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Default user guide for Circles, Rounded Rectangles and Hexagons

Contents
Requirements and description Using CRRH Layouts Actions
Step 1 Display Actions panel Step 2 Load Circles Layouts Actions Step 3 Expand Circles 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 Replace Individual Images Step 10 Save composition on hard drive Customization tips Customization tip 1 Define shapes radius, sizes and proportions Customization tip 2 Using Group Images and Placeholders and Merge and Rasterize actions

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Requirements and description

Actions are tested on Mac and Windows and works perfectly. Although we can recommend you to use actions with Photoshop CS4-6 there is no reason to not use them with any CS version of Photoshop.

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 from thumbnail creation to design of brochures, flyers, photo books, cover pages, posters, 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. Thats not all, additional actions are provided to group image layers and vector placeholders to which images are clipped and finally to merge and rasterize image and vector placeholder with result to minimize number of layers and file size.

How actions works

Every action have 2 parts or steps which will run continuously without interruptions with pop-up message between to explain you what is the next task to accomplish. In first part you will define document dimensions, resolution, color mode, bit depth and color profile. After that action will create template with 3-100 Smart Object layers for images and vector placeholders to which images are clipped. Second part in action will open Place dialogs to replace each Smart Object dummy content with images or documents of your choice. You can use any type of document that Photoshop supports to replace dummy Smart Object content including JPEG, PNG, PSD, Ai, PDF... formats.

How files are organized

After purchasing our product, you will need to extract or unzip package. Package contains folder: Circles, Rounded Rectangles and Hexagons Layouts Photoshop Actions with 2 sub-folders: Actions Help.

Actions folder contains 4 sub-folders: Circles Layouts Rounded Rectangles Layouts Hexagon Layouts. Universal Actions which works with any of set provided in package. Replace individual Images action is universal for all actions available in package. This set of actions allows you to replace any already placed image in case you make mistake or you changed you mind.

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Using CRRH Layouts Actions

In this first part of step by step instructions you can read how to use following sets of actions: Circles Layouts, Rounded Rectangles Layouts and Hexagon Layouts. Rounded Rectangle Layouts actions have CR in the name what means Corner Radius. There are 4 sets of actions which will create layouts using rounded rectangles with 10 (10 CR), 20 (20 CR), 30 (30 CR), 50 (50 CR) corner radius. All mentioned action sets are inside Circles, Rounded Rectangles and Hexagons Layouts > Actions folder. I will use Circle Layouts Actions for step by step instructions but everything is same when using any other set. The only difference is in number of actions per set. Note: this part of instructions is for beginners to get started. Actions are quite easy to use but anyway you must be familiar with very basics in Photoshop in order to start using them. The very basic requirements are that you know how to create new document, place images and save them on your hard drive in appropriate format. Even if you are not familiar with Photoshop actions you can get started by following this step by step tutorial. Actions are one of most powerful features of Photoshop and it is quite easy to use them especially with guided instructions like this one. Using actions one can record specific operations (not all available in Photoshop) and play them at any time. Recorded operations will be performed in a seconds or minutes depend on number of steps and save you tons of times. Photoshop does not make mistakes and always delivers exactly what is recorded.

Step 1 Display Actions panel

Start Photoshop and go to Window > Actions.

Step 2 Load Circles Layouts Actions

Next task is to load actions in Photoshop. Click on Actions panel menu then click on Load Actions. Navigate to Circles, Rounded Rectangles and Hexagon Layouts > Actions > Circles Layouts Actions folder, select Circles Layouts Actions.atn file then click Load button at the bottom of Load dialog.

Click on Actions panel menu then choose Load Actions... from the list.

Navigate to folder with actions, select .atn file then click Load button.

Step 3 Expand Circles Layouts Actions set

After loading actions click on triangle on the right side of Circles Layouts Actions set to expand it in order to see all actions listed.

Click triangle on the right side of Circles Layouts Actions set to expand it and see all actions included.

Circles Layouts Actions set expanded.

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Step 4 Select and run action

With Circles Layouts Actions folder expanded click on action name (eg 4x4 Layout) then click Play button. Pop up message will appear. Read message then click Continue.

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.

Step 5 Setup document

In this step you need to setup document settings in New dialog which will appear. Since actions are extremely flexible and resolution independent you can type whatever size, resolution and bit dept you need. The only limitation in this dialog is that you can not run action successfully in Bitmap color mode. Note: when defining document sizes keep in mind that here you will define circle Radius. For example: if you want 200px circle radius then type in Width and Height fields: 400px for 2x2 Layout. If you want 400px circle Radius when running 5x5 Layout action then type 2000px in both: Width and Height fields in New dialog. When you finish with settings in New dialog click OK button in top right corner and wait couple of second for Photoshop to do its part.

Step 6 Choose file to replace image_1 Smart Object layer

After creating template with vector shapes (placeholders) and Smart Object layers clipped to them Photoshop will display new message with explanation of next part in this process: it is time to choose images or documents to replace dummy Smart Object layers which are always filled with solid color and marked with number. Read message and click Continue. Next you will see Place dialog in which you must navigate to file on your hard drive, to select it and to click Place button at the bottom of Place dialog. When placing common formats like JPEG. PNG, TIFF and PSD it will took one moment to see it in your document while placing PDF and Ai files with PDF settings will open additional Place PDF dialog. When placing entire single PDF page just accept default settings confirming on OK button. If you have multipage PDF document select page to place then click OK. Another option is to use only one image from PDF document: first check Image checkbox in Select section of Place PDF dialog then choose image to use by clicking on it and lastly confirm on OK button at the bottom of dialog. Note that placing EPS file format wont display any dialog and Photoshop will rasterize document before placing it.

When Place dialog opens navigate to image you want to use, select it and click Place button.

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Step 7 Transform placed object

Now that you have object placed and clipped to placeholder 1, it is time to transform and move it around if desired. By default object will be placed at 100% of its size. What you will see on your screen depend on document and placed file resolution too (Read more). 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.

Scale image if needed immediately after it is placed by dragging handles.

Step 8 Choose files for other placeholders

Next steps are to choose files for the rest of Smart Objects. Depend on layout you will pass exact same process several times as described to replace image_1 Smart Object.

Step 9 Replace Individual Images

Additional set of actions CRRH Layouts Replace Single Image are available from Actions > Universal Actions folder. This set of actions is there in case you changed your mind and want to replace any image in composition with some other on your hard drive. This set is universal and you can use it with any set of actions which contains 1-36 image layers (image_1, image_2, image_3...). First off course load CRRH Layouts Replace Single Image. atn in Photoshop. Here comes in handy image_placement_map layer. Click on empty square on the left side of layer to show eye and content of that layer in order to determine which number is associated with image you want to replace. Click on eyeball to close the eye and to hide image_placement_map layer. Next is to click on Replace image_1 to 36 action name in Actions panel to select it then to click Play button at the bottom of Actions panel. When Place dialog opens navigate to image you want to use, select it and click Place button at the bottom of Place dialog. After replacing image you will be able to scale and move it. After scaling image confirm transformation on checkmark in options bar or by pressing Enter/Return key on your keyboard.

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.

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Step 10 Save composition on hard drive

Last step in this process is to save or export image on your hard drive. If you plan to reuse same composition with small changes then always save image in PSD format from File > Save or Save As.

Customization tips
In this section I will explain how to get most of this set of actions. Actions are created to help you in your every day workflow do easy and quick create final products which requires images inside or clipped to circles, rounded rectangles or hexagons. This set of actions should be useful for designers and photographers to create: brochures, product catalogues, photo books, photo albums, cover pages, business cards, flyers and so on.

Customization tip 1 Define shapes radius, sizes and proportions

When setting new document at the beginning of each action you will also define shapes radius (circles) sizes and proportions (rounded rectangles and hexagons) to which are clipped images on image layers (image_1, image_2...). Which parts of image are visible is defined by shape below image layer (placeholder_1, placeholder_2...). Although you can use layouts as they are, I expect from most users to use this set as quick way to create one element of final product. I recommend you to run this actions and create separate document then to move created layout into document with template for final product. This will be explained in next tip, for now let me inform you how to calculate document size for proper shapes radius, dimensions and proportions. When creating circle layouts, divide document sizes with number of circles to get circle radius. For example if you want circle radius to be 300px then set in New dialog at the beginning of action same numbers in Width and Height fields like: 1500px for 5x5 Layout. You are not limited to circles of course, if you need ellipses then go and define for 5x5 Layout for example different numbers in Width and Height fields like Width = 1500px, Height = 1200px. When running Rounded Rectangles actions keep in mind that document Width divided with first number in layout name will give you rectangle width while number typed in Height field divided with second number in layout name will give you rectangle height. For example: document Width=1000px and Height=500px will create 4 rectangles 500px by 250px when running 2x2 Layout action. Corner Radius is fixed and can not be controlled or changed, thats main reason to have 4 different sets for Rounded Rectangles. Similar to Rounded Rectangles actions you will define sizes or better to say proportions of hexagons. Again, document Width divided with first number in layout name will give you hexagon width while document Height divided with second number in layout name will give you hexagon height. Proportions i will suggest you are 8x7. For example: if you want hexagon to be 400px wide then go with 350px height. Translated to available layouts: for 5x1 layout type 2000px in Width and 350px in Height field of New document window at the beginning of action.

Customization tip 2 Using Group Images and Placeholders and Merge and Rasterize actions
This two actions works with any layout with up to 36 image and placeholder layers in sequence 1-36. Use Group Images and Placeholders action to group image and placeholder layers with matching number. This is very helpful to align and distribute groups to create any layout you may need. Furthermore you can group manually Image & Placeholder xx groups into row or column groups. Here are my thoughts and suggestion on how to use this action:

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Group image and placeholder layers action step by step tutorial This action works with any created layout with up to 36 images and placeholders in sequence The main reason to record this action is to help you when creating custom layouts. Here is how this action works: after creating layout or even after placing images run Group images and placeholders action.

Depend on created template, action will group all available image_x and pairing placeholder_x layers to groups: Image & Placeholder 1, Image & Placeholder 2, Image & Placeholder 3 When action group all available image and placeholder layers it will display message (this is example, you wont see this dialog only with 10x10 Template): The object layer image_10 is not currently available. Click Stop.

Because action is interrupted and not played entirely, Photoshop will expand Group images and placeholders layers action in Actions panel. Scroll up if needed and close expanded action.

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Do not forget to click on actions name before running it next time because it may happen that step where action stopped playing is still selected and in that case action will continue running from that step. This is for situation when you have several templates created as open documents and you want to group image and placeholder layers. In Layers panel you will get, after running this action, groups which you can easily rearrange and additional convenience to align and distribute groups.

Move created layout to another document At this point I will explain you how to move all layers to another document. Perhaps, what I am expecting from most of users you want to use images clipped to circles, rectangles, hexagons in another document as a part of design. To move all layers (image and placeholders) right click on images and placeholders group which should be top level group. Choose Duplicate Group option from context menu then in Duplicate Group dialog from Document drop-down list choose name of document to which you want to move all groups and layers inside previously right clicked top level images and placeholders group.

Merge and Rasterize action This action can be used only after grouping image and placeholder layers into Image & Placeholder groups. Purpose of this action is to merge and rasterize image Smart Object layers and vector placeholder shapes. In this way you will minimize number of layers and reduce file size. This action works in the very same way as Group Images and Placeholders action. When it reach all available groups you will see pop-up message: The object layer: layer ... is not currently available, click Stop and twirl close expanded action in Actions panel. As you probably know after merging and rasterizing layers you can not move layers with image to change which portion of image is visible for the simple reason because image will be cropped to vector placeholder bounds.

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