If you have rendered your image out of one of the major 3D apps (3ds Max, Maya, Cinema4D etc) have you considered changing your render settings to get closer to the style of image you are after?  Most of these apps have ink or cel shader type render effects.

Another way of doing this is to make your selection of the area you want to paint, then create a new layer (shift+ctrl+n).  Your new layer should be now active with your selection still in place.  Now when you paint , your strokes are going onto the new layer not your original layer.  Now you can adjust the transparency slider of the new layer without affecting the original image underneath.  You can now perform any function on the new layer to get the effect you want (blur, erase, levels etc).

It most probably is a file association issue.  Often when a new program is installed on the computer part of the installation process involves associating certain file types with the installed program.  In the case of graphics programs this involves .jpg, .bmps. tiff etc.  If you cant find in Elements preferences somewhere to 'disassociate' file types then you can do it through Windows Explorer.

Open Explorer
Click Tools > Folder Options
Select the File Types tab
Scroll down to the file type you want to disassociate
Click 'Delete', or 'Change' if you want to open the graphic file type in another program on your computer.

If I understand your question right there are only three possibilities in printing your image. 

You either;

1. Sacrifice some of your image to fit the page
2. Fit your image to the page and accept that there will be empty space on your page
3. Or lastly change the aspect ratio of your image to distort it to fit your page

You can't get a square image to fit an A4 page without one of the above occurring.

You can crop your image to the A4 dimension where at least it will be your choice as to which elements of your picture to sacrifice otherwise you will have to create your image to the dimensions of your output source right at the start.

It sounds like you want a one-stop approach to creating the elf ears and freckles.  You could get the freckle effect that you want by using brushes but the elf ears presents its own set of challenges.  It would be difficult to get a good result using brushes for ears because they would have been created from a set perspective which probably wouldn't match the picture you are applying them too.  You would be better off learning some techniques to create the effect that you want yourself rather than looking for a one size fit all approach.  I've included two links below to get you started.  One is some skin texture brushes to help with the freckles.  The second one goes through a number of techniques which will help you create freckles as well as other retouching methods.  To create your elf ears you could mask of your images normal ear and put it on a new layer and then use the liquify tool to warp it into the pointed ear shape that you want.  Using the techniques in the second link will also help in blending all the elements together.

BRUSHES: http://photoshop.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=37427

TUTORIAL: http://www.alfoart.com/digital_photo_retouching_1.html

Another way is to use the Duotone mode (again not sure if it is in PS7)

Go to Image>Mode>Duotone
Click on the colour box to choose your colour shade.

In the "Type" box you can choose Monotone, Duotone, Tritone or Quadtone

Depending on the level of detail in your black and white image you can get some nice colour transitions using Duo, Tri and Quad types.  You can also change the curves of each of the inks to alter the balance of the colour blends.

I'm using CS2 so I'm not sure if this works in PS7, but this is the way that I would change the black lines in a black and white image to another colour.

First make sure that the image is in RGB or CYMK (Image>Mode>RGB Colour or CYMK Colour)
Then add a Channel Mixer adjustment layer (Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Channel Mixer)
Then just start adjusting the sliders till you find the colour that you want.
Adjusting the "Constant" slider helps keep the white of your image white.
For some additional adjustments you could add a Hue and Saturation Adjustment Layer on top of your Channel Mixer.

Here is a youtube video that demonstrates how to make a tileable texure in Photoshop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjB7lYXqYFE

There is also this program called Genetica that generates tileable textures from scratch that you might find interesting.

http://www.spiralgraphics.biz/genetica.htm

Thanks Teyon.
Looking at your gallery you've come along way from the Rhino days with your SubD modelling.  Some of the comments in your gallery have suggested you should turn your work into Poser products, so maybe what we are doing at MeshManglers may interest you as well?

Shane

It is open now.  I'm in the process of making the announcements in the various forums now.  Just visit the site and either list a job or add a bio.  Look around and offer any suggstions if you have them.

Shane

nruddock,

Thanks for your quick reply.  You are correct.  On closer examination of the .obj file in wordpad it appears that Bodypaint inserts an underscore in place of a space at the end of the group name.  Editing all instances of this change seems to have corrected the problem.  Thanks again for your help.

Shane

Attached Link: abr viewer

I use this little program all the time.  It allows you to view all of your brushes before loading them into photoshop.  Think of it like a thumbnail viewer for your brushes.

Shane

1. Create your watermark logo in a single colour (like black).  Does not mater if it is text, painted, or a shape from a path so long as it is on its own layer and a single colour.
2. Goto Filter>Stylize>Emboss.
3. Adjust the sliders for the effect you want.
4. Change the blending mode of your watermark layer to Soft Light.

Shane

Attached Link: Masking out Difficult Images.

Jeff,

In picture three the apple is red to start with (as can be seen in the layer history) but turns "silver" when the monochrome box is checked in the channel mixer.  When this box is checked the output channel field should show "gray" (top of the channel mixer window).  There should be no b/w effect at all on the car picture if the clipping mask has been applied to the apple layer.  Also the apple shouldn't change back to red whilst the monochrome box is checked and the output channel field displays gray.  If you uncheck the monochrome box the apple still stays silver but RGB values can be reintroduced bringing flat colour back to the apple.  With the apple image in grayscale the overlay blending mode turns the white areas transparent.  Using the channel mixer sliders simply adjusts the balance of the gray scale transitions.

If you are still having problems upload your source pictures and I'll have a look or a screen shot showing your layer history.

Shane.