Superimpose a photo (small )over another photo (full size) in it's centre

Talk about Pixelmator Pro, share tips & tricks, tutorials, and other resources.
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2020-09-11 11:51:48

How do I Superimpose a photo (small )over another photo (full size) in it's centre ?
Hi I am very new to Pixelmator! I just want to do something really simple but when I try it I drag in the photo I want over the main photo , I can't turn off the select tool if I try and resize the top photo I drag in. Thanks for help!
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2020-09-11 14:33:44

Hey there, welcome to the forum! If you'd like to place one image on top of another, you can simply drag and drop it into the composition, as I believe you've done already. Another option would be to choose Insert > Choose (from the Insert menu at the top of your screen) and locate the image there. But I think you're having trouble with resizing and moving the image after having added it, maybe? If you've made any selections, clear them using Edit > Deselect All and make sure you're using the Arrange tool (V key) to move and resize layers.
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2020-09-11 14:42:54

Hi there, Thanks for your help! Yes just tried the V key and it's just what I need! thank you!. I'm not knowledgable about what keys do on Pixelmator, I tend to use the mouse for everything generally, is there a quick view somewhere I can check out? I do have another question re layers, shall I make a new post, I did a search before on 'layers' and did not see the question I have. Thanks again for your help!
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2020-09-11 15:03:14

You can find all the tools (including the Arrange tool) in the Tools sidebar, they're accessible not just using keyboard shortcuts. Here's some info about the Tools sidebar from our user guide: http://pixelmator.com/support/guide/pix ... -pro/1218/

If you'd like to find out more keyboard shortcuts, you can also check out the list of shortcuts in the user guide: https://www.pixelmator.com/support/guid ... -pro/1212/
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2020-09-11 15:15:00

Ok thanks for the links! Yes I see all the tools, but really not sure yet how to use them. What’s the tool called that = V key?
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2020-09-11 15:27:52

The Arrange tool, it's used for moving, resizing, and arranging objects on the canvas. You can learn a little more about it here:

https://www.pixelmator.com/support/guid ... r-pro/984/
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2020-09-11 16:52:24

Great, thanks so much, I’ll check it out!
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2020-10-11 11:03:41

Hi Andrius. I've followed your advice and have been getting on well. Thank you very much.
I wonder if you can help me with this one:
I want to make a series of pictures where a small rectangular image is superimposed over another larger image. Rather than try to describe in words what I want to do I've attached a link to a photo (below) which will hopefully show you what I'm trying to achieve. I hope you're able to open the attachment.

So, if you're looking at the image you'll see a black rectangle in the middle of Pete Townshend's face. I want to insert another photo into that rectangle. (It's going to be a series of photos from the history of the the Who rock band). I'm aiming to transfer this to iMovie and make a video to accompany a song. The video will be a series of images where Townshend's face stays static, but the picture in the rectangle keeps changing.
So... I suspect I need some sort of template so that the rectangle stays in exactly the same place every time the image changes.
I hope this makes sense. Let me know if the attachment won't open.
Thank you so much.
Denise.

Image
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2020-10-14 15:23:52

Hey Denise, apologies for the slow reply! As ever, there are a few ways to get the result you're after. Here's the most efficient one that I can currently think of:

1. Choose the Arrange tool and check the width and height of the rectangle in your image
2. Create a new Pixelmator Pro document with those dimensions
3. Add each of the images you'd like to include in the video to that new document
4. After you add each image place it to crop the image appropriately, press the following keyboard shortcuts one after the other:

Command-A (make a selection of every visible part of the image)
Command-X (cut)
Command-V (paste)
Command-D (deselect)

5. After doing this, remove the original layer that you added
6. Once you've added every image you'll use in your video, select them all in the Layers sidebar, Control-click somewhere in the sidebar and choose the Add for Export at the bottom of the shortcut menu
7. The Export for Web tool will be selected automatically – choose a format in the Tool Options pane (JPEG is probably the one you should go for) and adjust its settings, then drag and drop the images from the Export for Web tool to a Finder window or click Export at the bottom of the Tool Options pane

Then, you can import those images into iMovie — they'll all be the right size, so it will just be a matter of positioning them correctly.

Hope that helps!
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2020-10-15 09:08:00

Hi Andrius!
Thanks!! so so much for your very detailed instructions!
I will try this out today, If I get stuck I will ask for help if that's ok.
Best wishes
Denise
PS the links you included in my earlier post have been a great help also!
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2020-10-15 15:50:16

Awesome! I look forward to hearing how you get on. :pray:
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2020-10-18 07:50:52

Hi Andrius,
I've had a go with your instructions and have made pretty good progress!
I'll carry on to day and hopefully make a bit more.
I still haven't really even tried the effects side of Pixalmator! I look forward to that!

Thanks Andrius!
Denise.
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2020-10-18 12:23:40

Hi Andrius,
I have a question, I enclose the photo here.
Under 201 KB does 1x mean pixel? do I need to change this setting to 72 so it will be viewed better? I have exported other images from Pixalmator with the setting seen here and they seem fine. What do you reckon? thanks ! I am really enjoying using Pixalmator!
Best wishes
Denise.

Image
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2020-10-19 09:41:57

1x is the scale factor, i.e. how much this image should be scaled up or down from the original (1x means it will be the original scale). It's the default setting you should stick with unless you're preparing images for the web and you need different resolutions for different displays.
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2020-10-19 10:43:01

Hi Andius, ok thanks , I get it.
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2020-10-28 19:51:31

Hi Andius!
I'm working with text now, how do I get a subtitle effect as in -- I'll send you a photo! I want to get the black line around the text so it will stand out on a lighter picture/video.
Image

Thanks again for your help! I am watching the tutorial videos also!
Best wishes
Denise
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2020-10-28 19:56:48

You could use a filled or unfilled rectangle under the text, above the image
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2020-10-28 20:05:31

Hi! thanks for your help, yes I suppose I could, I'd really like to get it as it looks in the photo on my last post, is it possible? I'm very new to Pixalmator!
Denise.
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2020-10-28 20:14:48

Hmm. The image upload didn't work, maybe. It was the export.

Image
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2020-10-28 20:24:51

Hi dbourne,
Yes I can see the image and your example of text boxes surrounding the text. I'd like to use white text in my video,so for the light pictures I do need to outline but just with a black line, I' don't really want to change the colour of the text as I go through the video.
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2020-10-28 20:33:04

White text and a filled black rectangle?
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2020-10-28 20:48:35

You’d need to add a stroke layer style to the text – here’s some info on doing that: https://www.pixelmator.com/support/guid ... r-pro/906/
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2020-10-28 22:44:10

Hi Andrius, OK, thanks for the link, I will take a look!
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2020-10-29 10:26:43

Hi Andrius,
Great thanks for the very clear instructions! I did have a slight glitch, although it doesn't matter at the moment for what I need to achieve. The 'STROKE STYLE' menu did not work. what am I doing wrong? but otherwise great I have got just what I needed! thanks again for your help!!
Best wishes
Denise.
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2021-11-18 05:09:30

On a similar topic, how do I create an image overlay. Similar to lets say i have a tree on my face and it looks like part of my face. Kindof like a face paint. Does that make sense? Its called double exposure effect in photo shop.