Scripted Overlay

with 39 Comments

Scripted Overlay
by Lidia Sari

Okay, I admit it. I cannot write in cursive. It’s horrible! No matter how much I try, my cursive will turn into chicken scratch. I remember when I was young I could spend hours trying to perfect my cursive, but I gave up and spent my time with drawing or doing crafts instead.

My mother-in-law has the most gorgeous cursive I’ve ever seen. I love her cursive, and I love watching her hand move to write. I told her that I want her hands so I could write just like her.

When I see her writing I am always reminded of digital scrapbooking, since it is great to use such decorative cursive on a layout. I know if I had cursive writing just like my mother-in-law’s, I would put it all over my scrapbook layouts.

Today, I am going to show you how easy it is to create an overlay using decorative brushes. I am using handwriting brushes, but any decorative brush will work. Let’s get started.

Step One: Prepare the Workspace

  • Create a new 12 x 12 inch document (File > New > Blank File) at 300 ppi with a white background. (Photoshop: Choose File > New.)
  • In the Menu Bar, choose View > Rulers.
  • Choose View > Grid. (Photoshop: Choose View > Show > Grid.)
  • Click on the Foreground Color Chip to open the Color Picker.
  • In the dialog box, choose a color and click OK. I used Hex Code #ebe3d8.
  • Press Alt Backspace (Mac: Opt Delete) to fill the Background layer with the foreground color.

Step Two: Arrange the First Brush

  • Press the letter D to reset the Color Chips to the default of black and white.
  • Get the Brush tool.
  • In the Tool Options, open the Brush Preset Picker and choose a decorative brush. I’m using Brush 4 from Vintage Hand Vol 1 by Susie Roberts. Set the Size to 1538 px, the Mode to Normal, and the Opacity to 100%. (Photoshop: Also, set the Flow to 100%.)
  • In the Layers panel, click on the Create a New Layer icon.
  • On the document, click once to brush. Do not drag. To change the size of the brush, press the Right or Left Bracket key.
  • Get the Move tool.
  • In the Tool Options, uncheck Auto Select Layer. (Photoshop: Uncheck Auto-Select.)
  • On the document, click near the brush shape and drag it to the upper left corner of the document. I placed my brush shape on the 1.5 inch horizontal line and the 4 inch vertical line. If necessary, use the Arrow keys to nudge the brush into position.

dst-scripted-overlay-img01

Step Three: Arrange the Second Brush

  • With the Brush tool still active, in the Tool Options, open the Brush Preset Picker and choose a different brush. I’m using Brush 6 from Vintage Hand Vol 1 by Susie Roberts.
  • In the Layers panel, click on the Create a New Layer icon.
  • On the document, click once to brush.
  • Get the Move tool.
  • On the document, click and drag to position the brush shape below the first. I placed my brush shape on the 2 inch horizontal line and 2 inch vertical line. If necessary, use the Arrow keys to nudge the brush into position.

dst-scripted-overlay-img02

 Step Four: Duplicate the Second Brush

  • Press Ctrl J (Mac: Cmd J) to duplicate the second brush.
  • Get the Move tool.
  • On the document, click near the new brush shape and drag it to a new position. I placed mine at the 4.5 inch horizontal line and the 1.5 inch vertical line.
  • Using the same instructions, duplicate the brush again and move it to a new position.

dst-scripted-overlay-img03

Step Five: Arrange the Third Brush

  • Get the Brush tool.
  • In the Tool Options, open the Brush Preset Picker and choose a different brush. I’m using Brush 8 from Vintage Hand Vol 1 by Susie Roberts.
  • In the Layers panel, click on the Create a New Layer icon.
  • On the document, click once to brush.
  • Get the Move tool.
  • On the document, click near the brush shape and drag it to a new position. I placed mine at the 8.5 inch horizontal line and the 4.5 inch vertical line.

dst-scripted-overlay-img04

Step Six: Merge the Brush Layers

  • In the Menu Bar, choose View > Grid to turn off the grid lines. (Photoshop: Choose View > Show > Grid.)
  • In the Layers panel, activate the top layer, then Shift click on the bottom brush layer to activate all the brush layers.
  • Press Ctrl E (Mac: Cmd E) to merge all the brush layers together.

Step Seven: Erase Part of the Brush Shapes

  • Get the Eraser tool.
  • In the Tool Options, open the Brush Preset Picker and choose a Hard Round brush. If you don’t see a Hard Round brush, open the drop-down menu and choose Default Brushes. (Photoshop: Open the fly-out menu, choose Reset Brushes, and click OK.) Set the Size to 250 px, the Opacity to 100%, and the Type to Brush. (Photoshop: Set the Mode to Normal and the Flow to 100%.)
  • On the document, click and drag to erase any unwanted brush marks.

dst-scripted-overlay-img06

Step Eight: Crop and Save

  • Press Ctrl A (Mac: Cmd A) to select all.
  • In the Menu Bar, choose Image > Crop.
  • Press Ctrl D (Mac: Cmd D) to deselect.
  • In the Layers panel, click on the Background layer and drag it to the Trash icon.
  • Save the overlay (File > Save As) as a PNG document.

Step Nine: Use the Overlay

  • Open a paper or layered scrapbook page (File > Open).
  • In the Layers panel, activate the paper layer to which you’d like to add the overlay.
  • Activate the overlay document.
  • Get the Move tool.
  • On the document, while holding down the Shift key, click and drag the overlay onto the scrapbook page.

Here’s my finished layout using the overlay I made. In this layout, I decided to change the color of the overlay to match my layout better. I hope you will give this technique a try, and I can’t wait to see it in the Digi Scrap Tutorial Gallery.

dst-scripted-overlay-img500

Credits:
Tutorial: Scripted Overlay by Lidia Sari

Software: Photoshop Elements 12, Adobe Photoshop CC 2014
Scrapbook page: Moments by Lidia Sari
Papers: Beautiful You by Kristin Cronin-Barrow
Script brushes: Vintage Hand Vol 1 by Susie Roberts

Circles stamp brush: Give Thanks by Anna Aspnes
Butterfly element: Mother Is a Verb by Krystal Hartley
Music note: Perfect Harmony Kit by Christine Mortimer
Overlay heart: Everlasting Love Kit by Studio Manu
Pencil scribbles by Lidia Sari
Fonts: Philly Sans and Monotype Corsiva

Download this Digi Scrap Tutorial

_____________________________________________

Lidia SariAuthor: Lidia Sari | lidia@digitalscrapper.com
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If you liked this tutorial, you might also like:

Christmas Stamps & Overlays by Susie Roberts
Similar Video Tutorial by Susie Roberts
Fancy Photo Framing by Barb Brookbank
Similar Video Tutorial by Barb Brookbank
The Art of Blending Class
Class by Linda Sattgast

 

39 Responses

  1. C.
    | Reply

    Cool
    Are any of these brushes available for purchase?
    Thanks

    • Jen White
      | Reply

      Sorry, C. No, we do not sell script overlays. You should be able to find a multitude of them in online scrapbooking stores. Hope this helps.

  2. Maggie
    | Reply

    Loved this tutorial and will certainly have fun using the technique. Thanks so much 🙂

  3. Mungo
    | Reply

    Love your scrap page – thank you very much for your tutorial

  4. Glenys Masson
    | Reply

    I know this is very late but I use Google Chrome for my browser. If I use the DOS command CTRL + P & the print dialog box is displayed with “save” and I can save the document to my hard drive (comments and all) and prints out normally. In previous comments one lady was using IE. I tested the same process but a print dialog box was displayed however it did have the option “print to file”. I didn’t do that but it should work

  5. Barb7
    | Reply

    Congratulations! I’ve always admired your layouts in the gallery and now I have the pleasure of learning from you also, and this tutorial is such a wonderful start. Thank you.

  6. Jeffri Moore
    | Reply

    I agree with others. Nice tutorial.

  7. Maggie [smith]
    | Reply

    Loved the tutorial! Thanks. Also congratulations on your new position. You always post such great pages and I know you will do great as an instructor. I am looking forward to more of your expertise and creativity.

  8. Annette
    | Reply

    Congratulations Lidia, You must be excited. Looking forward to more of your great ideas.

    • Lidia Sari
      | Reply

      Thank you so much, Annette!

  9. Donna (donnal)
    | Reply

    This is a great tutorial, Lidia. And, a big congrats to you on becoming one of the Digital Scrapper instructors. Looking forward to seeing more.

    • Lidia Sari
      | Reply

      Thank you so much, Donna! 🙂

  10. Mary (cheerio54)
    | Reply

    How wonderful that you’ve joined the wonderful creative team. Congratulations! I’ll be sure to try your tutorial . . . it looks fantastic.

    • Lidia Sari
      | Reply

      Thank you, Mary! Please do try it! I will be waiting for your layout at the DS Tutorial Gallery!

  11. Su Hall
    | Reply

    This was a really helpful tutorial! I am going to go try it for myself! Thank you!
    Su

    • Lidia Sari
      | Reply

      Thanks, Su! If you do make it, please share it with us at DS Tutorial Gallery!

  12. Lidia Sari
    | Reply

    Hello lovely ladies. I am so sorry that the icon to Create A PDF of This Blog Post does not work. Please check out Jen’s awesome post about creating a pdf file you can save in your computer. Here’s the link to the post https://www.digitalscrapper.com/blog/save-pdf/

  13. Linda Sattgast
    | Reply

    The PDF link works now. It takes you to a tutorial on how to make your own PDF. Since the tutorials will not be removed from the blog, we’re not making a PDF for you, but it’s very easy to make one yourself following Jen White’s instructions. (Windows or Mac)

    • Lidia Sari
      | Reply

      Thanks, Linda!

  14. Kathy W
    | Reply

    Your tutorial is terrific. I wish I could keep it to refer to in the future, but the pdf link doesn’t seem to work! I hope it can be fixed.

  15. Terri
    | Reply

    I always love tutorials showing me how to better use the supplies that I have. This is wonderful. I also love the scripted additions to scrapbook pages. Thanks you for sharing your wonderful talent and I am glad that you will now be sharing it often!!

  16. Julie L.
    | Reply

    Thanks for this great tutorial – the link to the PDF doesn’t work for me. Hope to download it soon!927

  17. janalyn
    | Reply

    PDF link doesn’t work for me either…

  18. Barb
    | Reply

    Awesome tutorial, Lidia!

  19. Barbara B
    | Reply

    I find also that the pdf link doesn’t work.
    Great tutorial, thanks.
    Barb

  20. Theresa
    | Reply

    Great tutorial – As Maddy mentioned above, the PDF link doesn’t work for me either.

  21. KFM
    | Reply

    I can not open the PDF file. I am using Windows 8.1

  22. Lois
    | Reply

    Could we have a download link for this tutorial please. The pdf icon showing is not a link

  23. Nann
    | Reply

    A big welcome from me Lidia we’re glad to have you on the team. Wonderful tutorial too, I love the look of your scripted overlay on your layout. Will be giving this a try. Thanks

  24. Pixie
    | Reply

    Great tutorial. I love to see script on a LO. I think it adds texture & dimension without overwhelming the page. I’ll be trying this soon.

    • Lidia Sari
      | Reply

      Thanks, Pixie! Can’t wait to see your finished layout in the Tutorial Gallery.

  25. Roberta Hoyt
    | Reply

    Thank you for this informative and detailed tutorial. Can’t wait to try it.

    • Lidia Sari
      | Reply

      You are most welcome, Roberta! I can’t wait to see it in the Tutorial Gallery! 🙂

  26. Doris
    | Reply

    Congrat on your first tutorial. Lovely overlay.

  27. Maddy
    | Reply

    The create PDF link doesn’t work. I tried in IE, Chrome and Firefox.

  28. Gayle
    | Reply

    I just read the tutorial Lidia, & it sounds great. I too have chicken scratch writing and would dearly love to have that nice flow. Great work on the tute and congrats on becoming one of our fabulous instructors.3

    • Lidia Sari
      | Reply

      Thanks, Gayle! Glad you like the tutorial! 🙂

  29. Jen (rfeewjlj)
    | Reply

    Lidia this is an awesome tutorial! Now I have to go get those brushes by Susie!! 🙂

    • Lidia Sari
      | Reply

      Thanks, Jen! Love those brushes a lot! Have used them in many of my layouts! 🙂

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