Diamond Bars Tag

I wrote this tutorial on my own.  Any similarity to another tutorial is purely coincidental.  I claim the copyright to my tutorial. You are free to do whatever you please with what you make, but please do not take my tutorial.  Do not send the tutorial through email.  Only share my link.

This tutorial was created for some friends of mine who wanted to begin learning more about PSP.  It is intended for beginners to learn how to use the selection tool and shapes.  If you have any questions, please feel free to Email  me.

To do this tutorial you will also need Paint Shop Pro.  I wrote this with  Paint Shop Pro X, but the steps may also be done in any version.  You may download a free trial at Corel.

Remember to save as a psp file often!

Download the Supplies.

1.  Open a new, transparent image, size = 450 x 400 pixels.

2.  Choose the paint can tool and flood-fill the image with a black background, or dark color of your choice.

3.  Layers > New Raster Layer

4.  Choose the selection tool and click on the Custom selection icon (see highlighted icon below)

5.  In the Selection box set Left = 11, and Right = 15.  We will create some vertical stripes that are 4-pixels wide (so the right number must be 4 pixels more than the left number, and the top should be zero to start at the top and bottom should be the height of your image).

6.  Choose the paint can tool and Flood-fill the selection with a gradient or color of your choice.

7.  Repeat Step 4.  Set the Left = 31, Right = 35.  The bars will be 20 pixels apart, so I have added 20 to the left and the right numbers.  Flood-fill with a gradient or color of your choice.

8.  Repeat Step 4.  Set the Left = 51, Right = 55.  Flood-fill with a gradient or color of your choice.

9.  Repeat Step 4.  Set the Left = 71, Right = 75.  Flood-fill with a gradient or color of your choice.

10.  Repeat Step 4. Set the Left = 91, Right = 95.  Flood-fill with a gradient or color of your choice.

11.  Repeat Step 4.  Set the Left = 111, Right = 115.  Flood-fill with a gradient or color of your choice.  Selection > None.

This is what it should look like.  I'm making something for Mardi Gras, so used Mardi Gras colors.

12.  Now to save us from having to use the selection tool for the bars on the right side, we will just duplicate the layer.  Right-click on the layer in the Layer Palette, and choose Duplicate.

13.  Image > Mirror.

14.  Choose the Custom Shapes tool from the Shapes tool menu.  Set the shape to the diamond shape, and CHECK create as a Vector.  Set the foreground color to NULL, and the background color to black (or the same color as your background.)  (I set my foreground to green, so you can see what I draw).  Draw out the diamond.  Let the diamond extend through 4 of the bars on each side.

15.  Objects > Align > Center in Canvas

16.  Right-click on the diamond layer and choose Convert to Raster Layer.

17.  Open Up the tube you want to be in the background.  Edit > Copy.   Click back on the bars image and choose Edit > Paste as New Layer.

18.  (Optional)  Resize this tube layer if necessary.  Image > Resize.  Set to percent and choose your percent.  Be Sure that Resize ALL Layers is UNCHECKED.

19.  In the Layer Palette, slide the Opacity to 40 %

20.  Open up the second tube.  Edit > Copy.  Click back on the bars image and choose Edit > Paste as new Layer.  Resize the tube layer if necessary. 

21.  Use the mover tool to position the two tube layers.

 22.  Add some text.

23.  Save this as a Jpeg.  File > Export > JPEG Optimizer.

 Please do not remove this tutorial from my site.  Share my url.