Computer Scrapbooking Tutorial.
Torn Edges

This digital scrapbook tutorial was created using Photoshop CS3 but you should be able to adapt the steps to other programs. In this tutorial we will be tearing a paper to reveal a photo underneath. Adapt this tutorial to tear anything you can think of!

1) Open a new document larger than the photo you want to reveal. Drag the photo onto the new document.

2) Drag the paper you want to tear onto the new document, on a layer above the photo

3) Lower the opacity on the paper layer so that you can see the photo underneath. Using the Lasso tool, draw a jagged line around the area you want to remove

4) With the paper layer selected, press Del to remove the selected area. Press Ctrl D to deselect. Raise the opacity of the paper layer back to 100%.

5) Apply an outer glow to the torn paper layer. Change Blend Mode to Normal, choose a dark shade of gray for the color. Increase the size until it looks good. I used 20.

6) Make a curled edge to the tear as follows. Using the Lasso tool trace along the tear line up a bit into the paper. Don't follow the rip line exactly.

7)Ctrl J to copy the selection to a new layer. Rename the layer Curl. Clear the layer style. Bring up the levels option. Image>Adjustments>>Levels. Drag the Output Levels slider to the right until you are happy with the color of the curl.

8) Copy the Curl layer. (Ctrl J) Drag the Curl Copy below the curl layer in the layer stack and rename it Curl Shadow. Change the color chips to black and white. Change the color of the Curl Shadow to the foreground color (black) by pressing Alt, Shift, Bk-Sp. Add a Gaussian Blur to the Curl Shadow. Filter>Blur>>Gaussian Blur: Radius 3. Lower the opacity of the Curl Shadow layer to around 50%.

9) Pull the shadow down little at the points of the curl using the Smudge Tool. Use a large soft brush and small movements to adjust the shadow.

10)Select the Curl Layer and add a little noise. Filter>Noise>>Add Noise. Adjust the amount to around 12%. Make sure the Gaussian and Monochromatic options are selected.

11)You are finished! You can now use this picture as is or re-size and move onto a scrapbook lay-out. See if you can tear just one side of a paper using this technique.