Clipping Groups

[amyb]

I'm having trouble with clipping groups in CS2. I'm working with a template and I want to group a piece of patterned paper over the white part of a template (the white part is on it's own layer so there are empty pixels around the white). When I position my patterned paper above the template layer I want to group it with and press Cntrl G it creates a new layer (Group 1), indents the patterned paper layer but shows no downward facing arrow to the white template layer below it. My patterned paper, which is 12x12, still takes up the whole document which obviously means the clipping didn't work.

I have Linda's CDs - for Elements - and am following her instructions - is something different for CS2?

[troush]

Amy,

I think it is different for CS2. Try moving your cursor to the layers pallet between the two layers you want grouped and press the alt key. The cursor should change to a different symbol. Then click with your mouse.

-Trish

[Priss]

Clipping Groups are slightly different in each version of Photoshop-Elements, to CS3. Often just Ctrl/Cmd +E will create the group nicely for you (but won't work at all in an un-rasterized "text" layer grouping. These are meant to shift the contents of one layer to be displayed only in and on the contents of the layer immediately below them--that's why they work so well for templates, because ctrl+E and lickety-split you have combined a large piece of paper over a part of the whole!

In CS2 it works so nicely (usually) Select (shift+click) multiple layers in the Layer's palette. Then Choose Layer>Group Layers, OR Alt/Option + drag the layers to the FOLDER icon at the bottom of the Layers palette to group the layers. (to ungroup, jusut select the group and go to Layer>ungroup layers.

There's a difference if you are talking about a clipping mask though, but that's how you group layers in CS2. Check out the powerful help files about this.

Hope this help.

[lvich]

The shortcut for CS2 I think is different - try Alt+Control+G or Shift+Control+G. I can't remember which it is because I have already switched over to CS3!