sites for shapes, layer styles, gradients and textures

[engeltje]

Hi all,

Just a few days on the site here and already a little bit addicted. As you probably are all still asleep over there, I am searching on the internet here in Belgium to find some good free stuff for expanding my collection of shapes, layerstyles, gradients and texures. I am still a newbie in making my own scrapelements, but... slowly it works. I have tons of brushes, but a lack of shapes, layerstyles, gradients and textures to be really creative.
Does any of you have tips of really good sites to find those stuff... Would like to try the free ones first before I start buying anything...

Thanks in advance already, you have a great site and found lots of tips here already.

[NMarti]

Adobe Studio Exchange has shapes and layer styles for free. They are directed at Photoshop but most of them work just fine in Elements.

[Margeeo]

Engeltje, just do a Google search for what you need for elements. Type in the search bar photoshop elements shapes,gradients our textures.One that comes to mind is About.com has a lot of free stuff. Good luck in your search.

Marge

[karen donnybrook]

Did you know you can use your own PSD files as textures? Go to Filter > Texture > Texturizer; at the right hand side of the Texture box is a right pointing arrow; click on that; click Load Texture and go to any PSD file that is suitable to use.

Please forgive me if this is against the rules (:D) - I have posted a screen shot to show you where I mean. The texutre I have used is a photo of long grass.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1HSepYYeCnj67BaZtmywupbvwhiRui1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1HSepYYeCnj67BaZtmywupbvwhiRui1)

Hope this helps.

Karen :)

[Cass]

Thanks Karen, I didn't realise I could use my psd files for textures, just tried and they look great.

[Jenny Binder]

Hi, engeltje,
Back when I started with PSE 2.0, I purchased One Click Wow by Jack Davis (for 2.0), which is a book with CD full of layer styles, textures, brushes, and gradients. I use these (ESPECIALLY the tons of layer styles) ALL the time, and wouldn't be without them. I was able to install the 2.0 version of them into PSE 3.0 and now 5.0 (I skipped 4.0) and also PS CS2. I believe you can get the book and CD (make SURE it comes with the CD) at one of the cheap booksellers (half.com or amazon.com marketplace) for under $10, although I don't know what it would cost to ship to you. I believe the newest version of One Click Wow is for PSE 3.0, but I think it would work with any version if you just know where to install the files. Don't know if that's an option for you, but thought I'd mention it since its been one of my favorite resources and shouldn't cost you a fortune. Good luck!

[Wendy]

Hi ...

Something I have that I really like is Jodi Frye's CD "The missing Styles" ... that has some really nice layers styles on it.

I think that she is just in the process of doing something else for PSE5 :)

Wendy

[newbie mary]

Layer styles..oh my! I spent 2 days trying to install a layer mask..read 15 pages of people attempting to install "Grants Tools" over at the Pet site. I tried for 15 hrs getting way inside Elemt 5 without luck..couldnt find the CACHE.. where we are supposed to delete 3 of them. Just wanted to make a layer mask..Hopefully someone like Wendy or Jenny or? can break it down into a easy way , or is it worth it?? Where is this "cache" in Elem 5? I went into set/doc, adobeetc as they said..only found a mso cache, not any category cache,list cache,thumbnail cache.. so will appreciate any help to find it at last..Thanks again!!

[troush]

Mary,

The install directory in PSE 5.0 is different. Shut down PSE 5.0

Unzip grant's zip files, then put the folder here:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\5.0\Photo Creations\special effects

Restart, and you will see them in the Special Effects pallet.

-Trish

[Wendy]

Hi ...

You may need to make sure that "Show hidden folders and files" option is turned on in Window :)

To install layer styles in PSE5 ... its easier if you make a shortcut and leave it on your desktop :

First make sure that the "Show hidden folders and files" option is turned on in Windows. Then create a Shortcut on the desk top to:

C: Documents and Settings>All Users>Application Data>Adobe>Photoshop Elements>5.0>Photo Creations>Special Effects>Layer Styles

To install a Layer Style just create a new folder (if you need to), pop the .asl file (or files) in it and then drop the folder on the shortcut ... restart Elements and the layer style then shows up in Special Effects>Layer Styles

Wendy

[newbie mary]

Oh no, here i am..First i followed Troush's path, and then zero, and i made sure the hidden files was on, and made a shortcut which tripped me up again. When i turned 5 on, all i got was a O with / through it, and a bounding box around a layer mask b/w icon. Under the layer styles was grants tool, and a new folder with nothing in it, and on other side was layer mask heading with new folder. Looks like i made a new folder with nothing in the shortcut. I also held the shift key down as instructed by elem 5 as soon as the edit icon showed up on screen..still nothing. I am new at this so thanks very much..its probably better if i could do it without a shortcut from the desktop. I was able to load Linda's metal styles easily. Anymore help is greatly appreciated. Thanks again, Mary.

[Wendy]

Hi Mary ...

Make sure that you have a folder with the layer style in it, don't have any other folders inside that folder ... then (if you don't want to use the shortcut):

Just put the folder into:

C: Documents and Settings>All Users>Application Data>Adobe>Photoshop Elements>5.0>Photo Creations>Special Effects>Layer Styles

The only reason I suggest a shortcut is because once you have made it you can leave it on your desktop and then anytime you want to add layer styles you can simply drop a layer style folder on it and they will be automatically installed.

My guess is that you had a folder within a folder ... :)

Wendy
PS ... You don't need to use the Shift Key unless the whole of the Artwork & Effects doesn't rebuild automatically.

[Wendy]

Hi Mary ...

Another thought is that Trish gave you the path for installing Actions (Grant's Tools etc) and I gave you the path for installing Layer Styles.

Actions and Layer Styles are two different things so you do need to use the different paths to install them :)

Wendy

[millsee]

Hi Mary , I have been searching through this forum for answers because I am having exactly the same problem as you !!. Glad to see I'm not the only one who can't get things to work. I can't help but are hoping we can both get it worked out..... Sue

[Wendy]

Hi Sue ...

What is it you are trying to install ?? :)

...

Wendy :)

[qdiggles]

There's a site called thefreelogomakers - they provide a bunch of freebie photoshop stuff amongst other things. They have over 400 free adobe photoshop layer styles here : http://www.thefreelogomakers.com/pshop_styles/default.asp . The downside is they aren't bundled but they are categorized and you can see them before you download them.

They also have gradients for download too.

[Wendy]

Hi ...

... and welcome :)

Thanks very much for the link ... its a site I haven't visted before before and they look to have some nice things.

Have you been using Photoshop (or Elements) for long ??

Wendy