Bluebellwood Frame and Background Tutorial

By: ©LismibaebisCreations
6 June 2005

Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Knowledge of using Masks and Filters necessary
(or learn how to get started here)

Please do not script my tutorials
This tutorial is my own creation, any resemblance to another tutorial is purely coincidental

Needed

Paint Shop Pro 9 (Tutorial should work with other PSP versions, some adjustments might be necessary)
Free 30 day PSP trial from Corel, available here
Letter Creator from Incredimail (optional), available here

Graphic
Graphic of choice, width greater than height

Mask
lbm1, available here

Pattern
Goldfill, available here
(Or a Goldpattern of your choice)

Filters
DCspecial Plugin "Crystal", available here
(Download dcPsych.zip)
Simple Filters, available here

Performance Notes
The settings for different Tools will stay the same throughout the tutorial, unless new setting instructions are given

Don't forget to save your work often

Frame

1) Download the lbm1 mask, unzip it and open it in PSP
Minimize mask
(You might want to save it to your mask folder, but it is not necessary))

2) Download the Goldpattern and open it in PSP
Minimize pattern
(You might want to save it to your PSP Pattern folder, but it is not necessary))

3) Open graphic of choice in PSP

4) Window > Duplicate (Shift + D)
Close original

5) Image > Resize
Settings:
Lock aspect ratio = Checked
Resolution = 72.000
Resample using = Bicubic
Width = 450 pixels
Height = Will adjust itself
Resize all layers = Checked
(My example is 450 x 338 pixels)

Please note:

The resolution 72.000 Pixels/Inch is used for best results on the computer
For Printing use 250.000 Pixels/Inch
When resizing change Resolution Settings first (if necessary)

6) Adjust > Sharpness > Sharpen
(If necessary)

7) Window > Duplicate
Minimize one copy of the Graphic for later use

8) Layers > Promote Background Layer
(If necessary)

9) Dropper Tool (E)
Pick a light color as Foreground Color
(I choose #e9e5f5)

10) Materials Palette
Settings:
Click in Background Color and choose Black
Texture = Not checked

Click Pattern Tab and choose the Goldpattern
Angle = 0, Scale = 100
Texture = NOT checked
Choose solid Color to start the Tutorial

11) Layers > New Raster Layer

12) Flood Fill Tool (F)
Settings:
Match mode = None
Sample merged = Not checked
Blend mode = Normal
Opacity = 100 %

13) Left click to flood fill new Layer with Foreground Color

14) Layers > Arrange > Send to Bottom

15) Layers Palette
Make sure that the top layer (Layer 1) is activated

16a) If you opened the mask file in PSP (not saved to mask folder):
Layers > New Mask Layer > From Image
Settings:
Source window = lbm1
Source luminance = Checked
Invert mask data = Not checked

16b) If you saved mask lbm1 to your Mask Folder:
Layers > Load / Save Mask > Load Mask from Disk
Settings:
Mask = lbm1
Source luminance = Checked
Fit to Canvas = Checked
Invert transparency = Not Checked
Hide all Mask = Checked

17) Edit > Copy Merged

18) Edit > Paste > Paste as New Image

19) Minimize new image (we will use this later for the background)

20) Activate image we have been working on by clicking on title bar of it
Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Symmetric = Checked
Size in pixels = 1
Color = Any Color not in image

21) Magic Wand Tool
Settings:
Mode = Replace, Match mode = RGB Value
Tolerance = 0, Sample Merged = Checked
Contiguous = Checked
Feather = 0
Anti-alias = Checked
Outside

22) Select the new border

23) Flood Fill Tool
Right click to flood fill selected border with Black Color

24) Selections > Invert

25) Effects > 3D Effects > Cutout
Settings:
Vertical & Horizontal = 0
Opacity = 75, Blur = 10.00
Color = Black
Fill interior with color = Not checked

26) Selections > Select None

27) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Symmetric = Checked
Size in pixels = 5
Color = Any Color not in image

28) Materials Palette
Change Background from Black Color to Goldpattern

29) Magic Wand Tool
Select the new border

30) Flood Fill Tool
Right click to flood fill selected border with Goldpattern

31) Selections > Select None

32) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Symmetric = Checked
Size in pixels = 1
Color = Black

33) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Symmetric = Checked
Size in pixels = 20
Color = Any Color not in image

34) Maximize the resized duplicate of the original graphic
(The copy we minimized in Step # 7)

35) Edit > Copy

36) Close this duplicate

37) Activate the image with the frame

38) Magic Wand Tool
Select new border

39) Edit > Paste > Paste Into Selection

40) Effects > Plugins > DC Psych/Crystal...
(The plugin might appear as DCspecial > Crystal...)
Settings:
Horizontal Angle = 118
Horizontal Facets = 182
Virtical Angle = 119
Virtical Facets = 182

41) Selections > Promote Selection to Layer

42) Flood Fill Tool
Left click to flood fill border with Foreground Color

43) Layers Palette
Lower opacity to 50

44) Layers > Merge > Merge All (Flatten)
Keep Selected

45) Effects > Plugins > Simple > Diamonds

46) Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel
Settings:
Bevel = #2, Width = 8
Smoothness = 0, Depth = 8
Ambience = 0, Shininess = 0
Color = White, Angle = 315
Intensity = 50, Elevation = 30

47) Selections > Select None

48) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Symmetric = Checked
Size in pixels = 1
Color = Black

49) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Symmetric = Checked
Size in pixels = 3
Color = Any Color not in image

50) Magic Wand Tool
Select the new border

51) Flood Fill Tool
Right click to flood fill selected border with Goldpattern

52) Selections > Select None

53) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Symmetric = Checked
Size in pixels = 1
Color = Black

54) Selections > Select All

55) Selections > Modify > Contract
Settings:
Number of pixels = 1

56) Selections > Invert

57) Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow
Settings:
Vertical & Horizontal = 1
Opacity = 50, Blur = 5.00
Color = Black
Shadow on new layer = Not checked

58) Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow
Settings:
Vertical & Horizontal = -1 (Minus)

59) Selections > Select None

60) Layers > New Raster Layer

61) Add Watermark(s)
If you have a watermark tube, see Step #61a)
If not, follow Step #61b)

61a) Place your tube and continue with Step #63

61b) Text Tool (T)
Create as Vector
Write your watermark

62) Layers > Convert to Raster Layer

63) Move Tool (M)
Move watermark to where you want it

64) Layers Palette
If necessary, reduce opacity of watermark layer

65) File > Export > JPEG Optimizer
Settings:
Compression = 25
Chroma subsampling = YCbCr 1x1 1x1 1x1 (None)
Save Exif data = Not checked

66) Minimize or close the file

Background

67) Restore Up the minimized image from Step#19
(Graphic with mask applied)

68) Image > Resize
Settings:
Width = 250 pixels
Height = Will adjust itself
(My example is 250 x 188 pixels)

69) Layers > New Raster Layer

70) Flood Fill Tool
Left click to flood fill new layer with Foreground Color

71) Layers > Arrange > Send to Bottom

72) Layers Palette
Make sure that the top layer (Layer 1) is activated

73) Image > Resize
Settings:
Resize all layers = NOT checked
Width = 50 %
Height = 50 %

74) Layers Palette
Lower opacity to 20
(Or a setting of your liking)

75) Layers > Merge > Merge Visible

76) Effects > Image Effects > Seamless Tiling
Settings:
Default Setting

If you click on the icon indicated by the hand, PSP will set it to default

77) Adjust > Softness > Soft Focus
Settings:
Softness = 90, Edge importance = 100
Include scattered light = Checked
Amount = 10
Halo size = 10, Halo visibility = 20

78) File > Export > JPEG Optimizer

79) Minimize or close the file

Letter Creator

80) Open Letter Creator

81) Header > Image
Look for the JPEG file of your frame
Alignment = Center

82) Body > Image
Look for the background JPEG file
Click on "Tile"
Choose Font and Font Size
Choose Text Color
Choose Link Color
Margins: Top 0, Left 10, Right 10

83) Footer
Your Name
Reference and link (if available) to graphic used
Name of tutorial "Bluebellwood Frame Tutorial" and link to this page
Date you created the stat

84) Finish
Choose Letter Name and Collection Name
Save Project
Add to Incredimail

I hope that you enjoyed doing this tutorial. If you have any questions, please email me at Barbara @ Lismibaebi.com.
I would love to see what you create with my tutorial.

A big thank you to the Testers from the Hootyworkshop.
Without you and Hooty's KnT Lessons I would never have got this far.