Let's Read a Book

Supplies

Jasc/Corel's Paint Shop Pro. 

Alien Skin Xenofex 2 Burnt Edges Filter or any Filter that allows you to add an edge effect around your tag such as Xenofex1/Distress, Filters Unlimited2, Edges Square.  If you do not have filters that do that, you can add a straight border around the tag.

Tube of Choice  -  For this tutorial, I used a delightful image created by Suzanne Woolcott.  You can purchase her wonderful art in tube and full form at AMI which stands for Artistic Minds, Inc. 

Accessories - Library, Stack of Books and animated book.  All these items were downloaded from Microsoft Clipart Media - a wonderful site for clipart.

Please remember, when creating your signature tags, to only use permission art and to apply the copyright information on the tag.  If  you have purchased a commercial image, do add your license number as well.

**When creating your Signature tags with Paint Shop Pro, do remember to save continually.  Nothing worse than to use up your memory resources and lose everything!**

SETTING USED IN THIS TUTORIAL

Drop Shadow Settings:

Vertical Offset 2, Horizontal Offset 2, Opacity 80 Blur 5, Color Black

 

CREATING THE TAG

Step 1

Open up the library psp file.  Go to Image/Resize using the percent option at 90%, bicubic and Resize All Layers NOT checked.

Step 2

Go to Effects/Plugins/Alien Skin/Xenofex2/Burnt Edges and use these settings:

Contract/Expand Selection 0, Burnt Width 4.59, Roughness 1, Make selection transparent checked, Overall Opacity 75, Random Seed 4842.  For Burnt Color, Left click the Dropper from the filter and left click it on the green portion of the tag. The bottom color box from the filter should be black.  Or if you would rather have a different color, you can click the dropper to any color from the tag. Click ok.

Optional - if you do not have Xenofex 2:  Use any other type filter that will allow you to make an edge around the tag such as the ones mentioned above.  If you do not have any of these type filters, add a border around the tag with a width of about 3.

Step 3

If you applied an edge effect around the tag, go to Effects/3D Effects/Drop Shadow and use the settings from above.

Step 4

Open up the books psp file and go to Edit/Copy.  Make the tag image active and go to Edit/Paste as New Layer.  Left click the mover tool and place the books where you would like them on the desk. 

Step 5

Open up your tube graphic and go to Edit/Copy.  Make the tag template active and go to Edit/Paste as New Layer. If the image is too large, go to Image/Resize using the percent option, bicubic and resize all layers not checked.

Step 6

Repeat Step 3, applying a drop shadow.

Step 7

Left click the crop tool and going from left to right and down, draw a rectangle around the tag portion you wish to keep, eliminating any excess transparency.  Double left click within the rectangle or left click the check mark at the crop ribbon.

Step 8

Go to Image/Resize using the percent option at 90%, bicubic and resize all layers checked.

Step 9

Go to Layers/New Raster Layer and apply your text. Apply the same drop shadow from above.

Step 10

Go to Layers/New Raster Layer and apply your copyright information as well as license information, if applicable.

Go to Layers/Merge/Merge Visible.

Save this file as a psp or psd file.  We will add the animated book in animation shop.  Click here to continue.