How to edit your Photoshop template

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How to edit your Photoshop template

Chances are if you are reading this article it is because you have purchased an Origami Collective Photoshop template and you are now looking to edit your template. Well you have come to the right place! For those of you that are more visual learners, I have created a video containing all the information in this article.

If you haven’t purchased a template from us and you have stumbled upon this article from somewhere else, feel free to read along as the techniques I speak about are useful for any Photoshop user to know.

Editing colours to suit your business branding

There are two different methods that have been used to allow you to change the colours on your template (depending on what template you have purchased), either using  solid colour layer with a layer mask, or using smart objects.

Before we begin changing colours, it will come in handy if you have the HEX codes of your business colours. Or even the RGB values.

1. Changing the template colours using a solid colour layer (business card templates & media kit templates)

If you look in layers panel you will see a solid colour layer with a layer mask attached to it. This layer has been linked with the layer below it to allow us to change the colour:

Smart object layers


So you can see that the flower layer has had its colour changed to pink using the solid colour layer.

To change the colour, simply double click the solid colour layer (the pink square) and select the colour you would like to change it to.

How solid colour layers work:

To set up a solid colour layer, select it from the menu at the bottom of the layers panel:

Solid colour layer


You will be asked to select a colour, choose any one as it can always be changed later. Then, whilst holding the option (alt for PC users) hold you mouse between the solid colour layer and the flower layer and your cursor should change into a down arrow with a box next to it. Click between the two layers and this will link them together:

Changing colours solid colour layer


You then need to select the solid colour layer and change the layer mode to colour from the drop down box:

Solid colour layer layer mode
Photoshop business card template

 

As you can see, this has also changed the colour of the middle of the flower (which we don’t want). So this is where the layer mask comes in. Select the brush tool (keyboard shortcut – B) change it to 50% hardness, and make sure black is your foreground colour.

Then click on the layer mask that is next to the solid colour layer, and once it is selected you can use your brush tool to start brushing away the colour from the middle of the flower:

Edit business card template

You can use this method to essentially recolour anything you like!

2. Changing the template colour using linked smart object layers (social media templates)

If you look in your layers panel you will see layers with solid blocks of colour in them. You can tell that they are smart object layers by the symbol in the bottom right hand corner of the layer preview:

Smart object layer


To change the colour of the layer, simply double click it and a new window will pop up:

Edit smart object payer

Then using the paint bucket tool (keyboard shortcut – G), fill the layer with your desired colour. Hit cmd + s to save the file, and then close it.

You will then see all the instances of the peach colour have now been changed to your selected colour in the file.

Smart object layer colour Linked smart object layers

How linked smart object layers work:

Smart objects allow us to edit layers without changing the layers original characteristics. If you duplicate a smart object and make a change to the duplicated layer, this change will be reflected on the original layer as well. Smart object layers are linked, allowing you to make changes throughout files with ease.

To set up a smart object layer, use the shape tool (keyboard shortcut – U) and create a shape with a solid fill colour and no stroke. Then right click on the shapes layer (you need to right click on the name of the layer) that has been created in the layer panel and select ‘convert to smart object’ from the menu that appears.

Create smart object layer

You now have a smart object. Using free transform (keyboard shortcut – cmd/ctrl + T) you can resize the shape to suit your needs. Duplicate this layer to create linked smart object layers.

This smart object layer can also be used to recolour an object. I have dropped a graphic into my file, and placed the layer underneath the smart object layer. You need to ensure that the coloured rectangle is covering all of the graphic. Then you need to hold alt and click between the two layers to link them. This will then change the colour of the graphic.

Change colour with smart object layer

You could then duplicate the smart object rectangle layer and link it to other objects to recolour them. If you ever wanted to change the colour later, you would only need to adjust the colour on of the smart object layers, and they would all change.

NOTE: The linking only works if you duplicate the smart object layer. Any duplicates of the original will be linked. If you create a new smart object layer from scratch it will not be linked to your other smart object layers.

Adding or replacing images using smart objects

Editing a smart object layer with an image is it is essentially the same as editing a colour smart object layer.

Double click the smart object layer and a new window will pop up with just the image on the artboard.

Replace image smart object layer
Saved smart object layer

 

Drag and drop you new image onto the artboard. Place it as desired using free transform (keyboard shortcut cmd/ctrl + T), hit enter once the image positioned to your liking. Go to File > Save (keyboard shortcut cmd/ctrl + S) and then close the window. Your image should now be changed!

Smart objects changing images Smart object layer images

Print & bleed layers for print files

If you have purchased a business card template from us, please ensure you read the print and bleed layers on the Photoshop file before you make any changes to your template.

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