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Realistic stamping

Tonya Doughty

Editorial Deck Crewmember

One of the ways to create realism in digital scrapbooking is to step away from the computer and use something many of us take for granted every day - our eyes. If you slow down and really look at the way shadows fall across paper or ink seeps into paper, you have a better idea of how to mimic it digitally. This month I am going to show you one of the techniques I use very often which also happens to be the technique I am asked about most often. This tutorial is not difficult, but is one of the most authentic touches you can give your pages. It was made possible because I took the time to look at what stamped images (or letters) actually look like on paper. This tutorial is written using Adobe Photoshop CS, but may be adaptable to other programs if you're knowledgeable about the layering system.


  1. Open a new, blank document and layer your papers, photos and elements as desired.

    Since we're in New York this month, I thought it appropriate to use a photo of skating in Central Park.









  2. On its own layer, create your type using the text tool OR stamp it using brushes. It will look more realistic if your text is distressed as stamping rarely makes a completely solid impression. If you used the text tool, proceed to step 3. If you used brushes, proceed to step 4. Here, I used brushes.







  3. Right click on the text layer and choose "Rasterize type".

  4. Load the selection of the text by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking on the text's layer.









  5. Subtract from the selection by holding down the Ctrl and Alt keys and clicking on the layer that is visually the next one "under" your text (not necessarily the next one in your layer palette.)










  6. Switch to the Move tool and using the "nudge" arrows (usually between the alpha keys and numeric keys on most keyboards) nudge the selected portion of the text up/down/right/left (depending on which direction the edge is, ie: the upper edge, nudge up; bottom edge, nudge down; left, nudge left and right, nudge right). This will create the illusion that the stamp didn't make contact where the edge is, which is what happens in reality. (In the following image I have hidden the marquee outline so it's easier to see the effect of the nudge.)



  7. Subtract from the selection again by holding down the Ctrl and Alt keys and clicking on the layer that is visually the next one "under" your text (not necessarily the next one in your layer palette.)









  8. Again, switch to the Move tool and using the "nudge" arrows nudge the selected portion of the text up/down/right/left (depending on which direction the edge is.) (In the following image I have hidden the marquee outline so it's easier to see the effect of the nudge.) I usually only nudge by one click of the key. You can also nudge once either left or right to give the illusion that the paper may have shifted slightly since "stamping". The amount you are moving the selected text is very small, but the effect created tremendous realism.




  9. Repeat these steps for any other text in the directions necessary for their realism











Extra credit: For areas with edges going in many different directions, you may have to make several successive selections to get just the correct portion selected before moving. You can also use the magic wand tool and holding down the Alt key, deselect the areas you don't want moved.

Have fun and keep scrappin'!

Tonya Doughty
tonyadoughty@ssreflections.com
Editorial Deck Crewmember
S.S. Reflections, Inc.


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