Using Adobe Photoshop Picture Package for Great Digital Photos

With the holiday season just around the corner, most of us - especially those of us who are obsessed with our digital cameras - are looking for ways that we can include or flat out use some of our amazing pieces of photographic genius in holiday gifts and cards. You could always cram the photos you want to use on a flash drive and battle traffic to elbow your way through the shopping crowds at your local department store just to stand in line and wait to use their enormous photo printing machine ... or you can go the easy route and do it right at home with professional results.

All the most recent versions of Adobe Photoshop have a series of commands that are found under "File", "Automate" that do a ton of work for you with very little input. One of those commands is called "Picture Package". Imagine the sheets of photographs you get from a professional photographer - or the ones your child is sent home with after school picture day. Combined into one sheet are pictures that range from itty-bitty to wallet size to frame-able beauties. This is what Photoshop's Picture Package does for you - create a full sheet of photos that are ready to be cut and used professionally.

What will you need to follow this quick and easy guide? Not much. A copy of Photoshop (CS, CS2, or the current CS3 will all work) is essential. The other thing that you'll need is at least one photograph that you want to use. That's it.

Photoshop Picture Package - The Steps

1. Create a Folder (optional): If you have more than one photograph that you'll want to use for your picture package, you need to create a brand new folder on your computer that you can place them in.

The easiest method for a PC is to right-click on your desktop and choose "New". Select "Folder" from the pop-out list. When the folder is made, you can name it "Picture Package" or anything else you like that will help you identify it easily. Then, copy-paste the photographs you plan on using into this new folder.