Shadowing Acrylic or Clear Elements

[scrappinmint]

Can someone explain to me how to shadow those cool acrylic elements and alphas or anything that is 'clear'? It one thing I just can't seem to get right.
(I use PSCS2 if that matters)
TIA

[jaye]

I don't know how to do it, still learning the proper shadow techniques but I do know there is an action specific for acrylics.

[frani_54]

PSPXI instructions....you probably can convert to CS easily

you will be working with two layers, your element and your shadow layer

Activate element layer, use your magic wand to choose the transparent background, go to selections/invert
Go to shadow layer click on delete.
You should now only have the shadow edge visable and the clear part of the element should be clear....

Hope this helps....I'll go play in CS3 and see if it's the same....

[Jennifer]

Tami(tsavoie) just gave me an awesome acrylic style that she created! maybe she can share it here as well :D

[tsavoie11]

I'd be happy to! Let me find out if I can leave you guys a link....

[scrappinmint]

PSPXI instructions....you probably can convert to CS easily

you will be working with two layers, your element and your shadow layer

Activate element layer, use your magic wand to choose the transparent background, go to selections/invert
Go to shadow layer click on delete.
You should now only have the shadow edge visable and the clear part of the element should be clear....

Hope this helps....I'll go play in CS3 and see if it's the same....

Oh wow, Fran, how come i didn't think of that!! Thank you!!

[scrappinmint]

I'd be happy to! Let me find out if I can leave you guys a link....

That would be awesome Tami!! Thank you so much!!

[~Cathi~]

I wonder how to do it in PSE6, because you can't do a seperate shadow layer in that program :(

[Jennifer]

Tami's style works in PSE6!!!

[tsavoie11]

Ok girls, I got the ok from the people upstairs (hehe, you know who you are!) here's the link to my 4shared. This is an ASL file and you load it into your styles palette. Then while you have your element selected you just click on it! Viola! Shadow applied! These are the basic settings I start with for shadowing acrylic but I change the numbers, color, ect. for different looks...so have fun, play with the settings and I hope you like it!

Acrylic Shadow Style Link (http://www.4shared.com/file/71502967/c063d04a/acrylic_shadow_style.html)

[frani_54]

I have so much to learn in CS3, I downloaded the file now I have to figure out how to load into my styles folder and how to access it.....

It is really painful trying to get around CS3.....PSP is sooooo much easier....LOL

Thanks for the link.

[tsavoie11]

In CS3 your styles palette is right above your layers. You can click on the tab that says styles. You should see some colored squares. Those are the styles! There is a tiny little arrow in the upper right corner of the palette and when you click on it you will get a drop down menu with one of the choices being-Load Styles. When you select Load Styles you just go to the ASL file and then load it. You should see it as a tiny black square in the palette that if you hover your mouse over it should say Acrylic Shadow Style. Then with your element or alpha selected you can just click on that square and it will apply those settings!

Now, it is really easy to change those settings. You just go into your layer style and select drop shadow and you should see the numbers that I have saved. Then you can adjust the numbers or the color and play around with all the settings till you have the shadow effect that you want! Styles are great things!

Hope that is clear enough : )

[scrappinmint]

Thanks you again Tami!!!! :D going to download and play this afternoon!

[madi]

Thanks Tami,

I've installed the style in PSE5 and it works great!

[jaye]

Thanks Tami!! Hoping to get to play with it this afternoon.

[Jenny McD.]

Thanks Tami! You're the bomb!

[meejay]

Thanks Tami! That is so awesome of you to share!!

[Reba]

Thanks so much... I have it downloaded but will play tomorrow..

[~Cathi~]

THank you SO much Tami!! This is gonna save alot of dramas in my layouts with acrylic lol

[suzyqscraps]

Not sure if I can post a link, but Jessica Sprague has a tutorial on her web site that works great for most acrylic. I use it on almost all my LOs.

[frani_54]

Okay I've downloaded the style saved it in C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop\Presets\Styles

Open up CS3 go to styles click on the teenie tiny arrow, choose load and it says there is nothing in the folder.

What do I do now.....sheesh if this was PSP I wouldn't have a problem....;>)

[tsavoie11]

If you have it loaded into the actual PS styles folder then it should already either be in your palette...OR...click on your little arrow then select Preset Manager...you'll see all your styles there click on that one and click Done and it should put it into your palette! The reason it doesn't show you the style in the folder when you say to Load it is because technically it's already loaded! :)

Hope that helps!

[frani_54]

thanks figured that out, CS3 is so difficult for me, but I'm slowly getting around it......