I've had several people ask me how I get small pictures printed at photo labs without paying an arm and a leg for "wallet" size. I'm going to attempt a tutorial here. Please keep in mind I am NO photoshop expert at all - I just learn as I go. And I research a lot on the internet. =)
1. Open your photo editing software. I use Photoshop Elements 7. You can also use any version of Photoshop but you'll need something that uses "layers."
2. Go to "file" and then "open."
3. Open the 4 photos you want to print in the smaller size. At this point I minimize all the photos just because having a cluttered working space drives me insane! =)
4. Go to "file" and then "new" and then "blank file." In the window that comes up, you're going to need to give the new file the sizes you want. In our case, we're going to be printing a 4x6 inch picture so change the dimensions to 4 inches by 6 inches. (Make sure you're using inches and not pixels!)
5. At this point you'll want some grid lines on your new file so you'll know where to place each picture. Go to "view" and then "grid." The new file should be divided by lots of lines. (You can also turn on the ruler to help you measure each small picture, just click on "view" and "ruler.")
6. Now you need to go back to the first picture you opened. In PSE7 you can very easily just look at in the "work bin" section of the screen. In older versions of PS, you may need to click on the picture to view it bigger.
7. Hold the left mouse button down over the first picture and drag it to your new blank file. Now, you should have a copy of the first picture "pasted" onto the blank file.
8. Next, line the bottom right corner of the photo up with the middle point of the new blank file. (This is where the grids and ruler come in handy.)
9. If you have PSE7 you can then click on top left corner "box" of the photo and drag it to meet up with the outside lines of your new blank file. In PS you'll need to click control+T and then drag the corner box. Once you've gotten your picture resized, press enter or click on the checkmark.
10. Repeat steps 7-9 for each picture.
11. Now you should have 4 smaller pictures on one screen put together like a collage. Now you need to click on "layer" and "flatten image." This will flatten the pictures down to create one file.
12. To save your file, simply click on "file" and "save as" and name your file. (Make sure you're saving it as a jpeg file and not a psd file! =)
**A couple tips - Make sure all your pictures are turned the same way when you're printing them as a 4x6 or 6x4. I usually like to turn mine horizontally which would make my new blank file a true 4x6 and it's just bigger on the screen which helps my tired eyes. =)
**If you're wanting to leave a white border around each small photo you'd just resize them a little smaller when you're adjusting them on the new blank file.
Ok, I hope that actually made sense. If you have any questions just post a comment here and I'll get them answered ASAP! =)
EDITED TO ADD: Kari Ann suggested putting even more pictures on an 8x10 print. That girl is so smart!! =)
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