How To Edit Social Media Templates Using Photoshop

0:06 – opening layers, character, and navigator palettes
1:06 – adding in photos using clipping layers
4:55 – removing “dreamy” photo effect
5:43 – changing colors
7:51 – removing detail layers you don’t want to show up
8:36 – adding & formatting your own text

Quick Video Transcript

For full details, please watch the video which goes into more detail!

Opening Layers, Character, & Navigator Palettes

In Photoshop, make sure Layers, Character, & Navigator are checked in the drop down menu when clicking Windows at the top of your screen.

Adding in Photos Using Clipping Layers

Start by locating the clipping layer that you want to edit in your template. It should be labeled. Click on it to highlight it in the layers palette. Then, open the photo you are going to use in a new document in Photoshop. Go to Select >> All (command + A on Mac keypad) followed by Edit >> Copy (command + C on Mac keypad) to copy the photo.

Now, toggle back to your template file. Double checking to make sure the clipping layer is highlighted in the layers palette, go to Edit >> Paste (command + V on Mac keypad) to paste the photo in as a new layer.

To “stick” it to the clipping layer, right-click (or control + click on Mac keypad) on your new photo layer in the layers palette and select “Create Clipping Mask”.

If you need to move your photo to position it into the frame better, use the MOVE tool to do so.

If you need to resize your photo to better fit the frame, go to Edit >> Free Transform (command + T on Mac keypad). Use the handles on the diagonal ends of the photo, and, keeping your finger held down on your shift key, drag the handles inward to resize your image. When you’re done, just press the enter key.

Removing Dreamy Photo Effect

As a bonus, our templates include a “dreamy” photo effect that is turned on by default. To remove it, locate the Effects layer group in the layers palette. Click the eyeball icon to make the effect invisible.

Changing Colors

Change the background color by locating it and then clicking on the little color box to the right of the eyeball icon. When you do that, you can enter in a hex code, select a color, or use the eyedropper to choose a color already being used in your image.

For layers titled “border”, the process of changing the color is slightly different. Find “stroke” directly under the layer name and click on it. This will bring up the style area where you can change the size and color of the border.

For templates with a gold overlay layer on text: simply disable the layer called “gold overlay” that is clipped to the text to take the gold off. Now you can change the text color as usual.

For templates with a gold overlay on borders or other elements: find the layer in the layers palette and double click “pattern overlay”. Uncheck the pattern overlay box to disable the gold layer. Now, navigate to “color overlay” to select the color of your choice.

Removing Detail Layers You Don’t Want to Show Up

Locate the layer you want to remove and click the eyeball icon to make it invisible.

Or, if you want the detail/effect to be stronger, highlight the layer and then change the opacity.

Adding & Formatting Your Own Text

Select the Text tool from your toolbar menu and then click in the area where you want to edit the text. Highlight the text that is there and then type in your own to replace it.

Using the character palette, you are able to change the size, line spacing, letter spacing, and color of your text.