PaintShop Pro (PSP)

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All words in bold indicate commands/menu items/labels.

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1. Configure Organizer to show the photos you wish to use.

2. Open one of the photos you wish to use and note its size in pixels (numbers after word Image on bottom line of PSP). Close the photo.

3. File -> New (or click on New icon top left).

4. Adjust Image dimensions so you can fit desired number of photos in new frame (see 2 above).

5. Choose colour of background by clicking in white square (labelled Color:) and choosing colour from the box displayed. This will determine the colour of the Background in the new frame.

6. Click on OK.

7. Open your first photo. Edit -> Copy (or click on Copy icon if visible on icon bar).

8. Close photo.

9. Edit -> Paste As New Layer (or click on icon if visible).

10. Reposition photo using Pick Tool. Note that you can rotate photos by dragging the node to the right of the centre node in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction.

11. Repeat 7-10 for remaining photos. Adjust size of photos as necessary, leaving a clear gap between if desired, which will be of the colour you chose in 5.

12. To create a different shaped photo, click Frame Tool.

13. Choose the required shape from those displayed in the Tool Options. Press F4 if not visible.

14. Draw the shape to the required size and adjust its position and shape. Use the mouse and hold down the left button while dragging. Don’t worry about its position. You can adjust that later.

15. To insert a photograph into the shape, File -> Embed Image. A dialogue box will open from which you can select your photo. Double click the desired photo, which will (eventually!) appear inside the shape you have created. Please note that - unless you have a high spec PC - PSP will be noticeably slower at this point. Be patient when applying the following commands.

16. Adjust the position of the photo within the shape with the Pick Tool. If you wish to adjust the shape, use the Move Tool (behind the Pick Tool: click the down arrow to select).

17. If you wish to place a photo in front of the surrounding objects/photos, make sure the Layers palette is visible (press F8 if not). Drag the photo you wish to come to the front up to the top of the list of layers.

18. Save the collage as a PSPIMAGE if you think you’ll want to return to editing the image. Save it as a JPG to view the final image.

Be aware that PSP is slow when handling multiple images. Don’t forget the Undo icon (alternatives: Alt+Backspace or Ctrl+Z) if things go wrong. Sometimes the frame tool needs two goes before it works, but wait 10-15 secs before trying again so you don’t end up with two or three shapes!

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Affinity Photo 2

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1. Establish the size of the photos you are going to use in pixels and create a new frame accordingly: File -> New and adjust the Page width and Page height to your required size (in my case 14000 x 10000). Click Create.

2. Open the location of the photos you wish to use and drag and drop into the new frame the photos you wish to use. You might want to do this one or two at a time.

3. Reposition photo using Move Tool. Note that you can rotate photos by dragging the node above the top centre node in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction.

4. To create a different shaped photo, click on the dropdown arrow next to the Rectangle Tool in the toolbar on the left (it’s near the bottom) and choose your shape.

5. Draw the shape to the required size and adjust its position and shape. Use the mouse and hold down the left button while dragging. Don’t worry about its position and size. You can adjust those later.

6. Find the Insertion menu in the toolbar at the top. If it’s not visible, click the arrow top right. Select Insert inside the selection.

7. Drag and drop the photo you wish to use inside the shape. Use the Move Tool  to adjust the position of the photo.

8. To save your image, select File -> Export and ensure the file type is set to JPEG.

9. When you close the finished collage, Affinity will ask you if you wish to save your changes. If you click Yes, you will be able to return to the collage and edit it. If you click No, you will only have a non-editable jpeg file.