Stairway to Heaven SB Tutorial

By ©LismibaebisCreations
29 August 2007

I have used one of my own photographs for this tutorial

Skill Level: Beginner - Advanced Beginner
No outside Filters

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

Image
Graphic of choice, ideally with central focus
(Tutorial will also work with a tube)

Mask
lbm33, available here

Performance Notes
This tutorial is in 3 parts:
- Preparation
- Sideborder
- Assembling stationery in LC

The settings for different Tools and Effects 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 open in PSP
Minimize mask

2) File > Open
Open image of choice

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

4) Layers > Promote Background Layer
(If necessary)

5) Dropper Tool (E)
Left click in image to choose a light color as Foreground Color
(I chose #e6dcfe)
Right click in image to choose a medium to dark color as Background Color
(I chose #37601a)

6) Edit > Copy

Sideborder

7) File > New
Settings:
Width = 400 pixels
Height = 350 pixels
Resolution = 72.000 Pixels / Inch
Raster Background = Checked
Transparent = Checked

8) Selections > Select All

9) Edit > Paste > Paste Into Selection

10) Selections > Select None

If you have chosen a tube:

a) Layers > New Raster Layer

b) Layers > Arrange > Move Down

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

d) Layers > Merge > Merge Visible

e) Edit > Copy

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

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

12) Effects > Distortion Effects > Twirl
Settings:
Degrees = 533

13) Effects > Distortion Effects > Wave
Settings:
Horizontal displacement
Amplitude = 5
Wavelength = 3
Vertical displacement
Amplitude = 5
Wavelength = 1
Edge mode
Wrap = Checked

14) Effects > Image Effects > Seamless Tiling

15) Layers > New Mask Layer > From Image
Settings:
Source window = lbm33
Source luminance = Checked
Invert mask data = Checked

16) Layers > Merge > Merge Group

17) Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel
Settings:
Bevel = #2, Width = 15
Smoothness = 0, Depth = 3
Ambience = 0, Shininess = 0
Color = White, Angle = 315
Intensity = 50, Elevation = 30

18) Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow
Settings:
Horizontal & Vertical = 1
Opacity = 75, Blur = 5.00
Color = Black
Shadow on new layer = Not checked
(Or a setting of your liking)

19) Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow
Settings:
Horizontal & Vertical = - 1 (Minus)
(Or a setting of your liking)

20) Image > Rotate > Rotate Clockwise 90

21) Image > Canvas Size
Settings:
Lock aspect ratio = Not Checked
Width = 1280 pixels*****
Height = 400 pixels
Placement = Left Middle Arrow

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

22) Layers Palette
Reduce opacity of Layer to 76
(You might wish to alter the opacity at a later stage to suit your image and colors)

23) Layers > New Raster Layer

24) Layers > Arrange > Move Down

25) Selections > Select All

26) Edit > Paste > Paste Into Selection

27) Selections > Select None

28) Effects > Image Effects > Seamless Tiling

29) Effects > Distortion Effects > Twirl

30) Effects > Distortion Effects > Wave
Settings:
Horizontal displacement
Amplitude = 23
Wavelength = 65
Vertical displacement
Amplitude = 7
Wavelength = 28
Repeat = Checked

31) Adjust > Softness > Soft Focus
Settings:
Softness = 66
Edge importance = 38
Include scattered light = Checked
Amount = 85
Halo size = 23
Halo visibility = 57

32) Edit > Repeat Soft Focus (Ctrl + Y)

33) Effects > Image Effects > Seamless Tiling

34) Layers > New Raster Layer

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

36) Right click to flood fill new Layer with (dark) Background Color

37) Layers Palette
Double click on the flood filled Layer to open up Layer Properties Settings:
Blend mode = Soft Light

38) Layers > New Raster Layer

39) Flood Fill Tool
Left click to flood fill new Layer with (light) Foreground Color

40) Layers Palette
Reduce opacity of Layer to 72
(Or a setting of your liking)
This will be called the Background Tile for the rest of the tutorial

41) Activate the image by clicking on its Title Bar

IMPORTANT if you are using a tube:

Skip Steps #42 - #46 and continue with Step #47
(You need the tube without background)

42) Freehand Selection
Settings:
Selection Type = Point to Point
Mode = Replace
Feather = 50
Smoothing = 7
Anti-Alias = Not checked

43) Draw around the part of the image you want to use by left clicking at intervals

When finished

Doubleclick on the beginning of the "circle"
You will now see "marching ants" and the selection has expanded because of the feathering we choose

44) Selections > Invert

45) Edit > Clear
(You might want to repeat this command 1 - 3 times)

46) Selections > Select None

47) Edit > Copy

48) Edit > Paste > Paste As New Image

49) Image > Resize
Settings:
Resample using = Bicubic
Lock aspect ratio = Checked
Resize all layers = Checked
Resolution = 72.000 Pixels / Inch
Width = No greater than 350 pixels
Height = No greater than 370 pixels

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

51) Edit > Copy

52) Click on Title Bar of Background Tile in order to activate it

53) Edit > Paste > Paste As New Layer

54) Layers > Arrange > Bring to Top

55) Move Tool (M)
Move image to the left over the "stairway"

56) Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow
Settings:
Horizontal & Vertical = 3
Opacity = 50, Blur = 20.00
Color = Your (dark) Background Color
Shadow on new layer = Not checked
(Or a setting of your liking)

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

58) Layers > New Raster Layer

59) Add Watermark(s)

If you have a watermark tube, see Step #59a)
If not, follow Step #59b)

59a) Place your tube and continue with Step #61

59b) Text Tool (T)
Create as = Vector
Direction = Horizontal and Down
Font = Arial or similar
Size = 10 - 14 (do not make it too big)
Stroke width = 0
Anti-alias = Sharp
Write your watermark

60) Layers > Convert to Raster Layer

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

62) If necessary, reduce opacity of watermark layer

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

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 = 10, Left = 360, Right = 10
Line spacing = 18 - 20

3) Footer
Your name
Reference and link (if possible) to art used
Name of tutorial "Stairway to Heaven" and link to this page
Date you created this stat

4) 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., Erin, Heidi, Kat, Kathleen, Pat, Paula, Robin, Sue F. and Wendy M.

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