How To Mix & Match Graphics in RocketLife

Each theme in RocketLife includes a related set of Placeable Graphics. The Halloween theme, for example, offers nine: a bat, a ghost, two moons, two spiderwebs, a black cat, some pumpkins, and a spider. However, we don't restrict you to one set; you can easily grab and use any graphic in the program. (There are currently more than 800.)

In case you missed our last tutorial, Placeable Graphics are like stickers without the goo: You can drop these images on your layout and smoothly rotate, resize, and even tint or crop them.

This calendar page features two placeable graphics — a moon and a spider. (The bats are part of the Halloween theme itself.)

This calendar page mixes Placeable Graphics from two themes. Also notice how RocketLife automatically blended the main photo into the theme for an extra spooky effect. (Click to enlarge.)

The spider image came from the Halloween theme:

To add the spider graphic to our layout, we clicked the Design tab, then the Placeable Graphics tab, and then the spider image. (Click to enlarge.)

The moon image came, surprisingly, from the Garden Surprise theme:

Selecting a new theme from the lefthand column in Design mode brings up its set of Placeable Graphics. We found the perfect moon in the Garden Surprise theme. (Click to enlarge.)

Tip To add even more spooky atmosphere, we then selected the moon on the layout and made it slightly transparent, simulating fog. You'll find transparency controls in the Touch-Up tab.

Placeable graphics are especially good for scrapbooking, as RocketLife expert Kim Guymon demonstrates in this video, Digital Scrapbooking with RocketLife. And you can even add your own.

Digital Scrapbooking with RocketLife

RocketLife's layout tools are remarkably flexible. In this video, Kim Guymon of ScrapBiz and PhotoBooks{etc} shows how to use the program (version 1.0!) for scrapbooking.

Starting with a plain white theme, she loads a custom background image, a couple of photos, and some partially transparent PNG graphics. (For more on using PNGs to make your own placeable graphic "stickers," see Cool Tip: Adding Your Own Graphics and Logos in RocketLife.)

Using RocketLife's cropping, resizing, layering, and text tools, Kim quickly creates a cheerful scrapbook page with a unique personality.