Film Strip Photo Collage in Photoshop - Part 1
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Step 6: Switch To The "Subtract From Shape Area" Mode
Now that we have our initial rectangle shape, we need to cut some holes out of it to make it look more like a film strip. First, we'll cut out a large rectangular hole in the center which will serve as the main photo area. If you look up in the Options Bar, you'll see a row of five icons, each showing a different layout of squares. The icon in the middle is the Subtract From Shape Area option. Click on it to select it:
Step 7: Draw Another Rectangular Shape In The Middle Of The Initial Shape
The "Subtract From Shape Area" option allows us to remove part of our existing shape. With the Rectangle Tool still selected, draw a second rectangular shape, this time in the center of the existing rectangle. Just as we did a moment ago, click once to set the top left corner of the rectangle, then keep your mouse button held down and drag towards the bottom right corner. You'll see an outline of the shape appearing as you drag. This is the area that will be cut out:
Release your mouse button when you're done. This time, rather than adding a new shape to the document, Photoshop cuts a hole in the initial rectangle, creating the main area where our photos will appear later:
Step 8: Select The Rounded Rectangle Tool
To draw the notches along the top and bottom of the film strip, we'll use the Rounded Rectangle Tool, which is similar to the Rectangle Tool except that, as its name implies, the corners are rounded rather than sharp. Normally, we select tools from the Tools panel, but whenever we have a shape tool selected, we can easily select any of Photoshop's other shape tools directly from the Options Bar. Click on the Rounded Rectangle Tool icon in the Options Bar to select it:
Step 9: Set The Radius Value To 10 px
We can control the roundness of the corners with the Radius value in the Options Bar. The higher the radius, the more rounded the corners will be. Set your Radius value to 10 px (pixels):
Step 10: Draw A Rounded Rectangle Shape To Create The First Notch
Make sure the "Subtract From Shape Area" option is still selected in the Options Bar, then click and drag out a small rounded rectangle shape in the left of the black border area along the top of the film strip:
Release your mouse button when you're done. Photoshop uses the shape to knock out the first notch in the film strip:
Now that we have our first notch, we'll see how to quickly add the rest without having to actually draw any of them. We'll do that next!
