Printing exact dimensions and spacing in photoshop

[Gopherboy]

Hi all!


I really agree with trying to get more links on the artwork section - I am trying to fix up a cp overlay so I will be sure to submit any sites of interest!

Anyways - what I need to find out is if photoshop is any good at creating precise sized shapes (like the cp top panel, which is not rectangular!) and using precise spacing. For instance, if I wanted to get labels below the buttons (like esc, pause etc....), would photoshop be able to create these labels in precisely the correct places so as not to look askew?

Unfortunately, I only have photoshop in terms of graphical programs of any power but may be able to get someone to do it in something like illustrator or quark or whatever.

Please - any suggestions?


thanks,
gopher

[CM]

In Photoshop7:
View -> Rulers
View->Show->Grid

that will help as much as anything I could think of.

[Brad Lee]

Just make it full scale, and it'll be exactly what prints e.g. if your CP is 20"x6", I would use either 300 or 600 dpi, so make the file 6000x1800 or 12000x3600 respectively. I geuss the biggest consideration is what format your printer will take- some can use .bmp or even raw .psd, some need illustrator or vector formats

[Jakobud]

Yes photoshop will do all that just fine.  Just keep in mind the dpi, resolution, and actual size when you create the new image.  Turn on the rulers, turn on the grid (sometimes) and start to set 'guides'.  Those are very helpful, especially when you can 'snap' to them.

[Gopherboy]

So - I will be able to draw the shape of my control panel (like Lusid's) and then fill the space with graphics?

ta.

gb

[PoDunkMoFo]

I like to do all the initial drawing in a vector based program (Illustrator, Corel, Etc.).  I do them at actual size then export them as an eps file.  I then import them into photoshop at the desired resolution.  All you gotta do now is work that PS Magic Baby.

I know it sounds like a lot of steps but trust me less chance of picking up strange artifacts and stuff by moving objects constantly.

[jerryjanis]

Here's how I've been doing it:

1) Draw everything to scale in QCad
2) Take a screenshot of it
3) Crop the image to the precise borders
4) Stretch the image to the full size I need (in inches) in a paint program
5) Save it as a bitmap
6) Use the layout as a guide for where I draw my graphics
Print it out in Photoshop (with exact dimensions)

Qcad is an open source 2D cad program.  I've never used cad at all before making a control panel, but I thought I'd try it.  It's awesome!  Probably QCad isn't the best cad program out there, but it does what I need it to do.  It's a lot like Corel Draw, only built for the purpose of using exact dimensions.

I suppose that if you know what you're doing with Corel or Illustrator or Photoshop, you can have the same effect, but I'm finding this to be really simple.

[Searcher7]

What are the best graphic apps to use for these purposes?(The ones you have to buy as well as freeware).

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Searcher7@mail.con2.com

[Darkstalker]

Photoshop 7, hands down for professional grade software
PaintShop Pro would be a significant drop in price over Photoshop
The GIMP is really good on the freeware end, but that's a Linux app

Not sure of any Win32 based freeware apps...

[SirPoonga]

Photoshop 7, hands down for professional grade software
PaintShop Pro would be a significant drop in price over Photoshop
The GIMP is really good on the freeware end, but that's a Linux app

Not sure of any Win32 based freeware apps...

Goto gimp.org, find the windows port of gimp link.  Takes some getting use to if you are use to windows programs though.

[Smittydc]

Could swear we just had this thread a week ago or so.

Use Photoshop for editing/cropping/touching up artwork/screen captures.

Then place the artwork and do your layout in Illustrator.  Resizing the art in Illustrator works just fine.  One hint - hold down the shift key when you drag a corner of a selection and the image will automatically resize proportionally.

Print to a .pdf file.  Take it to Kinkos/wherever...

reading the original post, make sure you set up the "document setup" and print setup to the correct custom size.