December 28, 2016

How to Make a Hexagon Photoshop Collage

There are plenty of collage maker tools out there, but none are quite as satisfying as creating your own collage using Photoshop

In this tutorial, I'm going to take you through the process of creating a hexagon/honeycomb photo collage using the tools that come with Photoshop. 

We'll use the Custom Shape Tool to create Hexagon shape, Free Transform command to resize/reposition images and shapes, Clipping Mask to clips the image layer into the Hexagon layer, and the Horizontal Type Tool.

Let's get started!
HoneyComb/Hexagon Photoshop Collage
Final result.

Download This Template

Download Hexagon/HoneyComb Photoshop Collage template here or find others free Photoshop Collage Templates here. 

Video: How to Make a Hexagon Photoshop Collage.

If you liked my tutorials, please subscribe to my YouTube channel - JTSGraph.

1. Create a new Document
Choose File> New (or Ctrl+N). 

In the pop-up window, type a name in the Name field and enter the following information: 

Width 3000 pixels, Height 2000 pixels, Resolution 300 Pixels/Inch, Color Mode RGB color, and Background contents Transparent or White. 

Click OK.

2. Choose Custom Shape Tool
Select the Custom Shape Tool from the Tools panel (or just press U). 

Press Shift+U to cycle through the six available shape tools until the one you want is active.

In the Options Bar, make sure Shape is chosen from the menu then choose shape color. 

To choose the color of the shape, click the color swatch in the options bar, and then choose a color available. 

You can also choose a color from the Color Picker. 

Lastly, enter a value for the stroke size and select a hexagon shape from the Custom Shape pop-up panel.

If you do not find a hexagon shape in the panel, click the arrow in the upper-right corner, and choose “All”. 

When asked to replace current shapes, click OK to replace current shapes with the shapes form “All”.
Custom Shape Tool.
The Custom Shape Tool.

Click the color swatch in the options bar, and then choose a color available.
Click the color swatch in the options bar, and then choose a color available.


You can also choose a color from the Color Picker.
You can also choose a color from the Color Picker.


Select a Hexagon shape from the Custom Shape pop-up panel.
Select a Hexagon shape from the Custom Shape pop-up panel.


If you do not find a hexagon shape in the panel, click the arrow in the upper-right corner, and choose “All”.
If you do not find a hexagon shape in the panel, click the arrow in the upper-right corner, and choose “All”.


Click OK to replace current shapes with the shapes form “All”.
Click OK to replace current shapes with the shapes form “All”.

3. Draw a Hexagon Shape
To draw a Hexagon Shape, click inside your document and drag away from the starting point. 

When you release your mouse button, Photoshop completes the shape and fills it with your chosen color.
Draw a hexagon shape.
Draw a hexagon shape.

4. Rotate 90 degrees The Hexagon (Optional)
Select Edit> Transform Path> Rotate 90 CW.
Rotates 90 degrees.
Rotates 90 degrees.

5. Duplicate Shape
Now duplicate the Hexagon shape by going to Layer> Duplicate Layer, or else by pressing Ctrl+J

Then reposition your duplicate shape layer using Edit> Free Transform Path

You can edit the shape as follows:
  • Resize the Hexagon shape by dragging any corner while holding down the Shift key to keep the shape does not distort (if you need to resize it).
  • Move the Hexagon shape by clicking and hold anywhere inside the shape and drag.
  • Rotate the Hexagon shape by moving your cursor farther out from any corner until you see two arrows. Click and hold, then drag the shape (if you need to rotate it).
  • Press Enter key when you are done.
Duplicate the Hexagon shape layer as many as you want and then arranged it all to your satisfaction. 
Duplicate the layer and then reposition it using Free Transform.
Duplicate the layer and then reposition it using Free Transform.

Duplicate the hexagon layer as many as you want to create honeycomb.
Duplicate the hexagon layer as many as you want to create honeycomb.

6. Insert Picture
Stock images used in this Photoshop Collage tutorial: vegetables-573958, spice-370114, soup-1006694, sausage-556491, potatoes-637370, parmesan-1002838, lasagna-1900529, greens-266560, food-712665, food-516044, clay-pot-622750, bell-pepper-569070.

Select the hexagon layer to which you want to insert a picture. 

Go to File> Place to open the picture you'd like to insert. 

Navigate to the folder that contains your image file then select the name of the file you want to open. 

If your file does not appear, try to view all files by selecting All Formats from the Files of type list. 

Click the Place button.

You can now edit the picture as follows:
  • Resize the picture by dragging any corner while holding down the Shift key to keep the picture does not distort.
  • Move the picture by clicking and hold anywhere inside the image and drag.
  • Rotate the picture by moving your cursor farther out from any corner until you see two arrows. Click and hold, then drag the picture.
  • Press Enter key when you are done.
    Insert picture.
    Insert picture.

    7. Create Clipping Mask
    On the Layers panel, make sure the layers to be clipped are listed consecutively. 

    Remember, you must stack the image layer above the Hexagon layer. 

    Click the image layer to be clipped, then choose Layer>Create Clipping Mask (or press Alt+Ctrl+G) to create clipping mask. 

    When layers are put into a clipping mask, the content of the bottommost layer (the Hexagon layer), clips the layers above it (the image layer).
    Stack the image layer above the Hexagon layer.
    Stack the image layer above the Hexagon layer.

    the content of the Hexagon layer, clips the image layer.
    The content of the Hexagon layer, clips the image layer.

    8. Insert Other Picture
    Repeat steps 6 through 7 to open and manipulate each picture you'd like to insert.
    Insert all images.
    Insert all images.

    9. Group All Hexagon Layer
    While holding down the Shift key, click all the hexagons and images layer and then choose Layer>Group Layer.
    while holding down the Shift key, click on all hexagons and images layer.
    While holding down the Shift key, click on all hexagons and images layer.

    Group layer.
    Group layer.

    10. Add Text
    Select the Horizontal Type tool from the Tools panel (or press T).

    Press Shift+T to cycle through the four available type tools until the one you want is active. 

    Your cursor will look like an I-beam, similar to the one you see in a word processing program. 

    Select type Options, such as font, style, size, and color, in the tool Options bar.

    Click on the part of your image where you want to add text in Photoshop. 

    Enter your text. 

    To start a new paragraph, press Enter. 

    When finished, click the Commit button on the Options bar or you can just press Ctrl+Enter

    Photoshop creates a new type layer. 

    You can a add drop shadow layer style to your text by choosing Layer>Layer Style>Drop shadow.
    the Horizontal Type tool.
    The Horizontal Type tool.

    Add text.
    Add text.

    11. Save Your Document
    Choose File>Save (or Ctrl+S) to save your project file. 

    The Save As dialog box appears. 

    Navigate to the folder where you want to store your project file. 

    Type a name in the File Name text box and leave the default Photoshop (*.PSD;*.PDD) format. 

    Click Save to store the project file.

    Once you have finished, you will probably also want to use File>Save As (Shift+Ctrl+S) to export the image in a more widely used format, such as JPEG, PNG, TIFF, etc.

    Here is the result:

    8 comments:

    1. How do i reorder the images after i have inserted all images onto layers?

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. No, you can't. You must reorder all the images and the shape layers together

        Delete
    2. how to put 1 image into multi hexagon ?

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Please see this tutorial https://youtu.be/dFpbDbaPq2o thank you

        Delete
    3. how to put an photo into multi hexagon?

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Please see this tutorial https://youtu.be/dFpbDbaPq2o

        Delete
    4. Thank you! This saved me a ton of research and trial and error!

      ReplyDelete
    5. jis chij k lye yaha p redirect kiya h wo kha h bhai mre shapes download k lye agr shapes usme mil jti to tri video delhte kya yr hadd h

      ReplyDelete