**Program Tutorials** : Photoshop Elements : *Technique

This tutorial will show you how to thread fibers through holes in tags in PSE.

1. In your layout, bring in a tag and the fiber to string it on.
2. Position the tag and fiber (each on their own layer) as desired.
   
3. In the Layer Palette, right click on the fiber layer and select Duplicate Layer.
4. In the Duplicate Layer window, rename the layer if desired and click OK.
5. In the Layer Palette, drag one of the fibers below the tag.
   
6. While holding down the CTRL key click on the tag layer in the Layer Palette. This quickly selects the outline of the tag.
7. Click on the Marquee tool in the Toolbox and click the Subtract from selection option.
   
8. Draw a rectangular marquee on the right side of the tag so that the fiber that will lay on top of the tag will not be a part of the final selection.
   
9. Make sure that the top fiber is the active layer and hit the DELETE key to delete the selection.
   
10. Select the portion of the top fiber that is to the left of the tag and delete it. This will be easier to visualize if you turn off the bottom fiber in the Layer Palette.
    Hint: To quickly clear your current selection, click CTRL+D.
11. In the Layer Palette, turn the lower fiber back on and make it the active layer.
    Hint: To make it easier to see what is happening to the lower fiber, also turn off the top fiber.
12. Using the Marquee Tool select a portion of the lower fiber from part way under the tag to the edge of your layout.
    
13. Delete the selected portion of the bottom fiber.
    
14. Add drop shadows to both fibers.
    Hint: Once you like the drop shadow on one fiber you can copy that layer style to the other fiber. Make sure the fiber with a drop shadow is the active layer. Then in the main menu select Layer> Layer Style> Copy Layer Style. Make the fiber without a drop shadow the active layer then select Layer> Layer Style> Paste Layer Style.
    
15. Looking closely at where the top fiber comes through the hole in the tag, it doesn’t look very realistic. Since the tag is actually on a layer below the fiber, it is not creating a shadow on the fiber. To fix this, use the Burn and Dodge tools to add shadows and highlights to the top fiber for a more realistic look.

    Before Dodge and Burn tools are used	More realistic result