Plaid Halo Webset
and sig tag Tutorial

This tutorial is in two parts.  The first part creates the splash or welcome image, like above, and tells how it can be turned into a sig tag, as well.  There will be a link at the end of this page to take you to part two, where you will learn how to create the rest of the webset pieces, like the webset on this page.  So do only the Sig Tag or the entire webset!  Up to you.

This tutorial was created for some friends of mine who wanted to begin learning more about PSP.  It is intended for high beginners to intermediates to learn how to use filters.  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 or 6.  You may download a free trial at Jasc.

You will also need these filters:

•  VM Toolbox ZoomBlur Filter
• Toadies Weaver Filter
• Simple Filter

1.  Open the tube that you wish to use. On keyboard, press Shift +D, to duplicate the tube.  Close the original.

2.  Get the eyedropper tool and right-click to pick up a dark color, and left-click to pick up a light color from your tube.

3.  Click on New Image and set the width and height to 100 pixels.

4.  Flood-fill this image with the dark color, and save as background1.jpg

5.  Click New Image, same size (100 x 100) and flood-fill this image with the light color, and save as background2.jpg

You may minimize these two background tiles.

6.  Now return to your tube copy image.  In top menu, click Image > Resize, and make the biggest dimension 350.  My tube was tall, so I made the height 350.  CHECK resize all layers.

7.  In top menu, click Image > Canvas Size.  Set width & height = 500, and center.

8.  In Layer Palette, right-click on layer and choose Duplicate.  Now you have two tube layers.

9.  In Layer Palette, right-click on layer and choose Add New Raster Layer.  Name this layer Background.  Flood-fill this layer with the color you used for background1.  Drag the layer down to the bottom.  So far your layer palette should look like this:

10.  Now click on Layer 1, to activate it.  In top menu, click Effects > Plugin Effects > VM Toolbox > ZoomBlur.  Set the Amount =102, and Adjust = 23.

11.  In my picture below, I renamed this layer  ZoomBlur.  Then in Layer Palette, right-click on the ZoomBlur Layer and choose Duplicate.  Now you have  2 ZoomBlur Layers.

12.  In the Layer Palette, hide the top 2 layers by clicking on the eye and x-ing them out.  You should have one Zoomblur layer and the background open.

13.  In Layer Palette, right-click on background layer and choose Merge > Merge Visble

14.  Now working on the merged layer, in top menu, click Effects > Plugin Effects > Toadies > Weaver.  Apply these settings:  cell width = 32, cell height = 59, cell edges = 255.

15.  From the tool menu, choose the selection tool and select a part of the plaid area that you would like to use as the plaid background.  Select a square region.

16.  In top menu, click Edit > Copy.  Then Click Edit > Paste > Paste as New Image. 

17.  In top menu, click Effects > Plugin Effects > Simple Filter > Quick Tile.
Save this image as Plaidbg1.jpg.

Now I wasn't sure if that plaid region would be what I wanted, so I repeated Steps 15 - 17 and made a second plaid background by selecting a different area.

18.  Return to your layer image.  Unhide the top two layers by clicking on the red X.  And click on the top layer to activate it.

19.  In top menu, click Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow.  Apply these settings:  Vertical & Horizontal = 0, Opacity = 100, Blur = 20, color = black

And that completes your basic image.

20.  Save this image with layers intact as a psp image.

OK, if you want to make the sig tag then now would be a good time to resize your image to make the blank sig tag.  Click Image > Resize and Resize your image to 275 pixels.  Click Layers > Merge > Merge All (Flatten).  If the image looks blurry, then click Adjust > Sharpen > Sharpen.  Now follow the instructions for the rest of the splash image to learn how to put text onto the tag.

21.  Press Shift + D to duplicate entire splash template.  Minimize the original, and we will work on the duplicate.

22.  Click Layers > merge > Merge All

23.  Click Image > Resize .  Resize to 375 pixels.

24.  Choose your font tool, and click on the image.  I chose the Albemarle Swash font, set at size = 72, and the foreground & background color set to the color I used for background2.jpg.  Type in your word (Welcome if doing the splash.)

25.  While text is still selected, click Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow, and apply these settings:  horizontal 7 vertical = 1, opacity = 100, blur = 2, color = black

26.  Move the text to where you want it.  In top menu, click Selections >None (Deselect).

27.  Now save this as splash. jpg

Continue to make rest of webset
 
 

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