Layout 16 - Clipping Techniques Episode 2

• Images Used

  Layout 1 Lady

  Layout 2 Blue Car

  Layout 2 Paper Boat

  Layout 2 White Room

  Layout 3 Lady

• InDesign Template

  Coming Soon

General Document Setup

• 11in. x 8.5in. Portrait Format

• 3 pages, with “facing pages” unchecked

• Start # = 1

• Columns 1, column gutter 0.25in.

• Margins = 0.625 in. all sides

• Bleed = 0.125in.

  • This is a very important step if you want ANY full bleed images!

  • Note that you’ll also have to drag out any images that you want full bleed out to the bleed mark

1. Photoshop Clipping Technique:

• Tool: Photoshop, InDesign

• Steps:

  1. Open the desired photo in Photoshop.

  2. Use the Object Selection Tool to select the subject.

  3. Refine the selection using tools like the Polygon Lasso.

     1. The photoshop Ai detection isn’t perfect, so make sure you get what they couldnt.

     2. Use SHIFT + Left Click to add to selection and ALT + Left Click to subtract.

  4. Right-click on the selection, choose "Make Work Path," and save the image.

     1. Make sure you rename the path first before closing out!

  5. In InDesign, drag the image or Photoshop file into your layout.

  6. Click on the image, go to Objects > Clipping Path > Option and select the Photoshop path from the dropdown menu.

2. Text Clipping Technique:

• Steps:

  1. Create a text box and type desired text in InDesign.

  2. Convert text to outlines and ungroup the letters.

     1. Do this by selecting the text, go to Type > Create Outline.

        1. This makes it into a vector shape with its own control points that we can edit like any shape.

  3. Adjust the size and spacing of individual letters.

  4. Drag and drop images into letter frames.

  5. Experiment with image placement and layout adjustments.

  6. We can also create a cool “positive and negative” effect with the letters.

     1. Make sure you have “pathfinder” switched on. (Window > Object & Layout > Pathfinder)

     2. Create a rectangle that covers half of the bottom three letters.

     3. Select the letters and the rectangle and use the “exclude overlap” function.

     4. Drag and drop your image into the new compound frame.

     5. Optionally, you can also drag out another rectangle, send it to the back (Right Click > Arrange > Send to Back) and the other half of the letter will have another color!

3. Shape Clipping Technique:

• Steps:

  1. Use the Ellipse Tool (L) to draw shapes acting as frames.

  2. Select all shapes and use the Pathfinder tool to merge into one path.

     1. Use the “Add” function to create this new shape.

     2. This new shape will be a compound frame, whatever you put in there will act as one singular image.

  3. Import an image into the resulting frame.

  4. Adjust image placement and experiment with different shapes and sizes.

4. Alternative Ellipse Clipping Technique:

• Steps:

  1. Draw overlapping circles with the Ellipse Frame Tool. [You can find it by right clicking the Rectangular Frame Tool(F)]

  2. Create a compound path from the circles.

     1. Do this by going to Objects > Path > Make Compound Path

  3. Import an image into the compound path frame.

     1. You can see that the result here is different and the frames will account for overlaps that is not the fact with the regular circles.

  4. Adjust image placement and experiment with different effects.

  5. (Optional) You can also use a combination of the pathfinder “Exclude Overlap” function and additional circles to explore more creative layouts!