Print calendars from Photoshop Elements Turning blank calendars into printable calendars

Importing a print calendar into Photoshop Elements

Once you’ve downloaded all 12 months from Printable Calendars (see 'Making a calendar in Elements: getting started'), you’re ready to create a 12-month printed calendar in Photoshop Elements.

First, you need to open a new document (File > New > Blank File). In Name, enter ‘January’. In this example we’ve chosen portrait A4 size, which is 210mm wide by 297mm high. Give it a resolution of 300 pixels/inch and in Color Mode choose RGB. Then click OK.

You next need to unlock your document’s single layer. Go to Windows > Layers, and double-click the layer. It should now read ‘Layer0’. Now go to File > Place, and navigate to your downloaded PDF file for January. 

In the resultant Import PDF window, there are options to choose ‘Page’ or ‘Image’. Select Image, and click OK.

The PDF is already the right width for your page, so all you have to do is position it precisely in the bottom half of your A4 document (the top half will be for your image – see below).

When you’re happy with the position of your imported January file, click the Tick icon to confirm your changes, and then flatten the image (Layer > Flatten Image) to give the PDF a solid white background instead of a transparent, checkerboard one.

Add a calendar image

It’s time now to place an image for January (File > Place) – a seasonal shot of family fun in the snow will do nicely. 

You need to pick a landscape-shaped image, because a portrait-shaped one will be too narrow and deep to fit the space.

Position the image above the dates for January, and drag the handles on the image until it bleeds off the edges of your A4 document. 

Now click the Tick icon to confirm your changes.

Create templates for other months

Much of the work you’ve done for January will serve as a template for the other months. 

To create this template you have to perform a Save As (File > Save As) 11 times – one each for the remaining months, not forgetting to give each new file a unique month name and to save them in the same location.

Now all you need to do to complete the other months is to import the relevant PDF calendar for each month, and select a suitable landscape-sized image.