Using Backgrounds made in Photoshop

[sperrinejr]

I know this is back to basics for many people here, but I need some help. I created a slideshow with Beta 6. I have been trying to get a little more creative and want to use a different background then the standard black color around the photos when viewed on screen. I created a background in CS2 to fit the resolution of my monitor (1920 x 1200, yes it's big but I do Landscape Design on the computer and it really helps the eyes.)

Now I am sure there are many ways to do this, but what is the best way to use this as my background? In PTE Beta 6, if I try and use my background by selecting "Tilled image" in the Screen Options, when I click OK it always reverts back to "Solid Color". In PTE 4.48, if I follow the same process my background shows up just fine, filling the screen around my photos. I hate to go back and remake my slideshow again in 4.48. Does this function work in beta 6?

Another question, I want this background to show on a 4:3 PC monitor just as it does on my 16:10 monitor, meaning that the entire area around the photos is taken up with my background. I have not tried that yet as I would like to know how to accomplish this without the usual trial and error method I have been using.

I have searched this many times but just have not found the answer. I have watched many tutorials on making backgrounds, but I have not come across one that shows how to incorporate them in a slideshow.

[Ken Cox]

sperrinejr

YOU can open a v 4 show with ver 5 but not the reverse

so

if you do all your preliminary work in 4, then if you want animation open it with ver 5

i have not diddled with background in 5 but in ver 4 you can make it any colour you wish as well as gradient

background may not be enabled in 5

ken

[Guest Techman1]

Sperrinejr,

Version 5B6 doesn't seem to have the Background "Tiled Image" enabled. It appears that if you select it, it shows a basic black background. If you click the "Fit to Screen" for the image, it doesn't show anything at all or sometimes the black background pops up. I'm sure this part of the program hasn't been implemented in the current beta.

The Solid Color and the Gradient Filling options both work fine at this point. So I guess you have to decide on using an image background in 4.48 "without animations" or no image background "with animations" in 5.0 (beta6) at this time.

I hope this helps a little. Good luck!

Fred

[jevans]

I know this is back to basics for many people here, but I need some help. I created a slideshow with Beta 6. I have been trying to get a little more creative and want to use a different background then the standard black color around the photos when viewed on screen. I created a background in CS2 to fit the resolution of my monitor (1920 x 1200, yes it's big but I do Landscape Design on the computer and it really helps the eyes.)

Now I am sure there are many ways to do this, but what is the best way to use this as my background? In PTE Beta 6, if I try and use my background by selecting "Tilled image" in the Screen Options, when I click OK it always reverts back to "Solid Color". In PTE 4.48, if I follow the same process my background shows up just fine, filling the screen around my photos. I hate to go back and remake my slideshow again in 4.48. Does this function work in beta 6?

Another question, I want this background to show on a 4:3 PC monitor just as it does on my 16:10 monitor, meaning that the entire area around the photos is taken up with my background. I have not tried that yet as I would like to know how to accomplish this without the usual trial and error method I have been using.

I have searched this many times but just have not found the answer. I have watched many tutorials on making backgrounds, but I have not come across one that shows how to incorporate them in a slideshow.

Don't think this feature is enabled in Version 5 yet. You can add a solid or gradient fill background but probably not a specific image.

However there is a workaround but it is rather cumbersome. You just add the background image to each slide in turn and make sure it is at the back. You can physically resize the image to fit whatever screen size you are using. Unfartunatley you have to do this to each slide.

Jeff

[sperrinejr]

Don't think this feature is enabled in Version 5 yet. You can add a solid or gradient fill background but probably not a specific image.

However there is a workaround but it is rather cumbersome. You just add the background image to each slide in turn and make sure it is at the back. You can physically resize the image to fit whatever screen size you are using. Unfartunatley you have to do this to each slide.

Jeff

Jeff,

If I wanted to add the background image to each slide, would I do that in Photoshop or in PTE? Sorry if this is obvious, but I am at the beginning process of learning how to use Photoshop, take decent pictures and using PTE. It's a little daunting.

I am using Bary Beckham's tutorial DVD's which have helped a lot with CS2.

Thanks for all replies!

Bob

[Lin Evans]

Jeff,

If I wanted to add the background image to each slide, would I do that in Photoshop or in PTE? Sorry if this is obvious, but I am at the beginning process of learning how to use Photoshop, take decent pictures and using PTE. It's a little daunting.

I am using Bary Beckham's tutorial DVD's which have helped a lot with CS2.

Thanks for all replies!

Bob

Hi Bob,

Depending on exactly what you are using for a background, there are a couple ways to proceed. First, if you want a solid or gradient background, there is no need to use Photoshop at all, it can all be easily done in P2E. I'll explain a bit later. If you have a background which you want to use with each slide and you have previosly created this background in Photoshop and saved it as a jpg, bmp, png, etc., then you can do as suggested earlier and add it to each slide by making it the first image on the Objects and Animation screen.

Let's start with the first possibility - that is use a background or gradient background. Open Project Options then click on the Screen Tab. Choose either Solid Color or Gradient Filling by clicking in the small circle. If you choose Gradient Filling you will have two colors to chose. The one on your left as you view the screen becomes the background and the one on the right becomes the gradient. So if you have bright blue on the left and black on the right you will get a blue screen which changes to blue/black either from top to bottom or from left to right depending on which you choose in the drop-down menu.

This will be the same for each image on screen so all images which are smaller than your screen display size will have this background as a border around the visible areas extending to the edges of your display.

Right now, the "tiled" option isn't yet enabled.

If you want to use your own, then you go to the Objects and Animations screen, zoom the screen to a small percentage such as 10% so you see lots of grey outside the black area representing your monitor. Right click your mouse in the grey area far away from the balck and ADD the background file. This will default so that the background is on its own layer and in the FRONT. You don't want it in the FRONT but rather in the BACK so Right Click the Mouse on the background file in the Objects List then choose ORDER then SEND TO BACK (alternatively you can just select it and press SHIFT/PG DN.

Do this for each slide.

Beset regards,

Liin

[sperrinejr]

Thanks Lin, I'll give it a try.

Bob

[JohnFeg]

Jeff,

If I wanted to add the background image to each slide, would I do that in Photoshop or in PTE? Sorry if this is obvious, but I am at the beginning process of learning how to use Photoshop, take decent pictures and using PTE. It's a little daunting.

Bob

Bob,

a method I use, when incorporating portait format images into a slideshow, is:

a) create the image that you want to show behind the main image, in Photoshop, at whatever you use as your full screen resolution. I particularly like textured effects.

drop your main image onto it as a layer

c) add any layer styles to suit your taste. For Portrait format Bevel & Emboss + a Dropshadow, looks good.

d) Flatten and save as JPG.

If you use the same background slide for many images, speed things up with an action.

Johl

[JohnFeg]

Hi Bob,

Let's start with the first possibility - that is use a background or gradient background. Open Project Options then click on the Screen Tab. Choose either Solid Color or Gradient Filling by clicking in the small circle. If you choose Gradient Filling you will have two colors to chose. The one on your left as you view the screen becomes the background and the one on the right becomes the gradient. So if you have bright blue on the left and black on the right you will get a blue screen which changes to blue/black either from top to bottom or from left to right depending on which you choose in the drop-down menu.

Liin

Lin,

I'm working on a simple tutorial. It will basically describe what the various "controls" in PTE 5 are for.

See the thread I started 24 September.

Some of the stuff you have written here, and elsewhere, could be employed to good effect. Have you any objection to me using it?

All the descriptive statements, proposed for this tutorial, will be "filtered" through the forum, before being incorporated.

John