Introduction
This is part of chapter 6, adapted to show the tutorials using Photoshop Elements version 3. Very little has had to be changed, but you may feel more confident having worked through this if you have just upgraded to this version.

Abstract backgrounds
An abstract background is non-descriptive, and can be useful for a variety of topics. Abstracts are fairly simple to construct in Photoshop Elements. Starting with just about any digital image, you can apply filters, merge layers and colorize the final abstract.

First of all, open Photoshop Elements 3. You will see the splash screen shown below.

To follow along with the first example, click on “Enhance and Edit Photos” and open the file Blur original.tif from the chapter 6 folder on the CD (File>Open then navigate to the CD and to the tutorial files). It looks like a nice medical image. But not for long, soon it will be an abstract background.

Select File>Save As, change the filename to “Abstract1” (or whatever you like) and choose Photoshop (.psd) as the format, click “Save”. You will not be able to save to the CD so save it in another folder such as my documents.

And now have some fun! From the top menu bar, select Filter>Blur>Motion Blur, change the angle to 15º and the distance to 450 pixels.

The next step in making this abstract work as a background is to resize the image. Select Image>Resize>Image Size. In the Image Size dialogue box, uncheck the box for “Constrain Proportions”. Change the Width and Height to reflect the pixel dimensions for your presentation display setting (800x600 or 1024x768) and select “OK”. Type “Ctrl+S” to save the file.

For this example, let’s assume that the presentation environment will not have a lot of ambient light, which means that a darker background will work best. (With white or light text for the most contrast and legibility.)

Our example, Abstract1, will need to be darker and have less contrast, even less colors, to work effectively. Type “Ctrl+U”, or select Enhance>Adjust Color>Hue/Saturation. Click the “Colorize” button in the lower right corner. You can adjust the sliders to achieve the hue (color), saturation, and lightness. To achieve the effect shown in this example, use these numbers: Hue: 220, Saturation: 50, and Lightness: -45. The resulting image is a rich blue abstract, perfect for using as a presentation background. Select File>Save As, rename the file Abstract Blue and save as a .jpeg; choose 10 for the image quality when prompted.

Another way to adjust colors in Photoshop Elements is to use the Color Variations tool. Select File>Open Recently Edited File and choose Abstract1.psd. Select Enhance>Adjust Color>Color Variations. This dialogue box shows you a preview of multiple color adjustments, all in one window. You can increase or decrease red, green or blue; darken or lighten your image; adjust the amount of intensity for each adjustment; and make changes to Midtones, Shadows, Highlights or Saturation. Explore these options to learn more about them and how they affect your image. Have a target color range in mind: blues, greens, whatever suits your presentation best. If you go too far with your variations, just click on the “Before” image (or click “Reset Color”) to return to the original image colors. Keep in mind that your background should not have a lot of contrast. Tone down light areas on dark backgrounds, and vice versa.

Try other Filters for to create different abstract effects. Combine Filters and color adjustments for the most variety.

Photographic backgrounds
As the name implies, photographic backgrounds are made up of digital photos or images. They are descriptive and should coordinate with your presentation topic. Some backgrounds consist of one large, subdued image. Others may be a montage of multiple images. And still others may have objects or people clipped out of their original image, artfully ghosted on another background. You can create an abstract background and then place a series of small photos along one edge, and so on. The combinations are almost unlimited.

When selecting a photograph to use for a background image, the subject matter should be your first consideration (it should complement your presentation topic!) Next, you will need an image large enough for your display size, or a larger image that you can crop. If you try to resize your image larger, it may pixilate. See chapter four, “Resolution explained”, for more information. You should also look for a rather simple image; try not to have too much going on in the background. Remember, the information should be the focus of your presentation, not the background.

To follow along with the first photographic background example, open the file hands original.tif from the chapter folder on the CD.

Select the eyedropper tool, hold down the Alt key and select a dark blue pixel from the top left. This will change the background color to a dark blue.

Select File>New (or “Ctrl+N”) to open a new file. Name the file “Photo hands,” set the Width to 800 pixels, the Height: 600 pixels, Resolution: 72, Mode: RGB color, and Background Contents: Background color.

Click on the hands original.tif window at the bottom of the editing screen, and type “Ctrl+A” to select the entire image and then “Ctrl+C” to copy it. Switch back to the new blue file and type “Ctrl+V” to paste the hands photo. Select the move tool. Click and drag the image to move it up and over slightly to the left, so that the hands are visible on the right side of the window.

Select Image>Resize>Scale, and in the properties toolbar at the top, click the chain icon to maintain aspect ratio and type 85% in one of the dimensions. Reposition the image so that it is snug to the top of the window and hit return.

Next, in the layers window, select Layer 1, and change the Opacity to 25%.

Save as a .jpeg file with a new name. The resulting photographic background is interesting, and yet not too complex to be a workable presentation background. The focal point (fingers with instrument) has been shifted to the right of the frame, giving you more legibility for type and graphics to be placed on top.

For the next photographic background, open the file Abstract Green.jpg from the chapter folder on the CD. Next, open the file Dental.tif from the same folder. Type “M” to select the marquee tool, and click and drag a selection box down the center of the dental image.

Select the move tool. Click and drag this selection to the Abstract Green.jpg window to create a new layer (or type “Ctrl+C” to copy, and then switch to the green background and type “Ctrl+P” to paste.) Select Image>Resize>Scale, and in the properties toolbar at the top, click the chain icon to maintain aspect ratio, and type 43% in one of the dimensions. Reposition this layer so that it fits snugly along the right side of the frame. To finish hit the tick just above the image to “Commit transform” or just hit return.

The next step is to re-color the dental image. Make sure layer 1 is selected. Type “Ctrl+U” to bring up the Hue/Saturation dialogue box. Click the “Colorize” box, change the Hue to 160, Saturation to 20, and Lightness to >50. Click “OK” to apply. Select File>Save As and save your file as a .jpeg with a new file name.

Now let’s give the bottom edge of the photo a soft edge to blend it into the abstract background. Select the Marquee selection tool, and click and drag a selection rectangle encompassing about the bottom third of the dental image.

Choose Select from the top menu bar, then “Feather”, change the Feather Radius to 15 pixels and Click “OK”. Type “Ctrl+X”, (or Edit>Cut) to omit the selected area.

Photographic backgrounds can enhance your presentation and reinforce your topic or message. Remember to stick with simple images, subdue the color palette, and move the main focal point away from the central portion of the screen. Add simple graphics like rectangles and lines to enhance your background, and create an area for titles or other text elements.

If you have read through this but do not own the book, you need the tutorial files to complete these exercises. This is only a part of chapter 6, the rest works through making a PowerPoint template from your background images.