29 January, 2008...10:20 pm

Sharing a little something – Storyboard template

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What is the best way to create a storyboard? Well, as is always the case with Photoshop there are any number of ways to go about the same thing. It’s a matter of finding what works for you. You can buy templates on the web, you can borrow this one I’m about to share, you can even learn to create you’re own templates. They’re not all that hard once you get the knack. This is how I do it, and saved as a template it’s a quick and easy job to put three new images in and come up with an instant masterpiece!

This particular storyboard format I use a lot. Two verticals and a horizontal. It is very versatile. It is designed as a 10″x20″ @300dpi, but I promise it prints beautifully at 15″x30″ also.

So, lets learn how to do it!

1. Download the template -LISA’S 10″X20″ STORYBOARD TEMPLATE    , unzip it and open in Photoshop.

2. You will note when looking at the layers palette that there are five layers. These are:
a. Background – you may change the colour of this layer if desired.
b. A separate layer for each image
c. A text layer

3. Open the three images you have selected for your storyboard

4. Click on the image you want on the left side of your storyboard…click Ctrl A to select all & Ctrl C to copy

5. Go back to the storyboard…click on the layer in the layers palette showing the left black square….choose your magic wand & use it to select the left black square on the storyboard….click Ctrl Shift V to paste it into that layer.

6.. You will probably need to resize the image….use Ctrl T & drag edges making sure to hold down shift key to maintain correct proportions. Click anywhere on the image to move it around. Make sure all of the black square is covered by the image. Click on the tick up top right to confirm changes.

7. Follow steps 5-7 for the next two images

8. Select the text tool & select the text layer in the layers palette to change the text. If you don’t want text simply delete or turn off this layer.

9. When all is finished flatten & you have a ready to print 10×20 @ 300dpi.

10. Many changes can be made to the original template, these are a few:

a. Try adding a picture above the background layer at 50% opacity
b. Add a stroke (box) around the pictures
c. Change the colour of the background layer

Enjoy! Watch this space and I’ll teach you how to create your own template…………

25 Comments

  • Thank you for sharing this Lisa, it took me ages to do a storyboard! It didn’t look anywhere near as good as this either :)

  • Thank-you so much for being so kind. :-)

  • thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!! I am currently trying to find one that has 4 or 5 places, any ideas?

  • Byrena, I’ll be putting up a tutorial on how to build your own this week, so you’ll be able to do as many spaces as you like :)

  • Thanks! I was about to buy one, but I’ll wait. Your instructions were great!

  • Thank you for sharing. I’ve made my first storyboard and it looks great!

  • just found your blog & love this tutorial! i needed a refresher on how to do storyboards and love how you said it simply & clearly. thanks!

  • What fun! I’m not great with photoshop (yet!) but I managed to follow your instructions. It looks great. What next? What do I do with it now? Is there anyway to make is smaller and put it on a 4×6 as a birth announcement? I’d love your thoughts.

  • Thanks so much for showing and sharing this. It is certainly a lovely way to display photos and looks fantastic.

  • achallphotography

    Wow. I was about to buy a storyboard template and I thought, “Gee, I think I’ll google for instructions first.” What a treasure to have found you! I have just made my first ever storyboard, thanks completely to you!

    I’m looking forward to checking through your entire blog when I put my children to bed. I think I’m your newest blog stalker!

    Thanks so much for sharing your talent.

  • Thanks so much, I have been trying to figure out how to insert pics for hours without resizing, ect…!

  • Thank you for the template and these instructions! Worked wonderfully well! :)

  • Thanks for the template and instructions. I am very new to all of this, and had a question about the guides. I can get my pictures into the black placeholders, but am having trouble sizing them without distorting them. I know you have to fill in all the black area, but can you go over the black and have the part of the picture outside of the guides (parts of the pic that don’t matter)? Or am I supposed to resize my pictures before I do the copy and paste? Any help you can give would be great (even if you have to point me to some sort of web tutorial…I couldn’t find one).
    Thanks!

  • Thank you so much. I can’t wait to play with it.

  • Hi I can’t seem to get to your template as it won’t load up wondered if you could email it
    Thanks

  • Hi, everything was peaches until I tried to copy my image in. It keeps creating a new layer for the image even though I select the box in layer 1. Any thoughts or fixes you could email me?

    Thanks so much either way!

  • Hi,
    Thanks for sharing you wonderful knowlegde, one ? though the markers you showed us how to use to line everything up with still appear after I have flattend the image, will they appear when printed?? Do I have to remove them?
    Thanks again
    Tinkk

  • This has been the most helpful tutorial I’ve found! Thank you very much! I had no luck at all until I found your posting! My only question is….how do I change background color? I am brand new to cs3, and when I finally got black as a background, it totally covered over my photos as well! Help! .lol.

  • Thank you so much for this template, I just made two beautiful images, and I can’t wait to see what they look like printed. I had no problems using your instructions, but I am a seasoned PSPX2 and CS3 user ;)

    Thanks again!

  • I love your template, but I’m having trouble using it. When I try to paste the image inside the photo layer box, it creates a new layer. Any suggestions on how to fix this?

    Thanks,
    Michelle

  • [...] to make story boards in photoshop. Here on the Eye is life [...]

  • Thank you! That was so much fun!!!

  • Just wondering, when copying your photos to put into the storyboard layer, should it automatically change size to fit the layer, or do i need to change the size of my picture first to match the size of the layer???
    Hope this isn’t too confussing for you


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