I claim the copyright to this 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 layers.   If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

To do this tutorial you will also need Paint Shop Pro.  I used Paint Shop Pro 8, but the steps used may also be done in Version 7.04.  You may download a free trial at Jasc.

Remember to save as a psp file often!

Before we begin, you might want to study the PSP tool bars.  I have labeled the tools on another page.  Click on the link and it will open a new page.  You may want to keep this page open while you work on the tutorial, to refer to the names now and then.  PSP Tools

Now that you have studied the tools, let's begin!

1.  Open a new image 600 x 800 transparent background.

2.  Flood-fill this image with the color that you want your Matte frame to be.

3.  From the left tool menu, choose the selection tool and set it to Ellipse shape with antialias CHECKED.

4.  In the Center of the  image draw an ellipse.  The ellipse should be about 1/3 the height and about 1/3 the width of the image, but in the center of the image.

5.  On the keyboard, click the delete button, but keep selected!

6.  In the top menu, click Selections > Modify > Expand.  Expand by 5.

6.  While still selected, in the top menu, click Adjust > Brightness/Contrast > Brightness/Contrast.  Set Brightness = 25, Constrast = 0.

7.  In the top menu, Click Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow.  Apply these settings:  Vertical & Horizontal = 0, Opacity = 100, Blur = 2, and Color = a dark version of the color you used in your flood-fill.

8.  Your cut out should look like this:

9.  Now grab the selection tool again, but this time set it to Rounded Rectangle Shape.  In the upper right corner draw a Rounded rectangle.

10.  Repeat Steps 5 - 8, to make the cutout in the Matte look like the ellipse.

11.  Then Repeat Steps 9 & 10 to make the rest of the cutouts in the matte.  There should be 2 rectangles at the top, and then two at the bottom of the Matte.

12.  Now grab the magic wand set to tolerance = 0, and click on the color of the matte (in my case, the blue).

13.  In the top menu, click on Effects > Texture Effects > Texture.  Apply these settings:  Texture = Old Paper, Size = 35, Smoothness = 1, Depth = 2, Ambience = 0, Shininess= 0, Angle = 207, intensity = 43, elevation = 38.

14.  Save this as a psp image in case you want to use the frame again.

15.  Now press Shift + D to duplicate the frame.  Close the original.

Now we will add the images.   You will need 5 images to put into your frame.

16.  Open up the first image.  In the top menu, click Edit > Copy

17.  Then click on your frame to activate that image, and click Edit > Paste as New Layer.

18.  In the Layer Palette, drag this layer down below the Matte layer.

19.  With the mover tool, move the copied image under one of the cutouts in the Matte.  If the image needs to be resized, click Image > Resize and shrink the image to fit better in the window. Make sure that Resize All Layers is UNchecked.  Be sure this is where you want your image.  By the time you complete the next few steps, your image will be sized to fit only that window.

20.  In the Layer Palette, click on Matte Layer to activate it.

21.  Grab the magic wand tool and click inside the cutout where you have placed your picture.

22. In the top menu, click Selections > Modify > Expand and expand by 5.

23.  In the Layer palette, click on the image layer to activate it.

24.  In the top menu, click Selections > Invert

25.  On the Keyboard, press the delete key.

26.  Now repeat Steps 16 - 25, to add the other 4 images into your frame.

27.  In the top menu, click Layers > merge > Merge Flatten

28.  In the top menu, click Image > Add Borders.

29.  Set the color to a color darker than your matte color.  Check Symmetric, and make the left = 3  (They should all be 3)

30.  In the top menu, click Image > Add Borders.  Set the color to the color of your flood-fill.  Set the size = 3.

31.  In the top menu, click Image > Add Borders.  Set the color to the dark color you used in Step 29..  Set the size = 3.

32.  In the top menu, click Image > Add Borders.  Set the color to the color of your flood-fill.  Set the size = 25.

33.  With your Magic Wand , select this border.  Then Click on Effects > Texture Effects > Texture.  Apply the same settings as before.

34.  Now Repeat Steps 28 - 31. 

35.   Save this as a jpg.

Note:  I resized my matte frame to fit on this page, but you can keep it in original size and print it out on photo paper to frame on the wall. *S*

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