Tuesday Tutorial: How to Stickerise Your Title

Today's tutorial is also being published at Funky Playground Designs here.


Digital stickers are a hot item in scrapbooking at the moment, and I’m going to show you a way to make them yourself using word art elements from your digital stash, or text you have written as titling. Stickerising (yes, I made that word up!) is great for giving your older supplies a new lease of life, or for making a title really “pop” on your page by giving it a contrasting background.


All steps are depicted using Adobe Photoshop Elements 6, but your own photo editing software should follow the same basic principles.




Step 1:


Open a new blank file in PSE (I sized mine at 12inch x 12inch, 300dpi and white background).


Find your word art element and drag it onto your PSE workspace. Now drag it onto your blank canvas. This automatically copies your word art so you don’t mess with your original file.


Re-colour your word art now (I re-coloured it pink) or leave it as is for a black and white sticker.


With the word art layer highlighted, Ctrl-Click on the thumbnail in the layers palette. This will bring up “marching ants” around the outline of the word.







Step 2:


Now go to the top menu and press Select > Modify > Expand. Type in 10 pixels. Click ok. The marching ants will now surround your text without touching it. Now Select > Modify > Smooth and type 3 pixels. This will soften the curves around your lettering.







Step 3:


Create a new layer beneath your word art layer (shortcut: hold down Ctrl as you press “new layer” icon in your Layers Palette). Change your workspace foreground colour to grey. Select the paint bucket tool on the left hand menu and click anywhere inside the marching ants shape to fill the area surrounding the text with grey. Repeat Step 2 again if you are creating a three-layered sticker like mine, expanding further from your new grey shape and filling with a contrasting colour (I have used white).







Step 4:


Press Control-D to get rid of the ants. Merge all visible layers (except the original white background layer) from the drop-down menu on the layers palette. If you want to save your sticker for future use on another layout, File > Save As > name it and save as a PNG file. This ensures the transparent background. Saving as a jpeg file will cause your sticker to be permanently “stuck” onto your white background canvas – not a good look! Otherwise, it is now ready to click and drag onto your layout page canvas. Make sure to apply shadows behind it to make it appear more realistic.







Whah-La! Finished!

Credits for main layout: Brine Design LT13, Danielle Young Designs Here's To You kit, Amanda Taylor word art.

If you enjoyed this tutorial, please tell me by writing a comment! For further mini tutorials and freebies, tips and inspiration, visit my blog  often.