ABC PSP - Tutorial 09

Plugins/Filters

By LismibaebisCreations
November 2007
Revised May 2021

Skill Level: Absolute Beginner using PSP
This tutorial is written for Windows 10

This is Lesson 09 of a series of tutorials for the absolute beginner with PSP.
It is recommended that you complete the tutorials in numerical order, as each new one will build on the knowledge gained by the previous tutorials

This tutorial is my own creation, any resemblance to another tutorial is purely coincidental

Plugins and Filters are used in PSP to change the look of images.

There are hundreds of different Plugins and Filters.
Many are free, but a few are PTU (Pay To Use).

PaintShop Pro 2021 only has a 64-bit version, this means that many (older) plugins do no longer work.
If you have a version that has both a 32-bit and 64-bit version, you need to install and use the 32-bit version to work with plugins.

To be visible in PSP, Plugins and Filters need to have been converted to 8bf format.

Tutorials often come with a link to the Plugin/Filter required.
If the link is no longer valid, just type the name into a search engine like Google.
Some Plugins and Filters can be hard to find and at times friends might be able to help.

Some filters only work if imported into "Filters Unlimited", email me Lismibaebi at gmail.com if you need a download link.

You might find that some of your plugins will not work past Windows XP.
If you had the plugin for quite a while, it is worth downloading it again, some have newer versions which work past Windows XP.

The program "FM Patcher" is available here (free to download and use).
With this program it is possible to get quite a few plugins converted so that they work past Windows XP.
Unfortunately some plugins will not work past Windows XP, no matter what you do.

Most filters are made for the Photoshop program.
To be able to use them in Paint Shop Pro, you need to install 2 extra dll files into the system folder in "Windows".
Download the zip file with the 2 dll files: http://www.lismibaebi.com/ABC_09_Plugins/2dllforPSP.zip.
With some browsers it doesn't seem to work to download by clicking on the link.
You might have to copy/paste the link into a new tab in your browser.

I have a folder called "Plugins" in my "PSP Extras" folder,
(instructions are in ABC Tutorial #07 - Organizing PSP "Extras").
I make a new Subfolder for each Plugin or Filter I download.

PSP only recognizes one file if several share the same name.
To make such an "invisible" file visible in PSP, you will need to change the particular Plugin name by adding a number or letter to the beginning of the file name.

Most Plugins and Filters will work after simply placing them into the Filter Folder.
Only a few need to be specially installed.
Those filters come with an .exe file and need to be installed in the Program Files.
Note: You will have to restart PSP after adding/installing new Plugins and Filters for them to become visible.

Make sure you have the necessary "File Location" settings in place for PSP.
(Instructions can be found in ABC Tutorial #07 Organizing PSP "Extras").

Since we will go into the Program Files with this tutorial I suggest that you create a new Restore Point now. Instructions here

Placing the dll files

1) Download the "2dllforPSP.zip" file, unzip the files and place them into
"SysWOW64" folder

Please be careful while you do this

Write "This PC" in the Windows "Start"

Click on "C:" drive > Windows > SysWOW64

Needed

Paint Shop Pro - I used X2
Free 30 day trial from Corel, available here
Keep in mind that many plugins no longer work with PSP 2021, you may choose to try to get an older version elsewhere

Image

Image abc3pict.jpg,
(you should have it in your ABC Folder, if not, it's available here

Filters

Simple Filters, available here

Preparation

1) Download Simple Filters
Unzip and place into a new folder called "Simple Filters" in the Plugin folder in "Documents"

2) Open PSP

3) File > Open
abc3pict.jpg in PSP
(if you have not saved it, download the image)

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

5) Effects > Plugins > Simple > 4 Way Average

This should be your result:

Use Edit > Undo and try out the other Simple Filters to see the different effects you can get

Good luck with building up your Plugin and Filter collection!

Suggestions for future ABC Tutorials are welcome

I hope that you found this tutorial helpful.
If you have any questions, please email me: Lismibaebi at gmail.com

A special "Thank you" goes to my Tester Group who helped me to get this tutorial first released in 2007.