Ó kimlizzy 2006

This is just one way to create photo mosaics.

Open your photo. Mine is 4x6.

Make a duplicate to work on. Close the original.

Duplicate again and keeping the top layer active:

Go to Format/Crop/Selected Object

Cropping is done via pixel measurements. My photo is 6"x4" at 300dpi so it measures 1800x1200 pixels. I am making 2" squares so 300ppi x 2" = 600 pixels. (The smaller the pieces, the longer the process will take.)

Select Custom and change the measurement to 600x600.

Move the cropping box to the top left corner. Zoom in to make sure you position it correctly.

Click Done.

Right click on the cropped piece and "copy"

Go to File/New/Done then right click and "paste".

Go back to your original photo (click on it in the Files Palette) and you will see the cropped part is active.

Go to Effects/Fill with colour or texture and select white.

Select all layers (hold the Ctrl key and click on each layer) then right click and Flatten.

Duplicate this layer. (Ctrl + d).

Keeping the top layer selected:

Go to Format/Crop Selected Object

Select 600x600 pixels and position the cropping square next to the white square. Zoom in to make sure you have it positioned correctly. (It doesn’t have to be totally precise but you don’t want to get any of the white or go off the top of the photo. Adding an edge to it later will cover any tiny imperfections.)

Select Done.

As before, right click on this cropped piece and "copy".

Open a new file and "paste".

Back on the original photo, fill this second cropped piece with white and flatten all layers: Edit/Flatten All Objects.

Duplicate and repeat as above until you have all pieces cropped.

**Don’t forget to Duplicate before each crop**.

You will now have 6 cropped pieces in the Files Palette.

You can close the original photo.

Click on the first picture in the Files Palette to make it active.

Go to Effects/Edges/Artstroke

Select the straight edge and set the width and colour. I chose white at 25 wide.

Repeat with the other 5 photos.

Open a new canvas and make it larger than you finished piece will be.

Insert shape/square. Remove the line and fill with a colour different to your outlines. Stretch to fit.

Drag each piece from the Files Palette onto your background.

You will now align all of the pieces.

Place pieces 1-3 roughly the same distance apart horizontally. You don’t want them to be a huge gap apart but wide enough to allow for adding a shadow later. Position parts 4,5 and 6 underneath but slightly more to the right.

Hold down the Ctrl key and select pieces 1,2 and 3.

Go to Format/Align Multiple Objects/ Top

Now got to Format/Align Multiple Objects/Space Horizontally

Now select parts 4,5 and 6. Align TOP as above.

Now select parts 1 and 4. Align LEFT

Repeat with parts 2 and 4.

Repeat with parts 3 and 6.

Select parts 4,5 and 6. Right click on them and "Group".

Move up or down to make the horizontal gap the same as the vertical gaps.

Right click and "Ungroup".

At this point you have two choices:

Group all pieces together and add a shadow.

Place on a coloured background.

Place each piece at angles and move layers on top of or below other layers.

Add shadows then group or flatten all layers.

Place on a coloured background.