Getting Started
Click on the photo below – copy the full-size pic into a new PS document (1200×800).
Rename the photo layer to “photo”.
Go to more Layer options… and Convert to Smart Object.
It should then have this icon on the layer thumbnail.
Background Folder
Unlock the Background layer.
With the bottom layer active…
Delete it. Then add an adjustment layer … Solid Color. Set to a light color for now (can always change it later).
Filters
Filter Gallery: Poster Edges
Select the photo layer to start adding filters…
Go to Filter > Filter Gallery … Artistic > Poster Edges … (2, 4, 2).
You should now see a Smart Filter in the Layers panel.
Filter Gallery: Cutout
Go to Filter Gallery again, this time to Artistic > Cutout… settings (8, 4, 2)
Double-click on the right side of the “Filter Gallery” smart filter…
… and change the blend mode to Multiply, and reduce the opacity to 70%.
Filter: Color Halftone
Go to Filter > Pixelate > Color Halftone (6)
Double-click on the right side of the Color Halftone for the layer.
Change the blend mode to Soft Light and reduce opacity to about 60%.
Now the photo looks like this…
Border
Crop
Select the Crop tool and pull out the handles so you have a bigger area around and lots of extra space below (we’ll need that for when we add text later).
When you click on Done or [Enter], you should have this…
Rectangle
Go to the Rectangle tool … set the fill to none and the stroke to black, size 20px.
Draw from the top-left corner of the photo down to the bottom-right corner.
When you click off, it should look like this…
Change Photo
Go into the photo smart object…
Paste your own photo into the PSB document and resize using CTRL+T so it’s covering the canvas.
[Enter] to apply transformation and save. Then go back to your main document and see how it looks. In my example, you can see it’s too dark!
If it’s too dark, go back into the PSB file and add an adjusment layer … Levels
Slide the white slider on the right to the left to brighten the photo.
Save and see how it looks. You may also need to go back and adjust the middle/grey slider.
Text
Add Text
Insert a new layer above the rectangle (that way the text will not be linked to the rectangle shape).
Select the Text tool. Set the font type to a thicker one like Postino, about size 72.
Click on the middle of the empty bottom area to add text. Type out the first letter of a phrase.
Click off to set the text, this should update the text layer.
Add another blank layer or make sure no layers are active to add more text. Type of the rest of the phrase.
Click off to set it.
Rectangle for Text
Select the Rectangle tool again and set the fill to white and the stroke to black, size 10px.
Draw a rectangle in the bottom left corner. Move the rectangle below the text layers…
CTRL+T to resize it so it’s going across 2/3 of the bottom and move it so it lines up with the edges of the other rectangle.
First Letter Style
Select the first letter text layer. CTRL+T to resize and move it up like this…
Then add layer style… Color Overlay
Set it to red or another bright color).
In the window that’s open, check the box for Stroke and set it to black (thickness 10).
You should now have something like this…
Optional: make it bigger and rotate it so it’s off the edge like this…
Select the phrase text layer and CTRL+T to move/resize it to fit in the rectangle like this…
Click off to set the transformation.
Cropping
Select the Crop tool.
Bring up the bottom handle to make it smaller, similar amount of space around all the sides.
Enter/Done to apply.
Group Layers
Select the text layers including the rectangle (SHIFT-click).
Group them (CTRL+G). Rename the folder “rectangle text”.
Speech Bubble
Shape
Change the Rectangle tool to Custom Shape tool…
Go to the Shapes tab on the top/right area and expand the Speech Bubble folder. Select the shape.
Click and drag out a shape in an empty area. Make sure the fill is white and the stroke is 10 px thickness.
It should be at the top of your layers…
Text
Select the Text tool – set the font type to Consolas, size 36, color black.
Make sure the speech bubble layer is active, then click inside to add text (this will make the text fit the shape).
Click off to set it, see it in the text layer description.
Clicked in the text box, adjust the handles to move/resize the box to fit/fill the speech bubble shape.
When you click off, you should have something like this…
Finishing Touches
Pattern adjustment layer
With the Color Fill layer active, add an adjustment layer above it … Pattern
You’ll see it in the layers like this…
Change the blend mode to Overlay.
Background Color
If you want, you can try different colors – just double-click on the Color Fill layer.
Rotate Canvas
Go to Image > Rotate > Arbitrary…
Set to “3” and “Counter Clockwise”…
Your final result…
Your layers should look something like this…
