Free Big Squares Calendar

In Elements 5, there is a new palette, the Artwork and Effects palette. From it, one can apply frames, themes, styles, effects, backgrounds and graphics. You can add your own custom content to the palette. Because Elements 5 does not have the Create > Calendar process for home printing that was in previous versions (you must use online services to make calendars in 5), I have made 2008 calendar month pages for you to use.

Elements 6 users only : to add the backgrounds to your Content palette, Close Elements. Take the files out of their unzipped folder (select all/copy) and paste them into the following location:
In Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\6.0\Photo Creations\backgrounds
In VISTA: C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\6.0\Photo Creations\backgrounds

When you reopen Editor, you may have to switch menu choices (backgrounds to frames then back to backgrounds) to get the new items to show up.

Elements 5 users: To add these graphics to your Artwork and Effects palette, follow the instructions below (or download zipped text file of instructions; note that the instructions will say "2007" instead of "2008". They work the same.):

Unzip the BigSquares_2008Calendar zip file. Do this by choosing Extract All from your Windows Explorer, or My Computer > File menu or by right-clicking on the zip file itself.

[If (below) you don't see the Application Data folder within the All Users folder, go to the menu at the top of your screen and click on Tools > Folder Options > View (tab) > scroll to find Hidden Files and Folders, and click on the Show Hidden Files and Folders radio button. Click OK.]

Close Elements 5.

Place the 2008_Calendar folder (with its contents) here:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\5.0\Photo Creations\artwork\backgrounds

Go to this location:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\5.0
and DELETE the two files:
MediaDatabase.db3
ThumbDatabase.db3
[Please note: a number of people have emailed me to say that it is not necessary to delete these two files. My instructions are those provided by the Adobe team from beta-testing. Perhaps they changed something...In any event, feel free to try loading my material without deleting the two files listed above. If my stuff does not show up in your Artwork and Effects palette, close Elements, and delete the two files.]

Open Elements 5. It will take a minute or two for the Artwork and Effects palette to generate a new database.

Make a new, blank file by going to File > New > Blank File. In the New dialog, use Letter or A4 dimensions, but make them in landscape orientation.Make sure resolution is 220 ppi. Click OK.

Go to the Artwork and Effects palette. Click on the Artwork button (left-most at the top of the palette).
From the menu on the left, find the Backgrounds entry. From the menu on the right, find the BigSquares_2008Calendar entry [my illustrations show 2007; yours should show 2008].
Click on the 01January thumb, then click the Apply button at the bottom of the Artwork and Effects palette.

Go to the Layers palette, and double-click on the background layer.
In the New Layer dialog that will open, name the layer 'Calendar Data' and change the Mode to Multiply. You MUST have mode set to Multiply! Click OK.

At the top of the Layers palette, change the Opacity for the Calendar Data layer to anything less than 50% (obviously, using 49% will give you the best visibility). You could have done this in the New Layer dialog shown above, but I want you to know where Opacity is set in the Layers palette. Upper right corner.

Add a new layer. Do this by clicking the New Layer button at the top of the Layers palette, or by choosing Layer > New > Layer. Next, press the D key on your keyboard to set your fore/background colors to black/white. Then choose Layer > New > Background from layer.

Add a frame and resize it to be the same as one of the day squares on the calender. Use the move tool to drag it into position. Then add a picture to the frame. I would recommend using the No Frame frame and removing any styles from the added frame to minimize its interferance with the calendar data.

Or you can drag or copy/paste an image to entirely fill the background, or add a new background from the Artwork and Effects palette.

In all cases, be sure to click on the background layer before adding new content. That will ensure that your new stuff goes UNDER the calendar data, which is what you want.

When you are finished adding artwork under the Calendar Data layer please be sure to return the Opacity for the Calendar Data layer to 100%.

Please note that whether or not you want to add artwork or a new background under the calendar data, you must turn it into a regular layer (by double-clicking on it and renaming the layer). This is because, if there is only a 'background' layer in the document, any added frame will “eat” the background (take it into the frame) which is not what you want. This only happens if there are no layers other than the backgound in the document.

You can download the text of the above instructions from the link below. (It had to be listed separate from the pages zip file to prevent it from being included in the folder that is placed in the backgrounds folder.) Please note that the instructions will say "2007" instead of "2008". They work the same.

Download the zipped files here:
BigSquares 2008Calendar
380 kb
Instructions for Use
2 kb

Let me know if you have any problems with getting things to work. It's really not hard at all.

I also have Free Geometric Backgrounds, Free Graphics Free Animal Backgrounds, Free Grunge Frames, Free Duotone Frames, Free Classic Frames, Free Matted Frames, Free Whenever Diary Pages, Free (regular) Calendar Pages, and Free Woodcut Backgrounds available for download.

If you are a beginning user of Elements 5, you might like my .pdf book, Elementary School. It contains 112 tutorials for new users of Elements 5.

Older Tutorials
Quick Mask
Rubberstamping
More Adjustments
Sharpening
Filters
Color

Download the zipped files here:
BigSquares 2008Calendar
374 kb
Instructions for Use
2 kb

I also have Free Geometric Backgrounds, Free Graphics Free Aniimal Backgrounds, Free Grunge Frames, Free Duotone Frames, Free Classic Frames, Free Matted Frames, Free Whenever Diary Pages, Free (regular) Calendar Pages, and Free Woodcut Backgrounds available for download.

If you are a beginning user of Elements 5, you might like my .pdf book, Elementary School. It contains 112 tutorials for new users of Elements 5.

Copyright © 2006 by Jay Arraich.
All rights reserved.
All photographs copyright ©2006 by Jay Arraich
jay@arraich.com