Golden Hermit Frame and BG Tutorial

By ©LismibaebisCreations
6 June 2007

I have used a photograph by drash for this tutorial and thank Don for his kind permission

Skill Level: Advanced Beginner to Intermediate
Knowledge of using Filters and Masks 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

Pattern
Gold Pattern, available here
(Or a Pattern of your choice)
This will be known as "Gold Pattern" for the rest of the tutorial

Mask
Mask Conte, available here

Plugin
Xero, Filter Set 1 (Porcelain), available here

Performance Notes
This tutorial is in 5 parts:
- Preparation
- Pattern "Hermit"
- Frame
- Background
- Assembling stationary in LC

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

Preparation

1) Download the Mask and place into your Mask Folder
(I keep all "extras" in a folder in "My Documents". You can see here how I do it)

2) Download the Gold Pattern and place into your Pattern Folder

3) File > Open
Open Graphic of choice

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

5) Image > Resize
Settings:
Resample using = Bicubic
Lock aspect ratio = Checked
Resize all layers = Checked
Resolution = 72.000
Width = No greater than 386 pixels
Height = No greater than 326 pixels

6) Layers > Promote Background Layer
(If necessary)

7) Adjust > Sharpness > Unsharp Mask
Settings:
Radius = 2.00
Strength = 10, Clipping = 5
Luminance only = Not checked

8) Window > Duplicate
Minimize one copy of the Graphic

9) Dropper Tool (E)
Left click in graphic to choose a (very) light color as Foreground Color
Right click in graphic to choose a (very) dark color as Background Color
(I chose #ffedbd and #585434)

Pattern "Hermit"

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

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

11) Materials Palette
Change Foreground to Gradient
Settings:
Gradient = Foreground-background
Style = Sunburst
Horizontal & Vertical = 50
Link center and focal points = Checked
Repeat = 1
Invert = Not checked
Texture = Not checked

12) Layers > New Raster Layer

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

14) Left click to Flood fill new Layer with your Gradient

15) Layers > Arrange > Send to Bottom

16) Layers Palette
Select Top Layer

17) Layers > Load/Save Mask > Load Mask from Disk
Settings:
Mask = Conte
Source luminance = Checked
Fit to Canvas = Checked
Invert transparency = Not checked
Hide all mask = Checked

18) Layers > Merge > Merge All (Flatten)

19) Effects > Plugins > Xero > Porcelain
Settings:
Softness = 128, Strength = 181
Brightness = 155, Red channel = 0
Green channel = 0, Blue channel = 255

This will be known as "Hermit Pattern" for the rest of the tutorial

20) Edit > Copy

21) Minimize Pattern
Do NOT close

Frame

22) Restore Up the spare graphic

23) Layers > New Raster Layer

24) Selections > Select All

25) Effects > 3D Effects > Cutout
Settings:
Vertical & Horizontal = 2
Opacity = 48, Blur = 12.00
Color = Black
Fill interior with color = Not checked

26) Layers > New Raster Layer

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

28) Materials Palette
Change Background to Pattern
Settings:
Pattern = goldV
Angle = 0, Scale = 100
Texture = Not checked

29) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Symmetric = Checked
Size in pixels = 1
Color = Your (dark) Background Color

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

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

32) Select new border

33) Flood Fill Tool
Right click to Flood fill selected border with Gold Pattern

34) Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel
Settings:
Bevel = #10, Width = 3
Smoothness = 10, Depth = 12
Ambience = 3, Shininess = 10
Color = White, Angle = 315
Intensity = 33, Elevation = 50

35) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Size in pixels = 1
Color = Your (dark) Background Color

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

37) Magic Wand Tool
Select new border

38) Flood Fill Tool
Right click to Flood fill selected border with Gold Pattern

39) Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel

40) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Size in pixels = 1
Color = Your (dark) Background Color

41) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Size in pixels = 17
Color = Any Color not in image

42) Magic Wand Tool Select new border

43) Edit > Paste > Paste Into Selection

44) Adjust > Add/Remove Noise > Add Noise
Settings:
Random = Checked
Noise = 17 %
Monochrome = Checked

45) Effects > 3D Effects > Cutout

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

47) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Size in pixels = 1
Color = Your (dark) Background Color

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

49) Magic Wand Tool
Select new border

50) Flood Fill Tool
Right click to Flood fill selected border with Gold Pattern

51) Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel

52) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Size in pixels = 1
Color = Your (dark) Background Color

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

54) Magic Wand Tool
Select new border

55) Flood Fill Tool
Right click to Flood fill selected border with Gold Pattern

56) Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel

57) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Size in pixels = 1
Color = Your (dark) Background Color

58) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Size in pixels = 38
Color = White

59) Magic Wand Tool
Select new border

60) Selections > Promote Selection to Layer

61) Effects > Texture Effects > Tiles
Settings:
Tile Shape = Triangle
Tile Angularity = 56
Tile Size = 18, Border Size = 4
Smoothness = 100, Depth = 20
Ambience = 30, Shininess = 34
Color = White, Angle = 68
Intensity = 12, Elevation = 11

62) Selections > Select None

63) Layers Palette
Turn off visibility of Background Layer
(Click on eye)

64) Magic Wand Tool
Settings:
Tolerance = 40

65) Select black triangular lines

66) Flood Fill Tool
Right click to Flood fill selection with Gold Pattern

67) Selections > Invert

68) Edit > Clear OR
Hit Delete key on keyboard

69) Selections > Select None

70) Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow
Settings:
Vertical & Horizontal = 1
Opacity = 50, Blur = 0.00
Color = Your (dark) Background Color OR Black
Shadow on new layer = Not checked

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

72) Selections > Select All

73) Selections > Modify > Contract
Settings:
Number of pixels = 38

74) Selections > Invert

75) Layers Palette
Background Layer
Turn on visibility AND select Background Layer

76) Edit > Paste > Paste Into Selection
Keep Selected

77) Layers > New Raster Layer
Keep Selected

78) Materials Palette
Change Background from Gold Pattern to Background Color

79) Flood Fill Tool
Flood fill new Layer with your (dark) Background Color

80) Layers Palette
Layer Properties of Flood filled new Layer
Settings:
Blend mode = Difference
Opacity = 38
(Or a setting of your liking)

81) Layers > Merge > Merge All (Flatten)

82) Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel
Settings:
Bevel = #2, Width = 21

83) Materials Palette
Change Background from Background Color to Gold Pattern

84) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Size in pixels = 1
Color = Your (dark) Background Color

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

86) Magic Wand Tool
Settings:
Tolerance = 0
Select new border

87) Flood Fill Tool
Right click to Flood fill selected border with Gold Pattern

88) Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel
Settings:
Bevel = #10, Width = 3

89) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Size in pixels = 1
Color = Your (dark) Background Color

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

91) Magic Wand Tool
Select new border

92) Flood Fill Tool
Right click to Flood fill selected border with Gold Pattern

93) Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel

94) Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Size in pixels = 1
Color = Your (dark) Background Color

95) Selections > Select None

96) Layers > New Raster Layer

97) Add Watermark(s)
If you have a watermark tube, see Step #97a)
If not, follow Step #97b)

97a) Place your tube and continue with Step #99

97b) Text Tool (T)
Create as Vector
Write your watermark

98) Layers > Convert to Raster Layer

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

100) Layers Palette
If necessary, reduce opacity of watermark Layer

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

Do NOT close Frame

Background

102) Selection Tool (S) > Custom Selection

Settings:
Top = 60
Left = 0, Right = 56
Bottom = 360

103) Edit > Copy Merged

104) Edit > Paste > Paste As New Image

105) Image > Canvas Size
Settings:
Lock aspect ratio = Not Checked
Width = 1024 pixels*****
Height = 300 pixels
Placement = Left Middle Arrow

*****or width of your computer resolution, e.g. 1280 or 1600

106) Optional
Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow
Settings:
Vertical = 0, Horizontal = 3
Opacity = 50, Blur = 7.50
Color = Black
(Or a Setting of your liking)

107) Effects > Image Effects > Seamless Tiling
Settings:
Edge = Checked
Vertical = Checked
Width = 50, Transition = 50

108) Layers > New Raster Layer

109) Layers > Arrange > Send to Bottom

110) Selections > Select All

111) Restore Up Hermit Pattern

112) Edit > Copy

113) Minimize Hermit Pattern

114) Edit > Paste > Paste Into Selection

115) Selections > Select None

116) Layers > New Raster Layer

117) Materials Palette
Change Foreground from Gradient to Foreground Color
AND
Change Background from Gold Pattern to Background Color

118) Flood Fill Tool
Right click to Flood fill new Layer with Background Color

119) Layers Palette
Reduce opacity of Flood filled Layer to 66

120) Layers > Merge > Merge Down

121) Effects > Plugins > Xero > Porcelain

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

123) Layers > New Raster Layer

124) Flood Fill Tool
Left click to Flood fill new Layer with Foreground Color

125) Layers Palette
Reduce opacity to 62 or a setting of your liking

126) File > Export > JPEG Optimizer

You are done!
Now you can assemble the stationery in LC*** or OE

***Letter Creator

1) Open Letter Creator

2) 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 65, Right 10

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

4) Footer
Your name
Reference and link (if possible) to Graphic
Name of tutorial "Golden Hermit Frame" and link 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 special "Thank you" to the United Tut Testers that participated and who helped me make this tutorial as good as it is:)
They are (in alphabetical order):
Carisa, Debi N., Heidi J., Kat, Pat, Paula, Robin, Sue F., Wendy M.

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