Remarks:
You can do this tutorial in any version of Photoshop 7, CS, CS2 or CS3 (I don’t know if the previous version has a pen tool in it).

1st Step

Open your Adobe Photoshop application and browse for many pictures (press Ctrl + O to browse for file or you can access from File menu > Open). From here, we can try to merge those pictures into single desktop wallpapers with fragmented effects. It is recommended that you browse for pictures with the same resolution, you never wanted to make one of the pictures to be blurred, don’t you?

2nd Step

Now we learn how to use Pen Tool.

Activate the Pen Tool by clicking that symbol. You will find that your pointer will change its shape into Pen Tool. Then prepare a worksheet for drawing the fragments by simply creating new file (Ctrl + N or File menu > New). Set the size into your preferred desktop wallpapers size (as for me it is 1440 x 900 pixels, because its laptop widescreen, the usual size is 1024 x 768 pixels).

Let’s begin by creating a single shape first. Start by clicking your left mouse button as shown in the numbers:

To end the shape, click the place where you have started (indicated as number 4, where the location is the same as number 1). From there you can create a triangular shape.

Now you are ready to make the fragments! Follow my instructions carefully!

3rd Step

First, set the view to 50% (you can adjust the zoom by pressing Ctrl + +/-). Press F until it shows like this:

F key function is to toggle between Full Screen and Windowed Screen. The picture above is Full Screen mode with menu bar. The reason I ask you to do that is because I wanted to make a shape which is outside the workspace. This view is the best view to make shape outside the workspace. I’ll show you how:

See? Each edge is located outside the workspace. You won’t find it difficult to make in this view. A single shape has been created. Now, we create the next shape.

Further steps will become easier if you follow my instruction. This is the trick:

• Use the shape that you made before to create the next shape. How? Press Ctrl + J, this will duplicate the layer that is currently selected (currently you must be selecting the layer that contain previous shape) You can see from the picture that there is “shape 1 copy” after you pressed Ctrl + J. That is the copied shape. Now, use the convert point tool from Pen Tool. How to show Convert Point Tool? Try holding left mouse button at the Pen Tool button for a few seconds, it will show you a different variation of Pen Tool, then choose the Convert Point Tool.
• Here is the drill: Select the copied layer, and then use the Convert Point Tool to drag one edge to another place. How to drag it? You can drag by keep holding Ctrl key when you drag the edge with your left mouse button. Remember, press and hold the Ctrl key first, and then drag, not vice versa, otherwise it won’t move. If you carefully followed my instructions, the result will be like this:

That’s the trick! You don’t have to create every shape from scratch, just use the copy of each shape to create new shape.

Remember: Ctrl + J, Convert Point Tool, press and hold Ctrl, and then drag.

4th Step

The fragments are all done! The next step is to insert the pictures that you have opened. Press F again to toggle to Windowed view. Press V to activate Move Tool. Then drag each picture into the workspace by using left mouse button. You can drag anything between workspaces by using Move Tool. The result of the layers will be like this:

Don’t mind the arrangements; the point is to move all pictures to this workspace. See the layers? It is filled with new layers which contains pictures. There are currently seven shapes in this example, so I also dragged in seven pictures.

5th Step

Your task now is simpler. You just need to arrange the layers order. How to arrange the layers order? To move the order of the layer, select the layer you want to move by click on it. Then drag the layer up or down. Like this:

Watch as the pointer changes into hand shape. That means the layer you are choosing is grabbed and can be dragged. Drag it so that the order is like this:
Picture
Shape
Picture
Shape
Picture
Shape
Picture
Shape
Picture
Shape
Picture
Shape
Picture
Shape

Understand the pattern? The trick is to put each picture above one shape. Just like this:

5th Step

This time we are going to assign Clipping Mask to each picture. What is Clipping Mask? Clipping Mask is to limit the appearance of a layer in accordance to the shape of the layer below it. How is it? Still don’t understand with my explanation? To put it simply like this:

For example there are two shapes, circle and triangle. Circle shape is putted above the triangle shape (I have lowered the opacity so that you can distinct the shapes). If I set the clipping mask on the Circle shape, the result is shown on the right. As you can see, the Circle shape is limited by the Triangle shape. And that is what we are going to do! We will limit each picture so that they only show in the respective shapes below it.

How to assign clipping mask? Just simply click your Right mouse on the layer you are going to assign the clipping mask, and choose from the pop-up menu Create Clipping Mask. Now, you just right click every picture and assign Clipping Mask on it.

I won’t show you the process because it’s repetition. But the result will be like this:

Hey! It doesn’t showing! Of course it doesn’t! Because we haven’t properly arrange the pictures to the right shape. From the previous example (Circle and Triangle), you only see the Circle which is exactly above the triangle. How if the Circle is not exactly above the triangle? The result is the circle won’t appear.

That’s why, final step:

Put each picture exactly above the shape they were assigned! This step is simple but need a lot of attention. Why? Because you ONLY need to move the picture, NOT the shape. Got it? Don’t you ever move the shape for a tiny little bit, it will ruin the fragments position. How to move the picture? First, make sure you are selecting the layer which contain the picture. Then press V to activate Move Tool. Drag the picture (even though you won’t see it, the picture is there! Try grasping where it was, and then drag it until it is showing inside the shape!).

Here is the result:

Done! You can creatively experiment other effects here by adding glossy or border. Here is another example:

You can download the wallpaper in higher resolution here.

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