This document provides instructions for creating an A4 poster advert using Photoshop. It describes how to set up an A4 size document, add a solid color, gradient or image as the background, import a photo and cut out the background, and add text. The key steps are to create a new A4 size document, add a background using various tools, import images and cut out parts as needed, and add text layers that can be formatted and repositioned. Layers are used to build up the poster with the background on bottom and photo and text above.

1. How to make a Photoshop A4 poster advert.
1.Click once on the Photoshop icon in the
Dock.
2. Photoshop will open. Even when Photoshop
is open you will still be able to see the
desktop.

2. 3. Create a new Photoshop File go to File >
New
4. Name the new file with your Name, Year
Group, Project Name.

3. 5. In presets you can select set parameters.
Click the two up and down arrows to show the
drop down menu, for this example I will setup
an A4 document, so I’ll select International
Paper.
6. Then in Sizes I’ll select A4

4. 6. If you cannot find a suitable preset then you
can add a custom size by selecting Custom
from preset menu.
7. If you select custom setting then you can
change the width and height measurements
from pixels to any in the drop down menu as
shown below.

5. 8.Once you’re happy with the setup of your file
press OK to open it. You can then save the
Photoshop file to your folder on your desktop.
Go File>Save As
9. Then navigate to the folder you want to
save the file in.

6. 10. First we will make the background. For
your background you can either use a solid
colour, gradient or find a background from a
Google image search. To fill in a colour solid
background, select the Paint Bucket tool in the
Tool Panel.
11. Then choose the colour you want to use
from the foreground colour box.

7. 12. Double click the box and your colour pallet
will appear, I have selected red. When you
happy with your choice press OK.
13. Now with the paint bucket tool still selected
click anywhere on the canvas, the canvas will
then turn the colour you selected.
14. To make a gradient your background,
select the gradient tool by clicking and holding

8. the paint bucket tool icon, a drop down menu
will appear.
15. In the top left hand will be the colour of
your gradient, by default it is set to your
foreground and background colour on your
tool bar, double click it to change colour.

9. 16. Go to your canvas and drag a line across
it, it will then place a gradient. The longer your
drag the more gradual your gradient and vice
versa.
17. Finally to make an image your background
you need to find one. If you’re searching
Google make sure the image is big enough.
An A4 sheet is 2480X3508 pixels, you need to
find an image at least half this size.

10. 18. I’ve searched for paper textures for my
background. I’ve also ordered my search
results by Size, making it easier to find larger
images.
19. Once you’ve found the image click Full-
Size Image in the right hand column.

11. 20. Right Click (Ctrl-Click) on the photo and
select save as.
21. Navigate to your folder on the desktop and
rename the picture something more
memorable.

12. 22. Next go to Photoshop and go File>Open
23. Select the image you’ve just saved.

13. 24. You will now have two image tabs at the
top of your window, click and drag the tab
away.
25. Now you have two windows, one with your
blank canvas and one with your image, select
the move tool.

14. 26. Click and drag the image to your empty
canvas.
27. Depending on the size of the image you
may have to adjust its size or position. Once
you’ve brought in your image go to Edit > Free
Transform.

15. 28. Little boxes should appear around your
image. Click and drag a corner box to make it
bigger or smaller. It is very important, if you
don’t want to distort your image, to hold the
Shift key while scaling to stop it from distorting.
29. Once you have it the size and position you
want press enter to fix it in place.
30. Now you have a background it should
appear in your layers tab. You can close the

16. other window now.
31. Now you want to import your photo, find
the photo you want to import on the system
and follow the same procedure you did with
importing an image for your background.
32. You should now have three layers in your
layer tab. Remember which ever layer is on

17. top will be most visible. To delete your locked
Background layer, double click it in the layer
tab and make it a layer. Then select the layer
and to delete backspace. So your background
should be on the bottom and photograph on
the top. To move layers click and drag them
above and below one another. To rename
your layers double click the name in the layers
panel.
33. When your photo is imported you may
want to cut out the background, to do this you
need to select the background.

18. 34. Go to the tool panel and select the Lasso
tool, click and hold the icon as you did with the
Paint bucket tool to get the gradient tool.
When the drop down menu appears select
Polygonal Lasso Tool.
35. With this tool you can click around the
object you want to select. Slowly and carefully
click around the subject to select it, press
backspace to delete a point. You must have
the Photo layer selected while doing this.
36. Once you’ve completed your selection and
arrived at the beginning of your line, double
click and you should see ‘marching ants’

19. depicting what you’ve selected.
37. Now go to Select > Inverse, you want to
inverse your selection as you want to remove
everything except you’ve selected.
38. Once you’ve inversed your selection press
back space and the background should

20. disappear.
39. If there are sections in the middle of your
photo i.e. between arm and body just select
those separately and press backspace to
delete. To deselect go to Select > Deselect
40. Now you have your background and photo
placed you can now choose your text. Select

21. the Text tool in the Tool column.
41. Click anywhere on the canvas and begin
typing.

22. 42. When you have text you want just highlight
it as you would in Word and you can change
font, size and colour the option bar above.
43. You can reposition the text with the move
tool.

23. 44. You can also use Free Transform tool to
Scale it and rotate it. To rotate an object turn
Free Transform on (Edit > Free Transform)
and move the cursor just out one of the
corners until a curved double arrow appears.
Click and drag to rotate.
45. Remember if you want to edit text, make
sure the text layer is selected by clicking on it
in the layer tab.

24. 46. Select the Text tool and click somewhere
inside the text and highlight.
47. You should now have 3 separate layers
Background, Photo and Text. Click and drag a
layer to place it above or below any other.

25. 48. Go File > Save, and quit Photoshop.