Foggy Frame and
Background Tutorial

By ©LismibaebisCreations
14 October 2006

I have used a photograph by fyldepicker for this tutorial and am grateful for his kind permission

Skill Level Intermediate and adventurous Advanced Beginners
Knowledge of using 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 also 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

Filters
Simple Filters, Centre Tile, available here

Graphic
Graphic of choice

Pattern
Goldpattern “goldenbeads”, available here

Texture
Texture “LB_texture1”, available here

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

This tutorial is in 4 parts:

Preparation
Pattern "Foggy"
Frame
Background

This is a long tutorial, save your work often

Preparation

1) Download “LB_texture1” texture and place into Textures folder
(I keep all "extras" in a folder in "My Documents", otherwise PSP takes longer and longer to load
You can see here how I do it)

2) Download Goldpattern “goldenbeads” and place into Patterns folder

3) File > Open
Open graphic of choice

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

5) Dropper Tool (E)
Choose light color as Foreground Color
(I chose #e6e6d1)
and a dark color as Background Color
(I chose #856d41)

6) Image > Resize
Settings:
Lock aspect ratio = Checked
Resolution = 72.000
Resample using = Bicubic
Width = No greater than 400 pixels
Height = No greater than 350 pixels
Resize all layers = Checked

7) Adjust > Sharpness > Sharpen (if necessary)

8) Window > Duplicate
(we now have 2 resized copies)
Minimize one copy

Pattern "Foggy"

9) Image > Resize
Settings:
Lock Aspect Ratio = NOT checked
Width = 250
Height = 250

10) Effects > Plugins > Simple > Centre Tile

11) Layers > Duplicate

12) Image > Flip

13) Image > Mirror

14) Layers Palette
Reduce opacity of top layer to 50

15) Layers > Merge > Merge Visible

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

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

17) Minimize Pattern
(for the rest of the tutorial I will refer to this as "Pattern Foggy")

Frame

18) Maximize second graphic

19) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Symmetric = Checked
1 pixels
Color = Black

20) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
2 pixels
Color = Any color not in graphic

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 new border

23) Materials Palette
Set Foreground to goldenbeads pattern
Settings:
Angle = 0, Scale = 100
Texture = NOT checked

24) Flood Fill Tool (F)
Settings:
Match mode = None
Sample merged = Checked
Blend mode = Normal
Opacity = 100

25) Flood fill selection with goldenbeads pattern

26) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
1 pixels
Color = Black

27) Selections > Select All

28) Selections > Modify > Contract
Settings:
Number of pixels = 4

29) Effects > 3D Effects > Cutout
Settings:
Horizontal & Vertical = 2
Opacity = 56, Blur = 12.50
Shadow Color = Black
Fill interior with color = Not checked

30) Effects > 3D Effects > Cutout
Settings:
Horizontal & Vertical = -2 (Minus)

31) Selections > Invert

32) Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel
Settings: LB Foggy Morning
Bevel #2, Width = 5
Smoothness = 31, Depth = 5
Ambience = 0, Shininess = 8
Color = White, Angle = 315
Intensity = 38, Elevation = 42

(You might want to save this setting as we will use it again)

33) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
25 pixels
Color = Your (dark) Background color

34) Magic Wand Tool
Select new border

35) Materials Palette
Set Background to pattern "Foggy"
Settings:
Angle = 0, Scale = 100
Texture = Checked, look for the "LB_texture1" texture

36) Flood Fill Tool
Floodfill selection with pattern "Foggy"

37) Effects > Artistic Effects > Enamel
Settings:
Blur = 99, Detail = 9
Density = 4, Angle = 129
Color = Your (dark) Background Color

38) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
1 pixels
Color = Black

39) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
2 pixels
Color = Any color not in graphic

40) Magic Wand Tool
Select new border

41) Flood Fill Tool
Flood fill selection with goldenbeads pattern

42) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
1 pixels
Color = Black

43) Selections > Select All

44) Selections > Modify > Contract
Settings:
Number of pixels = 4

45) Effects > 3D Effects > Cutout
Settings:
Horizontal & Vertical = -2 (Minus)

46) Effects > 3D Effects > Cutout
Settings:
Horizontal & Vertical = 2

47) Selections > Invert

48) Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel
Settings:
LB Foggy Morning

49) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
40 pixels
Color = Your (light) Foreground color

50) Magic Wand Tool
Select new border

51) Flood Fill Tool
Floodfill selection with pattern "Foggy"

52) Effects > Artistic Effects > Enamel

53) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
1 pixels
Color = Black

54) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
2 pixels
Color = Any color not in graphic

55) Magic Wand Tool
Select new border

56) Flood Fill Tool (F)
Flood fill selection with goldenbeads pattern

57) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
1 pixels
Color = Black

58) Selections > Select All

59) Selections > Modify > Contract
Settings:
Number of pixels = 4

60) Effects > 3D Effects > Cutout
Settings:
Horizontal & Vertical = 2

61) Effects > 3D Effects > Cutout
Settings:
Horizontal & Vertical = -2 (Minus)

62) Selections > Invert

63) Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel
Settings: LB Foggy Morning

64) Selections > Select None

65) Layers > New Raster Layer

66) Add Watermark

67) File > Export > JPEG Optimizer
Settings:
Set Compression value to = 25
Do NOT close file yet

Background

68) Layers > Merge > Merge Visible

69) Selection Tool (S) > Custom Selection
Settings:
Top = 50
Left = 0, Right = 42
Bottom = 400

70) Edit > Copy

71) Edit > Paste > Paste as New Image

72) Image > Canvas Size
Settings:
Width = 84
Height = 350
Placement = Left Middle Arrow

73) Layers > Duplicate

74) Image > Mirror

75) Move Tool (M)
Move top layer with left arrow until it almost touches the left gold border
(you want to see the gold, but no seam)

The screenshot shows the border before (1), during (2) and after (3) moving the top layer
The white should be transparent

76) Layers > Merge > Merge Visible

77) Image > Canvas Size
Settings:
Width = 1024
Height = 350
Placement = Left Middle Arrow

78) Effects > Image Effects > Seamless Tiling
Settings:
Mirror = Checked
Vertical = Checked
Vertical offset (%) = 0
Width (%) = 50
Transition (%) = 25

79) Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow
Settings:
Vertical = 0, Horizontal = 5
Opacity = 30, Blur = 11.20
Color = Black
Shadow on New Layer = Checked

80) Layers Palette
Make sure the "Merged Shadow" layer is selected
and
Effects > Image Effects > Seamless Tiling
Settings:
Edge = Checked
Vertical = Checked
Width (%) = 50
Transition (%) = 25

81) Layers > Merge > Merge Visible

82) Layers Palette
Turn off visibility of layer

83) Layers > New Layer

84) Flood Fill Tool
Flood fill with the pattern "Foggy"
Texture = Checked

85) Effects > Artistic Effects > Enamel

86) Layers > New Layer

87) Materials Palette
Set Foreground to Foreground Color
Settings:
Texture = Checked (LB_texture1)

88) Flood Fill Tool
Flood fill with Foreground Color

89) Layers > Merge > Merge Visible

90) (Optional)
Adjust > Softness > Soft Focus
Settings:
Softness (%) = 50
Edge importance (%) = 100
Amount (%) = 50
Halo size (%) = 50
Halo visibility (%) = 50
Include scattered light = Checked
(Depending on the graphic, choice of colors and personal preferences, the background can be done with applying Soft Focus never / once / twice - the choice is yours!)

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

92) Layers Palette
Select bottom layer and turn visibility back on

93) Layers > Arrange > Bring to Top

94) File > Export > JPEG Optimizer
Settings:
Set Compression value to = 25

You are done!
Now you can assemble the stationery in LC***** or OE Make sure to choose a bold font to make it as text friendly as possible

The name of this tutorial is "Foggy Morning", please link it to this page

*****Letter Creator

1) Open Letter Creator

2) Header; Image, look for the frame JPEG file
Align Center
Hit "Enter" on the keyboard once

3) 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 60, Right 10

4) Footer
Your Name
Reference and link (if available) to the graphic you used
Name of tutorial "Foggy Morning" and link it to this page
Date you created this stat

5) 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" goes to my testers. I couldn't do it without your help and support.