 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Paint Shop Pro - Creating a Graphic John Swann |
With the advent of cheaper RAM, using (memory hungry) Layers to build images is within the reach of the average computer user. Paint Shop Pro now includes a Layers palette and a choice of Effects that can be applied to alter the appearance of a Layer. Last month we reviewed the Layer palette options and now we are ready to put a few of Paint Shop Pro's features into action and create the GS logo that appears to the right of this page. The principles are easy to master and using a combination of effects (thru trial and error) one can produce interesting results. |
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The following steps apply to Paint Shop Pro versions 5 and
6.
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A Figure 1 1. Click File then New. 2. Set Width and Height to 300 and Resolution to 150. Use 72 for Web graphics. 3. Click transparent for the background colour. To be able to create Layers and use Effects you must select 24-bit colour. 4. Click OK and Layer 1 will appear in the Layers palette. 5. The chequer pattern indicates the new Layer is transparent. |
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B Figure 2 1. Click the foreground color square on the color palette to access the dialogue box. 2. Move the slide to blue on the colour wheel or 3. Pick from the Basic Colors. 4. The selected color will appear in the square, click OK. 5. Select the Flood Fill on the tool bar. 6. Flood fill the Layer. |
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C Figure 3 1. Click new Layer button on the Layers palette. 2. Enter "type" in the name box on the Layers properties box. 3. A new Layer will be created with the name "type". This Layer will contain your text. |
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D Figure 4 1. Select red using the steps described in B then click the Type tool. 2. In the text dialogue box select the type Arial Black, style bold and size 100. 3. Type GS in the text box. 4. The text, GS will be surrounded with a dotted line. This indicates it is a floating selection. |
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E Figure 5 1. Click the Select tool on the tool bar. 2. In the Select dialogue box choose Circle from the type menu. 3. Position the cursor in the centre of the GS text and drag the dotted circle outwards. |
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F Figure 6 1. Create a new Layer and name it "shape". Select yellow and click the Flood Fill tool. Fill the circle. 2. From the Selections menu click Select None. 3. The dotted circle will disappear. |
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G Figure 7 1. Position the cursor over the Layer name shape, a thumbnail image will appear. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the active Layer down 1 space. The yellow circle will now be placed behind the GS text. 2. Click the type Layer to make it active. |
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H Figure 8 1. Click Images then highlight Effects and select Drop Shadow. 2. In the drop shadow dialogue box select black for the shadow color. Click OK. |
Save the
finished graphic as a GIF if you are using it on a Web page or TIF if you wish to print the image.
Next month we will build a simple animation using the GS logo with Paint Shop Pro's Animation Shop, suitable
for a Web page.
Reprinted from the October 2000 issue of PC Update, the
magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
