Making a Graphic Link Button

This tutorial is the second in the Making an Animated Supporter Button series. It will use a blank button created in part one. If you have not created this button yet, please return to part one, and follow steps #1 -5.

You will need

JASC Paint Shop Pro You may download a 30-day free trial
blank button created in part one
a tube of your choice or you may download mine.

This tutorial is intended for beginning users of Paint Shop Pro. I am using Version 7, but you should be able to follow these steps with other versions of PSP. The Tutorial is also part 2 of a 3-step tutorial on making an animated supporter's button, so please try the other tutorials. Please write me if you have any questions.

1. Open the blank button that you have created in part one. Click on
open file and find the file on your computer.
2. Grab the magic wand by clicking on its icon on the left toolbar

    Click on the inside square (in mine the blue one). Marching ants
    surround the square. Grab the paint can icon , click on the
    foreground color square of the color palette (See Figure 1) and choose
    your color. I chose black (#000000). Click ok. Grab the paintcan again
    and click on the inside of the marching ants. The inside square has
    changed colors. Deselect by choosing Selections, none. You may skip
    this step if you do not want to change the color.

Figure 1 3. Use the Open file icon, and open up the tube that you chose (or mine
    that you downloaded). Click on Edit (top toolbar), and copy. Then
    click on your button image so that the title bar is selected, then click
    on Edit, then paste as new selection. The tube should appear as a
    selected image on your button.
4. The tube is probably to big. To resize, click on Image, then Resize.
    Choose percent size, change the width and height to 60. Make sure
    that resize all layers (at bottom) is UNCHECKED. Click ok. Resize
    again if you need to. Or click undo if that resized it too much. 60%
    was enough for my button. Then move the picture tube to where you
    want it on the button. Deslect the image.
5. Save the button. Click File, Save as, and save as graphbut, with file
    type= .jpg
6. Now click Effects, 3-D effects, buttonize and use these settings:
    height=8, width=8, opacity=80, transparent edge. (See Fig. 2)

7. Save the button, and you're done!

you now have a graphic link button for your site! You can also change the new file size and make a large graphic link banner. Why not try to make one? Use 486 X 80 for the size.

Go on to Part 3: Make an Animated Link Button

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© Dragon's Breath (aka The Dragon Lord), 2002, 2003. This tutorial was created by The Dragon Lord at Dragon's Breath Tutorials. It is free to use, but do not remove it from my site! Please tell your friends to come visit. Thank you. Dragon's Breath, 2002, 2003.