Paint Shop Pro I used Version 8, but I'm sure it can be done in earlier versions.

Texure Plugin. I can't find this for download any more. If you don't have this particular plugin
you can use one of the textures from PSP.

Simple Filters

20/20. A must have program excellent for making seamless tiles.

A graphic of your own choice. I have used a tube for this tutorial, however, a normal graphic is fine,
but you will need to jump through to step .

This tutorial also shows you how to put the stationery all together in Letter Creator.
This program comes with IncrediMail which is the program I use for all my mail.

This is a long tutorial. Grab youself a cuppa and make yourself comfortable.
Ok, if you have everything you need, lets get started :)

1. Open the tube of choice and hit shift+D to duplicate it. You can now close the original tube.

2. Layers, new raster layer.

3. Layers, Arrange, send to bottom.

4. With your dropper tool, chose two colours from your tube. One dark and one light, complimenting colours.

5. On your background colour, change to gradient and chose the background/foreground gradient.
   I set mine to an angle of 45 with 2 repeats, but this is a personal preference.

6. In your layer palette, close the tube layer by clicking on the eye.

7. Making sure the bottom layer is highlighted flood fill with the gradient.

8. Effects, plugins, Texturizer and use the following settings:-
   • Texture:    Sandstone
     
   • Scaling:    100%
     
   • Relief:    2
     
   • Light Direction:    Top Left
     
   • Invert:    UNchecked.

9. Make the tube layer active. Effects, 3D effects, drop shadow and add the following:-
   • Vertical:    0
     
   • Horizontal:    4
     
   • Opacity:    45
     
   • Blur:    3
     
   • Colour:    Black
     
   • Shadow on a new layer:    UNchecked.
     
   • Click on ok.

10. Merge all, flatten.

11. Hit shift + D to make a duplicate of your graphic. Save the duplicate as the background, jpeg format.
    Minimize it for now.

12. In your colour palette, change your gradient back to colour.

13. Image, Add border and add a 2 pixel symmetrical border using the foreground color.

14. Image, Add border and add a 2 pixel symmetrical border using the background color.

15. Image, Add border and add a 2 pixel symmetrical border using the foreground color.

16. Selections, select all.

17. Selections, modify, contract by 6. Selections, invert.

18. Effects, 3D effects, Inner bevel and use the following settings:-

    

19. Selections, selection none.

20. Image, add border and using the foreground colour, add a 10 pixel symmetrical border.

21. Select the border with your magic wand.

22. Change your foreground to pattern, and select the background image that we saved.

23. Angle 45, scale 100, click ok and flood fill your border.

24. Effects, plugins, Simple, 4 Way Average.

25. Effects, plugins, Simple, Diamonds.

26. Effects, plugins, simple, Half Wrap.

27. Selections, select none.

28. Change your foreground colour back to colour.

29. Repeat steps 13 to 19.

30. Image, add border and using your light colour again, add a 30 pixel symmetrical border.

31. Select the border with the magic wand.

32. Maximize the background, edit copy. You can now close this down.

33. On your framed image, edit, paste into selection.

34. Effects, Plugins, Texture, Texturizer and use the same settings as before.

35. Deselect.

36. Repeat steps 13 to 19.

    We have now finished the framing of the graphic.

37. Shift + D. Resize the duplicated copy by 75%. Adjust, Sharpness, Sharpen.

38. Click on your selection tool, rectangle and click on the custom selection button.
    Your graphic may possibly be a different size to mine, so you will need to make amendments.
    • Left and Right will be set to 0.
      
    • Bottom will be set to the height of your graphic. Mine is 262
      
    • Right will be set to the beginning of the first part of the frame. Mine is 30
      
    • If you have all of the left border you can click on ok.

39. Edit copy. Edit paste as a new image.

40. Working with this new image, Image, Canvas size, and change the settings to the same height as
    the new image, but double the width. Mine is 30 in width, so I set it to 60.
    Set you placement to the middle left arrow.

41. Click ok

42. In your layer palette, duplicate layer 1, image mirror and using your mover tool, move the two graphics
    together making sure they line up exactly.

43. Merge all visible. If you have extra space around the graphic, go to edit copy, edit paste as new image,
    and this will get rid of any unwanted transparent areas.

44. If you have set it up correctly, merge all, flatten.

45. Files, save as a jpeg and call it side bars. You can now close this image down.

46. File, new image and make a 800 x 500 transparent image. Nice and big to give us room to move.

47. Go to the original framed image....the bigger of the two and edit copy.

48. Go back to the blank transparent image, edit, paste as a new layer.
    Place this graphic near the top to the right.

49. Go to the smaller of the framed images, selections, select none if you still have the side border selected.

50. Edit copy.

51. Back to the 600 x 600 image and edit paste as new layer.

52. Edit paste as new layer two more times. You now have the large framed graphic in the upper right corner,
    and three smaller framed images.
    Using your mover tool, place the three smaller to the left in a style that you like.

53. New raster layer and add your watermark.

54. Edit, merge visible.

55. Edit, copy. Edit paste as a new image to get rid of the excess transparency.

56. If you need to resize, do so now, and sharpen.

57. File, export, Gif Optimizer.
    • Transparency tab:

      Existing image or layer transparency checked.

    • Partial Transparency tab:

      Use full transparency for pixels below 1% opacity

    • No, use the existing image color at 100% opacity checked.

    • Colors tab:

    • Colors:     256
      
    • Dithering:     100%
      
    • Standard/Web safe checked

    • Format:

      Non-interlaced checked

    Background

58. Open your background image in 20/20

59. Image, muted background and move the slider down to around the 50% mark.
    Make sure Seamless Tile is checked.

    This will, of course, depend on how dark your original graphic is :)

60. File, save.

61. You can now take this over to Letter Creator. For Instructions, click on the next button.

    Letter Creator Instructions

    • Body tab:

    • Click on image and find your background image. Then click on Tile.

    • Text:

    • Set your text to one you like, the size and click on the sample button to chose the colour of your text.

    • Margins.... Leave as default.

    • Header tab.

      Header content and Layout.

    • Click on the image button and find your main graphic. Center it by click on the text alignment button.

    • Footer Button.

    • Add any details that you like here.
      Date the stat was made, text you've used, information you may have about the tube or graphic.
      Click on the text alignment button to center this also.

    • Left button:

    • Click on the image button and find your side bar that we made. Click on the top button right next to link.

    • Right Button:

    • Repeat as for left.

    • 3D effects button:

      Select an effect that you like. Follow on to the Finish button.

    • Give the stat a name, save it in a folder. The default folder is called My Collection.

    • Click on Save Project.

    • Click on Add to IncrediMail.

    That's it, you are now ready to send to your friends and family.

    I hope you have enjoyed my tutorial.

    
    
    
    © An Aushorty Creation.