A Brief History

• READ CD – 2004• READ CD 2 – 2006• READ CD Box Set – 2007

• Combined READ CD and READ CD 2• Plus Adobe Photoshop Elements license

• READ DVD Genres & Subjects – 2009• READ Design Studio Starter Pack –

2012 • Repackaged 4 READ CDs to fit on a

convenient DVD• Discontinued Adobe Photoshop Elements

license

How to Make a READ® Poster

Start with a good photo—it will make designing easier for you. Some tips:

• If you have one, use a “green screen.”• Or simply pose your reader in front of

a solid background that contrasts with what they’re wearing.

How to Make a READ® Poster

No “green screen”? No problem!Some tips:

• Good lighting helps.• Full body image gives you more

options—you can always crop the image later.

Extracting your reader /erasing the background

Find the tool that works best for you:

• Magic Wand• Lasso (Magnetic and

Polygonal)• Selection Brush

Eraser options:• Eraser, Magic Eraser,

Background Eraser

Let’s give it a try...

The dotted line shows the area that you’ve selected to erase. The checkered background indicates transparency.

Putting Your Poster Together

• Click and drag your reader’s layer onto the poster template; click and drag corners of reader’s image to resize, reposition and choose OK.

• The “fx” symbol on the placeholder layer indicates layer style. Right-click and select “copy layer style” and then right-click on reader layer and select “paste layer style.”

Recap:• Extract your reader.• Find and open the poster

template you want.• Use the Layout tool to view

the poster template and reader files side-by-side.

• Select the “placeholder” layer in the poster file to correctly position your reader.

Saving Your Files

• If you want to preserve the layers in your poster file so that it can be edited in the future, save it as a .PDF, .PSD, or .TIFF. Note that the files sizes can be extremely large.

• If your poster is complete, it’s a good idea to “flatten” the layers of your file and save your poster as a .PDF or .JPG. This will make printing quicker and give you a more manageable file size.

Overcoming Obstacles

My reader’s image is only from the waist up, but the template’s placeholder shows the full body. How can I make this work?

Moving Layers andResizing Objects

Use the Layers to hide the lower half of her body:• Move objects in front of

your reader• Make objects larger and

move them move them around

• Copy a layer (like this grass) to make more of it

Problematic Pics

What if you have a photo you love but the Magic Wand isn’t cooperating?

• Don’t give up if you have a great image, but a complicated background, poor lighting, etc. There are ways to make it work—you just need some practice and patience.

Here are some things to try...

Skin tone and background are too similar

Pants and background color are too similar

Trying Different Tools

Recap:• Crop the image so it only

includes your reader.• Use the Magic Wand in the

sections where there’s the most contrast; adjust the tolerance.

• Try using the Lasso, Magnetic Lasso, or Polygonal Lasso.

• Zoom in and work in sections, erasing a little bit at a time.

Quick & Easy “Frame” Option

And if all else fails or you are simply in a hurry, you can pop your image in a READ “frame.”

It’s really quick and easy to do!

READ® Frames

Here are 9 Layered READ Poster files that make easy READ frames.• Select the

“background” layer in the template and click on the eye symbol to turn it off

• Keep the background layer selected and then drag your new reader image into the template

READers in the Stacks

Get Creative

Basic Vinaigrette

•3 tb

s. oil (E

VOO

is preferre

d)

•2 tb

s. vinegar

(white, cider,

wine)

•Pinch of sa

lt

•Pinch of fr

eshly

ground black

pepper

Directions

Shake all

ingredients for your

chosen variation

together in a

tightly-lidded

container OR whisk

together in a sm

all

bowl.

Use the cooking theme to make double-sided bookmarks and share simple recipes!

Use various themes for informational posters, services, or programming.

• The READ trademark is for use by non-profit entities for the sole purpose of promoting reading and literacy.

• Not for commercial purposes or used in items for sale, but can be used in exchange for donations (e.g. patron makes a donation and receives a custom READ poster as a thank-you gift).