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This tutorial demonstrates how to personalise a mobile phone with a photograph. To work along, you are welcome to download the start images I am working with Here. Unzip the file and open the contents onto Photoshop’s workspace.
Note
Using the same principles, you can personalise similar objects with photographs; for example, rear-view/general mirrors, spectacles and PC monitors.
Canine Note
The dog is my dog Sacha, I took the photograph recently on her ninth birthday.
Undo and Navigation Steps
Two ways of undoing steps are from the top menu, Edit then Step Backwards.
Alternatively, click a previous snapshot in the History Palette.
Navigate (zoom in and pan) your image using the Navigator Palette,
or the Zoom Tool. 
Activate The Hand Tool by tapping the Spacebar, keeping the Spacebar pressed, pan your image in the usual way. 
1/
Open your Start Images onto Photoshop’s workspace, and extend the mobile phone’s grey workspace by left-clicking and dragging out one of its corners.
2/
Ensure the mobile phone image is active, then double-left-click the Background Layer and reply OK to the subsequent New Layer dialogue box. This unlocks the Layer, making it editable.
3/
Now, from the left-side Tools Toolbar, activate the Polygonal Lasso Tool.
And set the following attributes into the Tool Options Ribbon.
Tip
To zoom in, from the top menu, choose View then choose Zoom In.
Retracing Your Steps
Whilst you are stretching the line - and before the marquee has been applied, (to go back one step), press either your Keyboard’s Delete Key or the Backspace Key.
Mac Keyboard Shortcuts (Opens An External PDF Page) Here - and Here.
You are looking to click-and-stretch a lasso line around the mobile phone’s screen; therefore, click-and-stretch a lasso line around the screen in a complete circuit - and pass your cursor over the exact point where you began; then double-left-click.
The lasso line will immediately change to a selection marquee, as illustrated below.
4/
To remove the area inside the selection marquee, press your Keyboard’s
Delete Key (Windows XP). Alternatively, from the top menu, choose Edit then choose Clear.
Then press Ctrl then D to remove the selection marquee - Select then Deselect.
Mac Keyboard Shortcuts (Opens An External PDF Page) Here - and Here.
5/
Activate The Move Tool  .
Now, activate the photograph, then left-click and drag it onto the mobile phone image.
Tip
To save PC resources, (when the previous step has been completed), close the original (dog) photograph.
 
6/
Now, left-click the dog photograph’s Layer - and drag it beneath the mobile phone’s. This places your photograph behind the mobile phone - as illustrated below.
 
7/
To resize and reposition your dog photograph; (ensure the photograph’s Layer remains active), then from the top menu, choose Edit then choose Free Transform (Ctrl then T).
A large Vector Transformation Bounding Box will then surround your photograph, as illustrated below.
You are looking to resize the photograph so it fits the screen by gently tugging the square repositioning handles (nodes) that are attached to the Vector Transformation Bounding Box. Therefore, hover your cursor over the top-right node, then left-click and gently tug it in the direction indicated below-left. To Rotate the photograph, hover your cursor over the area indicated below-right, and gently swivel the image upwards or downwards.
 
Tip
You can tap the Transformation Bounding Box into position by tapping the Keyboard’s Arrow Keys.
When you are happy with the result, tap your Return Key - or click the following Commit transform tick, to complete the transformation.
Perspective Transformation Tip - Perspectively Warp Type Tutorial Here!
To alter your photograph’s perspective; from the top menu, choose Edit then choose Transform then choose Perspective. Now, tug the vector nodes and perspectively warp your photograph, then tap the Return Key to commit the change.
Tip
You may find the following transformation commands helpful.
 
When you are happy with your photograph’s position and perspective, you are ready for the next step.
Tip
Working on the mobile phone’s Layer, soften any harsh lines around the screen using
The Blur Tool (setting a very low Strength).
  
Tip
Always apply a Sharpening Filter after you have resized photographs - Filter then
Sharpen.
8/ Optional - Emulate Screen Glare Utilise The Gradient Tool - Chapter 6
Ensure the photograph’s Layer is active, then activate The Gradient Tool
And enter the following (Black and White Linear Gradient with an Overlay Blend Mode) settings into its Tool Options Ribbon.
Then stretch a Gradient line in the direction indicated below-left; and release your mouse button.
  
Tip
To lighten the gradient; lower the photograph Layer’s Opacity.
9/
When you are happy with your work, from the top menu, choose Layer then choose Merge Visible, then link Here to learn how to optimise and save your work.
Have fun filling your own start objects with photographs.
Wendi E M Scarth. Top of Page - Home.
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