POLKA DOT BACKGROUND



This tutorial is my own creation. Any resemblance to another is purely co-incidental. Please do not copy, translate or place on any other site. 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:

PSP V 8.10

Eye Candy 3

A tube of your choice.
The tube I have used is one of McHooii's tubes and is used with permission.

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

  1. Open the tube and shift + D to duplicate. Close the original.

  2. Using your selection tool set to rectangle, select a portion of your tube with a nice pattern.

  3. Ctrl + C to copy.

  4. Ctrl + V to paste as a new image. Minimize for now.

  5. Selections, select none.

  6. Image, resize, 75%, All layers Unchecked.

  7. In your layer palette duplicate layer 1.

  8. Using your mover tool, move the duplicate tube up a little and slightly towards the right.

  9. Layers, arrange, send to bottom.

  10. Lower the opacity to around 70%.

  11. Effects, Plugins, Eye Candy 3, Jiggle and use the following settings:-

    • Bubble size:     18
    • Warp Amount:     29
    • Twist:     77
    • Movement Type:     Turbulence

  12. In your layer palette, highlight the top layer and add the following drop shadow:-

    • Vertical & Horizontal:     8
    • Opacity:     65
    • Blur:     12
    • Color:     Black
    • Shadow on new layer:     Unchecked.

  13. Merge visible.

  14. Image, canvas size and use the following settings:-

    • Width:     1024
    • Height:     Original height of your graphic
    • Placement:     Left middle arrow.

  15. Duplicate the merged layer twice and space the two copies out across the rest of the transparent image.

  16. Highlight the duplicate layer that is center of your image. Image, resize and resize by 55% and lower the opacity to 30% on this layer.

  17. Highlight the duplicate layer that is furtherest to the right. Image, resize and resize by 75% and lower the opacity to 30% on this layer.

  18. Using your mover tool, move the two duplicates, so they are evenly spaced out again.

  19. Using your eye dropper, chose two complimenting colours from your tube.

  20. Change your background to gradient and chose the foreground-background gradient, linear style. Set the angle to 45, repeats set to 0.

  21. Add a new layer. Flood fill your new layer. Layers, arrange send to bottom.

  22. Making sure the bottom layer is the active layer go to Effects, Plugins, Eye Candy 3, Weave and use the Pinhole setting.

  23. If you don’t have Pinhole, the settings are:-

    • Ribbon Width:     10
    • Gap Width:     1
    • Fill Gaps:     Checked
    • Gap color:     Black
    • Shadow Depth:     0
    • Thread Detail:     0
    • Thread Length:      3
    • Smear Threads:     UNchecked

  24. Effects, Image Effects, Seamless tiling and use the following settings:

    • Edge checked
    • Vertical checked

  25. Open a new transparent image, 100 x total length of your graphic + 100.

  26. In your layer palette set your foreground to the pattern that you chose from the original tube earlier in the tutorial.

  27. Click on your pencil tool set to width 12. solid line.

  28. Holding down your shift key, draw a straight line down the entire length of your new transparent image.

  29. Effects, 3D Effects, Inner bevel and use the following settings:

    • Pie Bevel
    • Width:     10
    • Smoothness:     40
    • Depth:     10
    • Ambience:     5
    • Shininess:     6
    • Color:     White
    • Angle:     45
    • Intensity:     30
    • Elevation;     60

  30. Edit, Copy. Do not close the line graphic down.

  31. Back to our main image.

  32. Edit, paste as new layer. With your mover tool, move it so it is almost touching the left sided graphic.

  33. Repeat the drop shadow that we used earlier, but change the opacity to 45

  34. Back to our line graphic and hit the back button twice.

  35. Change your foreground to a plain colour from your graphic.

  36. Click on your pencil tool and change your line width to 5.

  37. Holding down the shift key, again draw a line the full length of the transparent image.

  38. Repeat the inner bevel.

  39. Edit copy. You can close this completely down now.

  40. Back to our main graphic, edit paste as a new layer, and place this line next to the patterned line, leaving a small space between the two.

  41. Repeat the same drop shadow.

  42. Add a new layer. Layers, arrange, bring to top and add your watermark.

  43. Merge all flatten. You can now take this into Letter Creator. Don’t forget to tile it.



        



    © An Aushorty Design – November 2004