POOLED 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. 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 V9

Greg’s Factory Output II

A Graphic of your choice.

Graphics that are much wider than they are long will work best with this tutorial.

The graphic I have used is used with permission from Cris Ortega who has very kindly allowed me to use his wonderful artwork for my tutorials.

20/20


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

  1. Open your graphic of choice and resize so that it’s no longer than 350 pixels.

  2. Shift + D to duplicate the image twice. Minimize one of your copies for now, and close the original off.

    FRAME

  3. In your layer palette, right click on the background layer and duplicate this layer five (5) times.

  4. In your layer palette, highlight copy of background layer.

  5. Image, resize and resize by 95%, all layers Unchecked.

  6. Highlight copy (2) of background and resize by 90%.

  7. Continue moving up your copies resizing all layers by 5% less than the previous. The top layer, copy (5) of background will be resized by 75%.

  8. In your layer palette, highlight layer copy (2) of background.

  9. Selections, select all.

  10. Selections, float.

  11. Selections, defloat.

  12. Effects, Plugins, Greg’s Factory Output Vol II, Pool Shadow and use the default settings.

  13. Effects, 3D Effects, Inner Bevel and use the following settings:-

    • Pie Bevel
    • Width:      14
    • Smoothness:      2
    • Depth:      5
    • Ambience:      0
    • Shininess:      10
    • Color:      White
    • Angle:      357
    • Intensity:      45
    • Elevation:      30

  14. Highlight copy (4) of background and repeat the Pool Shadow.

  15. Repeat Inner bevel settings.

  16. In your layer palette, highlight the top layer.

  17. Selections, select all.

  18. Selections, float.

  19. Selections, defloat.

  20. Effects, 3D Effects, Drop shadow and use the following settings:-

    • Vertical & Horizontal:      4
    • Opacity:      55
    • Blur:      5
    • Color:      Black

  21. Repeat the drop shadow changing your vertical and horizontal to –4 (minus)

  22. Highlight your top layer.

  23. Repeat the Pool Shadow.

  24. Highlight your bottom layer.

  25. Repeat the Pool shadow and inner bevel settings.

  26. Merge all, flatten.

  27. Image, add border and add a 25 pixel white border. Select the border with your magic wand.

  28. Right click on your minimized graphic, edit, copy.

  29. Back to our framed image, edit, paste into selection.

  30. Effects, 3D Effects, Inner bevel and use the same settings as before.

  31. Add a new layer for your watermark. Resize if you like and sharpen if necessary.

    BACKGROUND

  32. Save your minimized copy of your graphic in jpeg format as your background.

  33. Open in 20/20.

  34. Image, muted background and using the slider, move it down to around the 50% mark, or whatever looks good for you.

  35. You can now put it altogether in Letter Creator.



    © An Aushorty Creation – August 2005