 pt size , and 150 pt leading , but you can choose whatever you want.

    

20. In the Tools panel, choose the Move tool .
21. Drag the Free Brush type into a position as shown in the previous screenshot.
22. In the Tools panel, choose the Horizontal Type tool .

23. In the Options bar, click the color swatch (shown below).

    

24. A Color Picker dialog will appear. We want to match the color of the makeup.

    • Move the color picker so you can see the image and the type.
    • Click on different parts of the makeup in the photo until you get a color you like.
    • Click OK.

Aligning Layers

Let’s align the text and logos so they’re vertically centered over each other.

1. In the Layers panel click on the Loreal logo layer.
2. Hold Shift and click on the top text layer, so all 3 layers are selected (the 2 type layers and the logo).
3. Choose the Move tool .
4. In the Options bar, click the Align horizontal centers button .
5. If needed, drag the layers into a better position. The design should now be done, but feel free to adjust anything as you desire.
6. Do a File > Save.

Exporting the Final File for Uploading to Facebook

Social media websites will optimize your graphic, so you don’t need to worry about getting the smallest file size. In fact, you want to upload a high quality image so when Facebook optimizes it you won’t lose even more quality.

1. Go to File > Export > Export As.
2. On the right, set Format to JPG.

3. Set Quality to 100%.

   NOTE: If needed you could lower quality down to 90% to get a smaller file that’s faster to upload (but still good quality).

4. Click Export.

5. Navigate to Desktop > Class Files > Photoshop Class, name it yourname-Facebook post.jpg and click Save.

Optional Bonus (If You Get Done Early)

You can’t edit the vector logo inside Photoshop, but you can if you have Adobe Illustrator installed.

1. In the Layers panel, double–click on the layer thumbnail for Loreal logo (to the left of the layer name).
2. Wait for Illustrator to launch and the file will open.
3. If you get a message that the document has been modified. Choose Discard changes…, and click OK.
4. Choose Select > All.
5. Near the bottom of the Tools panel double–click on the black fill color icon.
6. Choose a color you like and click OK.
7. Do a File > Save.
8. Switch back to Photoshop and the logo color should be changed.