Creating a Collage with Fireworks

The background image for the collage is a folded, crumpled, and stained sheet of paper. It’s not a photo, though. You’re going to draw it yourself.

Select File > New to open a new document window.
Set the size to 308 pixels wide by 340 pixels high. Set the background color to gray #999999.
Select the Rectangle tool and drag out a 149 pixel wide by 165 pixel high rectangle.
Position the rectangle 5 pixels down from the top, left corner of the canvas (X:5, Y:5).
Click the Fill category selector of the Property inspector and choose Gradient > Linear.
Click in the Fill Color box to open the Gradient editor.
Click the swatch to open the Swatches pop-up menu and use the built-in color picker to select the white swatch.
Click the right swatch in the Gradient editor and double-click just to the left to the # in the text box at the top of the Swatches pop-up menu.
Type the number #ECE9D8, and then press enter to accept the color and close the Swatches

Figure 1. The Swatches pop-up menu
Press Enter a second time to close the Gradient editor.
With the rectangle still selected, select Edit > Clone.
Use your right arrow key to move the clone to the right of the first rectangle.
Press Shift-click and select both rectangles.
Choose Edit > Clone, and then use your down arrow key to move the cloned rectangles below the first two.

Your image will look like this, but twice its size.

Figure 2. The image after being cloned

Next, you will create the crumpled edge for the background.

Click the lower left rectangle to bring up the gradient adjustment handles.
Rotate the gradient adjustment bar until the square handle touches the bottom, right of the rectangle.

Figure 3. Rotating the gradient
Select View > Grid > Show Grid, and then View > Grid > Edit Grid.
Change the cell size of the grid to 20 pixels by 20 pixels, then click OK to accept the changes and close the dialog box.

Figure 4. Changing the cell size of the grid
Click the lower right rectangle, and then select the Distort tool.

Figure 5. Using the Distort tool
Drag the lower right corner of the rectangle one grid cells up and one to the left.

Figure 6. Dragging the corner of the rectangle
Release and switch back to the standard pointer (black arrow).
Turn off the Grid.
With the bottom right rectangle still selected, click the down arrow of the Fill category selector.
Change the gradient type from Linear to Cone.
Click the Fill Color box to open the Gradient editor.
Add two new swatches by clicking twice on the empty space between the existing swatches.
Click the First swatch and change its color to #FBF9F1.
Change the second swatch color to white. The third swatch color is #DFDBC9.
The fourth swatch is white.

Figure 7. Changing the swatches
Position the gradient adjustment handle as you see in figure 8 below.

Figure 8. Positioning the gradient