Bewildered Newbie!.....Please help!

Okay, so I've managed to draw my black garment outlines on white, invert it all to make the Alpha thingie, and so make my own garment - can even make it coloured, using another layer- Wooohhoo! However - I must be missing something really basic. I can't seem to use existing Texture tiles that I have, as Fabric. Ive tried copy paste into layers, it seems to shrink the tile so it doesnt cover the garment outline (despite being 512X512 - I think!), and Ive even tried the other way round, by pasting the garment shape into a layer on the fabric - but the garment then goes huge!

I've read all the excellent but scarce tutorials i can find on this (believe me - Ive READ them! - none of them seem to include using textures as fabric) Can I draw the garment outline on the fabric (texture), or do I cut away using the Wand thingie? Btw - I can create the garment using existing Photoshop CS patterns - no problem - its just using my own textures where i fail - I even managed to create a lovely plain white vest over a neon, outrageous coloured skin!! funky, but not what i was going for, trust me

Sorry to be complicated - if anyone can unravel this - they need to be doing classes on this stuff - PLEASE!!!!!

ariel

Morning Ariel

It would seem that the template is larger than the fabric image? I know Chip's latest (and just too cool) templates are 1024 x 1024, whereas the original Linden ones were 512 x 512.

There are 2 approaches- either enlarge the fabric pattern or tile it. (I'd suggest the possibility of using a smaller template, but I do not advocate this considering where you are in the project).

If the patern looks like it will be good enlarged, you can use the transform tool for this. Have the newly-imported fabric layer active & go to Edit > Transform >Scale (Control + T is the shortcut). this puts a solid-outlined box around your layer image w/ little handles in the corners and middle of each side. Grab & drag a handle to resize that layer where you want it, hold shift & drag at a corner to keep the resize proportional to the original.

If this makes the pattern look too grainy, you can alternately simply copy the pattern onto the template 3x- once for the front of the shirt, once for the back and again for the sleeves. Use the transform tool on each layer to get each image to cover the entirety of the body part (ie- entire front torso), then erase (or cut) the edges where say- the front image overlaps the back (ie- a bad seam is created). If you are using a one-way fabric pattern (ie- most of them, particularly stripes, fur, etc) you may care to rotate the sleeve pattern counter clockwise 90 degrees- this has its own entry in Edit > Transform > Rotate 90 CCW, or can be done maually if you use the shortcut. (Specifically-- hovering near a corner handle gives you a bent 2 sided arrow- just drag that).

Once done, I'd advise turning off all the layers except the fabric & merge the fabric layers (Layers > merge visible-- do NOT use Flatten Layers- that is bad!) This will give you the pattern where you can most easilly shade & otherwise edit it nicely.

If any of this confuses you, go ahead & IM me in world & I'll be happy to help sort this out w/ you on yahoo or gaim.

Hi Mirra,

Thanks so much for your help - I'll go ahead and have a go at that - see where I get. I owe you one. Thanks again.
Hugs XX

If you can use the built-in Photoshop patterns, why not make your fabric texture into such a pattern?

Just Select All (Command/ctrl+A), and go to Edit > Define Pattern and choose a name for it.

Then, in your image, you can use a Pattern layer (at the top of the Adjustment Layer menu, under the half dark/half white circle at the bottom of the Layers palette.) Choose your pattern from the list, and you can Scale it interactively with the sliders, so you can match the fabric to the garment you're making.

You can't rotate it, though, so if you want to use Mirra's excellent suggestion to do that, you'll need to go to Layer > Rasterize > Fill Content first to rasterize it. Still, you might find that easier than pasting the fabric in several times.

Hope this helps!

Robin (Sojourner) Wood

I make the tiles into photoshop patterns. Scaled, "as is," etc...
My opinion.... it's one of the easiest ways to get a texture into the template.
(I also agree CM's template rocks! I use that one instead of the Linden one.)

All excellent suggestions!

The time that pattern fills will not work as well is if the pattern you want to use does not tile- which will give visible seams at the border between the repeats. Experiment, however. There may be times that this is desirable- checks and the like, come to mind.