Dividing a Photo into Puzzle Pieces

Step 1
Create a new (Blank File) 8x10 document in RGB mode with 150 dpi (choose white
background instead of transparent). Click on the Foreground Colour Swatch and select a
light gray in the colour picker. Next get the Custom Shape tool from the Toolbox (The
speech bubble icon third from the bottom). Up in the options bar click in the Custom
Shape Picker and select Puzzle 1. (the puzzle pieces can be found in the objects folder).
Step 2
Create a new blank layer by clicking on the New Layer icon at the top of the Layers
palette. Using the Custom Shape tool, drag out the first puzzle piece and position it in the
top left of the page.
Step 3
Create a new blank layer, and then go back up to the Custom Shape Picker, and choose
Puzzle 2. Drag out a shape that is approximately the same size as your first shape.
Step 4
Press v to get the Move tool, then position this piece just below the first piece, but make
sure that you leave a slight gap between the two (let them almost touch, but for this to
work right, you need a tiny gap it shouldnt look as if it is one solid piece).
Step 5
Create a new blank layer, then get the Custom shape tool again, and from the Custom
Shape Picker choose Puzzle 4. Drag out this puzzle shape to the appropriate size.
Step 6
Click on Image from the top taskbar and select Rotate, from the pop-up menu click on Flip
Layer Horizontal. Click on Image, Rotate and from the pop-up menu select Flip Layer
Vertical. Use the Move tool to position the piece up against the right side of the top/
bottom puzzle piece. Again make them very close, but leave a tiny gap between the
pieces.
Step 7
In the Layers palette, make certain the layer you just finished is still selected. Press Ctrl-J
to duplicate that piece onto its own layer. Press Ctrl-T to bring up Free Transform. Click in
the bounding box and drag the duplicate piece to the bottom-right corner. Move your
cursor outside the bounding box and click-and-drag to rotate it to the left. Press enter to
lock your transformation or click on the checkmark in the top task bar.
Step 8
Open the photo you want to apply the puzzle effect to (choose Orange Flower). Press v
to switch to the Move tool. Click-and-drag this photo into your puzzle document. Check
the Layers palette and if you need to, drag this layer down in the Layers stack until it
appears below your puzzle pieces. Position the photo so the important parts that you want
to keep are hidden by the pieces.
Adapted by J.Hoekstra from: ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS DOWN AND DIRTY TRICKS c 2004.
Scottkelbybooks.com

Step 9
Now youre going to apply a bevel effect to this photo. Click on the Artwork and Effects
palette, choose Bevel from the Style Library subcategory and pick Simple Inner. Return to
the Layers palette and double click on the starburst in the layer box. Adjust the Bevel Size
using the slider (try 8 or 10).
Step 10
Click on the Artwork and Effects palette again and choose Inner Glows from the style
library, pick Simple. Return to the Layers palette and double click on the starburst in the
layer box. Adjust the Glow Size using the slider (try 25). Both of these effects are applied
to the photo layer, so photoshop will automatically apply this effect to the puzzle pieces
later.
Step 11
Go to the Layers palette and make sure your photo layer is still active (highlighted in blue),
hold the Ctrl key and click on the layer thumbnail for the bottom-left puzzle piece. This
puts a selection around the piece. You can now delete this puzzle shape layer by dragging
it to the Trash icon at the bottom of the Layers palette. The grey puzzle piece will
disappear but the selection will remain..
Step 12
Press Ctrl-J to copy the selection onto its own layer, in the shape of that puzzle piece.
Because you applied a Bevel and an Inner Glow to the photo layer, when you copy that
selection up on its own layer, that effect goes right along with it, giving the puzzle shape a
bevel and an inner glow.
Step 13
Repeat this process for the other three pieces: activate the photo layer first, then Ctrl-click
on each layer thumbnail to put a selection around it, delete the puzzle layer, then switch to
the photo layer and press Ctrl-J to copy the selected area to its own layer.
Step 14
Go to the Layers palette and delete the photo layer by dragging it into the Trash icon at the
bottom of the Layers palette. This leaves just the beveled puzzle pieces.
Step 15
In the Layers palette, hide the background layer from view by clicking on the Eye icon
beside that layer. Then choose Merge Visible from the Layer drop down menu to merge all
the puzzle pieces into one single layer. You can make the Background layer visible again
by clicking where its Eye icon used to be.
Step 16
Last choose Drop Shadow from the Artwork and Effects palette drop down menu and pick
Low. You can double click on the starburst in the Layers palette and adjust the thickness
of the shadow using the slider. This completes the effect.

Adapted by J.Hoekstra from: ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS DOWN AND DIRTY TRICKS c 2004.
Scottkelbybooks.com