Dreaming SB Tutorial

By: ©LismibaebisCreations
10th April 2005

Skill Level: Beginner
Knowledge of using masks necessary
No outside filters

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

Needed

Paint Shop Pro 8
(Tutorial should also work with other PSP versions)
Free 30 day PSP trial from Corel, available here
Letter Creator from Incredimail (optional), available here

Graphic
Graphic of choice

Mask
Mask of choice

Let's Start

1) Open graphic of choice

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

3) Image > Resize
Settings:
Lock aspect ratio = Checked
Resolution = 72.000
Resample using = Bicubic
Width = 300 - 350 pixels
Height = Will adjust itself
Resize all layers = Checked

4) Dropper Tool (E)
Pick very light color from your graphic as Foreground and very dark color as Background color
The foreground color will be used later to floodfill and the Background color will be used for the watermark

5) Edit > Copy

6) Minimize graphic

7) File > New
Settings:
Width = 1024
Height = Height of your graphic + 25 pixels
Transparent
(For my example 1024 x 425 pixels)

8) Selections > Select All (Crtl + A)

9) Edit > Paste > Paste into Selection

10) Selections > Select None

11) Effects > Art Media Effects > Brush Strokes
Settings:
Softness = 25, Bristles = 100
Width = 5, Opacity = 30
Length = 5, Density = 50
Angle = 100
Color: Pick medium dark color from graphic

12) Effects > Image Effects > Seamless Tiling > Default Setting

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

13) Layers > New Raster Layer

14) Flood fill Tool
Flood fill new layer with foreground color

15) Layers > Arrange > Send to Bottom

16) Lower Opacity on patterned layer to something you like
(I turned mine down to 30)

17) Layers > Merge > Merge Visible

18) Minimize this tile

19) Maximize graphic

20) Layers > Promote Background Layer (if needed)

21) Layers > Load / Save Mask > Load Mask from Disk
Choose mask you want to use
Settings:
Check
Source luminance
Fit to Canvas
Hide all Mask
Invert transparency depends on mask used; you want to be able to see most of the graphic

22) Layers > Delete
Click "yes" to "Would you like this mask merged into the Layer below it"

23) Edit > Copy

24) Minimize graphic

25) Maximize tile

26) Edit > Paste > Paste as New Layer

27) Move Tool
Move graphic to the left

28a) Text Tool
Create as Vector
Write your watermark (I like to use the font Chinacat at size 8, Stroke Width 0.0, Font Style Bold)

28b) You might have a tube as a watermark
Use this instead of 28a) and continue with tutorial at Step 32)

29) Layers > Convert to Raster Layer

30) Move Tool
Move text to where you want it

31) If necessary lighten opacity of text layer

32) Layers > Merge > Merge All (Flatten)

33) File > Export > JPEG Optimizer
Settings:
Compression = 20
Chroma subsampling = YCbCr 1x1 1x1 1x1 (None)
Save Exif data = Not checked

Letter Creator

34) Open Letter Creator

35) Body; Image, look for the background JPEG file
Click on "Tile"
Choose Font and Font Size
Choose Text Color
Choose Link Color
Margins: Top = 10, Left = to the right of your graphic, Right = 10

36) Footer; Your name
Reference and link (if possible) to graphic
If appropriate, link to mask (some creators wish a link to their website)
Name of tutorial "Dreaming SB" and link to this page
Date you created this stat

37) 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.

My very first tutorial - April 2005