Hi everyone, Vivi here to talk you through how to use your digital templates in my favourite scrapbooking software – Craft Artist!

There are two ways a Craft Artist user can take part in template challenges, or use bought templates to create scrapbook pages. The templates are usually supplied as Photoshop files (which will load straight into Photoshop) but there is no way to get a PSD file to open in Craft Artist. However, now most template designers include a folder with PNGs with the download and that is the one you need to create the template in Craft Artist. When you unzip the file, keep the preview image as you might need it later for reference.

The first way to use a digital scrapbook template is by using the PNG files. The second way is by using the template preview as a guide and then using Craft Artist’s own tools (Quick Shapes) to make your own template with the same structure as the original, just perhaps differently placed or sized. This is like using a sketch really, but with the added advantage that if there are paint splats or other interesting shapes in the template you can still use them (just get them from the PNG folder and adjust the size to suit you).

But as most template designers take the time to actually provide the PNG option, here is how it works in Craft Artist.

How to use template png files

Firstly, unzip your file, load Craft Artist and move all the PNG folder contents into Craft Artist via the photo tab, or drag and drop them onto the photo tab – whatever method you are most comfortable with.

I have just downloaded a template from Kate Hadfield’s blog, and unzipped it. I open the PNG folder and see a lot of different shapes. Those will make up the template when they are stacked. I prefer the drag and drop method so I select them all and drop them into the photo tab. If you would like to follow along with this tutorial, you can download the same template here:

>> Download Heartfelt Template <<

Next check the size of a few of the PNGs, they will all be the same size, but they might not be the size of your page.

Place your cursor near the corner and click, the measurements will show automatically. In this case, the images were 6 inches square. I checked a few and they are all the same. Now using the quick shapes from the top tool bar I draw a 6 x 6 inch square (and made the line red and the fill none so you can easily see it here).