Digital templates are all the rage nowadays - particularly the ones with curvy outlines or large curves, to produce those curvy layouts which are such a hot trend at the moment.

Templates like these generally come in a black or greyed out png file - they are a solid shape with a transparent background. So here’s several methods for using these to cut out the shape from patterned digital papers.

Method 1 - Selecting Shape with Inversion

1. Open the template into your photo editing program, and set this as a bottom layer.
2. Open the patterned paper and set this as a layer directly above the template layer.
3. Make the template layer active (select it in your layers pallette) and using your selection tools (the magic wand will generally work, or use your keyboard shortcuts) select the template so that the shape is selected.
4. Activate the patterned paper layer - the selection of template shape will still be showing.
5. Invert your selection —> normally this is via your Selection Menu and choosing Invert Selection. This will create a selection on the background surrounding the shape.
6. With the patterned paper layer still active, hit the Delete key (Or Edit —> Clear for some photo editors) - the inversion selection will be deleted, leaving the patterned paper layer now in the shape of the template.
7. Delete the template layer from underneath.

Method 2 - Clipping Masks

1. As with Method 1, open the patterned paper in a layer above the template layer
2. Activate the Paper layer, and create a clipping mask (In Photoshop CS2 this is Alt+Ctl+G; in Photoshop CS it is Ctl+G; in other photo editors there will be different methods).
3. With the paper layer active still, and the clipping mask in effect, select Layers —> Merge Down.
4. Alternatively - if the paper layer is not directly above the template layer, then select both the paper and template layer and link these as a group, then select Layers —> Merge Group or Merge Linked (whichever is appropriate).