Christian Creations PSP Tutorials  

Mini Tutorials

This page will contain small "tutorials" some of these are replies to "How did you do that?" questions and/or just some quick stuff I came up with while I was playing.  Note:  Since I am using PSP8 I will most likely be pointing to menus and buttons there.  However I am sure the majority of them will also work in PSP7 and maybe even earlier versions.

Quilted Background

1. Create a New canvas. (Click File|| New [Ctrl+N])

Width = 200 pixels
Height = 200 pixels
Resolution = 72.00 pixels
Background = Raster
Color Depth = 16 Million Colors (24 Bit)
Color = Transparent Checked

2. Click your Flood tool and reset to default. In Tool Options set the Match Mode to None

3. Select a color you like by clicking on it in the colors box located on the materials palette.

4. Click in your canvas to fill it with the chosen color.

5. Click Effects || Texture Effects || Blinds. Settings: Width = 25, Opacity = 25, Horizontal = Checked, Light From Left Top = Checked. For color right click on the color box and click on the top color box beside other (this is color you filled your canvas with) now left click in the color box to open the materials dialog. Left click a little above the circle in the color box to choose a darker color in the same family. Click OK in the Materials dialog and click OK in the Blinds dialog.

6. Click Effects || Texture Effects || Blinds. Settings: Width = 25, Opacity = 25, Horizontal = UNChecked, Light From Left Top = Checked. This applies the blinds again but since we unchecked horizontal the lines will be going horizontally this time.

7. Click Image || Rotate || Free Rotate (Ctrl+R) Right 45.00 and All Layers checked. Click OK.

8. PSP 8:  Click on the Selection tool and click the Custom button in the Tool Options palette and enter the following numbers:  Left = 88, Top = 88, Right = 195, and Bottom = 195. Click OK.
PSP 7: Double click on the Selection tool and enter the following numbers: Left = 88, Top = 88, Right = 195, and Bottom = 195. Click OK.

9. Edit || Copy (Ctrl+C) and Edit || Paste || Paste as new image (Ctrl+V).

10. On the new image click Image || Resize (Shift+S) Width and Height = 100 Pixels (if percent change to Pixels) Click OK.

11. Save (File || Save) that's it.

Quilted Look

Open a new image 200x200 transparent

Flood fill with color or gradient of your choice (I am sure a pattern would work too).

Click Effects>Texture Effects>Blinds Set width to 10, Opacity I used 45 but it varies as to what you want. Color varies I used dark blue for both, Horizontal and Light from left top both checked. Just remember to play around with the Opacity and Color settings until you get something you like.

Click Effects>Texture Effects>Blinds and apply the same thing except this time UNCHECK Horizontal.

Rotate>Free 45 degrees (I used right but left would work too).

PSP 8:  Click on the Selection tool and click the Custom button in the Tool Options palette and enter the following numbers:  Top 50 Left 50 Right 150 and Bottom 150 on the first one orTop 30 Left 70 Right 170 and Bottom 130 on the second one.
PSP 7: Double click on the Selection tool and enter the following numbers: Top 50 Left 50 Right 150 and Bottom 150 on the first one orTop 30 Left 70 Right 170 and Bottom 130 on the second one.

Edit>Copy (Ctrl+C)

Edit>Paste>Paste as new image (Ctrl+V)

On the new image apply Simple filters Quick Tile.

That's it!

Quick Faded Background

I do this a lot when I need a quick background for something like a stationery which displays a graphic.  That way the background matches the graphic.

Open the original graphic and duplicate it by either going to Window>Duplicate or typing Shift+D.

You may want to resize the image if it is really big.

Add a new raster layer and flood fill it with white.

Reduce the transparency to 50-75% depending on your image.  I used 65% in the example above.

Layers>Merge Visible

Apply Simple Filters Quick Tile or Diamonds whichever gives you the effect you like the best.  I used Quick Tile for the one above because diamonds rotates the image.

Save.

White Wood Pattern

I love to create my own patterns when doing tutorials so my creations don't look like everybody else's. This is a pattern I made when doing a Toy Bench tutorial.

Create a New canvas. (Click File|| New [Ctrl+N])

Width = 200 pixels
Height = 200 pixels
Resolution = 72.00 pixels
Background = Raster
Color Depth = 16 Million Colors (24 Bit)
Color = Transparent Checked

Flood Fill with white.

Click Effects || Texture Effects || Texture. Reset to default. Choose Woodgrain from Preset list. Click OK.

Adjust || Softness || Soften then Adjust || Softness || Soften More

Select your flood fill tool Settings: Match mode = None, Blend Mode = Lighten, and Opacity = 50. Flood your image with White again.

Click Effects || Image Effects || Seamless Tiling. Reset to default and Click OK. That's it.