FOIL BACKGROUND

This tutorial is my own creation. Any resemblance to another is purely co-incidental. Please do not copy, translate or place on another site without my written permission. You are more than welcome to use this tutorial in a group setting, but please link to this page only.

Tools needed to complete this tutorial:-

Paint Shop Pro V 8

FM Tile Tools

Redfields Craquelure

Ausmask 7

A graphic of your choice.
The graphic I have used is used with permission from Johanna Pieterman who has very kindly allowed me to use her work in my tutorials and stationery making.

If you have everything you need, let's begin.

1. A graphic of your choice. Graphics that are much longer than they are wider are best for this tutorial

2. Open your graphic of choice. Resize to no wider than 350 pixels. This tutorial works best with graphics that are longer than they are wider.

3. Shift + D and close the original graphic.

4. In your layer palette, right click on your background and promote background layer.

5. Layers, Load/Save mask, Load mask from disk and locate the ausmask7, invert transparency checked.

6. Layers, merge, merge group.

7. Effects, 3D effects, inner bevel and use the following settings:-
   • Pie Bevel
     
   • Width:       15
     
   • Smoothness:      2
     
   • Depth:      5
     
   • Ambience:      25
     
   • Shininess:      50
     
   • Color:      White
     
   • Angle:      275
     
   • Intensity:      50
     
   • Elevation:      20

8. Image, canvas size and use the following settings:-
   • Width:      1024
     
   • Height:      Height of your graphic
     
   • Placement:      Left middle arrow

9. Duplicate the Group – Raster 1 layer twice. Using your mover tool, move the two duplicate layers so that they match up across the transparent image.

10. Close the bottom layer, and making sure that one of the top two is highlighted, right click and merge visible.

11. Layers, arrange, send to bottom.

12. Making sure the merged layer is the active layer, click on your deform tool and stretch it out a little.

13. Click on any tool once you are happy it is behind the top layer.

14. Effects, Plugins, Redfield, Craquelure 3D and use the Cuneiform preset.

15. Lower the opacity of this layer to around 30-40% depending on the colours in your graphic.

16. Making sure your top layer is now the active layer, go to Effects, 3D effects, Drop shadow and use the following settings:-
    • Vertical:       0
      
    • Horizontal:      8
      
    • Opacity:       75
      
    • Blur:      3
      
    • Color:      Black
      
    • Shadow on new layer:      Unchecked

17. Merge all flatten.

18. Effects, Plugins, FM Tile Tools, seamless tile and use the following settings:-
    • Border Width:      0.172
      
    • Stretch Control:      0.172
      
    • Vertical Checked

19. Add a new raster layer for your watermark.

20. Merge all, flatten and you can now take it into Letter Creator. Letter Creator comes with the product IncrediMail.

    
    
    © An Aushorty Creation - November 2004

    
    
        

    
    

    
    Wepage design and creation by Aushorty Designs