Click here for other examples
Click here for my friend Bobbi's version
Translated with permission from the creator, Marynez Nardi at PSPIartes
See the original tutorial here for PSP in Portuguese
     


  
They will open in a new window and print out on standard 8½" X 11" paper

For information about which fonts, programs, etc I used to construct my pages and my headers, click here.
For this tutorial you will need:
or
I've done this tutorial in PS CS3 and PSE 5
I believe it can be done in most versions.
You may have to look around for the commands but it's likely they are there.

Filters and materials needed
FM Tile Tools, trial version available here
(many of the FM filters continue to work after trial period, Blend Emboss is one of them)
A tube, psd file, or object.
Caro mask, download it here

I am assuming you know the basics of Photoshop/Photoshop Elements and where the tools can be located.
Here are some arrows and bars you can drag and drop where you need to mark or underline where you are. .
Just left click and drag to where you want it then let go.
They will stay where you put them until you close your browser.
           



1. New canvas 400X400, white; find a tube you like and pick a color from it for the tile
Open the caro mask file, duplicate it, close the original and resize the duplicate to 400X400, then copy it.
2. Flood fill with gradient or pattern (Layer>New Fill Layer>Gradient), check group
with previous layer (in PSE, PS doesn't have this option). Mode Normal, opacity 100%.
In next window pick your gradient, Style: Linear, angle 45, scale 100%, align with layer checked.
3. Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur>85 pixels
 



If you use a light color or one with a gradient close together in color like this,
you won't notice much difference, but in using a pattern or a gradient with
more difference between the colors, you will really see the difference.
Merge all (flatten image).
4. Go to Select>All. Edit>Copy. Go to File>New.
A new window will open with the right dimensions in it, select transparent, ok.
Go to Edit>Paste to paste your gradient canvas onto the transparent canvas.
5. Apply Mask
Open the Caro03 mask, duplicate it and close original, resize it to 400X400.
Control-A to select all, Control-C to copy. Go to gradient canvas, Control-V to paste mask over top,
Layer>New Adjustment Layer>invert, check the box group with previous layer (not necessary in PS).

Now you will see only the mask, you can't see the graphic. If your mask happens to be opposite,
as I have seen some, with the black part covering what you want to see instead of the white, don't invert.
In the layer palette, highlight both the invert layer and the mask layer and right click and merge layers.
Make sure you are in this new mask layer, change blending (where it says normal) to screen.

Go to Layer (in the menu bar)>Merge Visible.
Using the magic wand, click on the white part around the masked image, tolerance set at about 8
(experiment with this, make sure you set it at whatever will pick up all of the white,
but not any of the masked image), hit the delete key and it will be masked on a transparent bg.
6. Click the new layer icon in the top of the layer palette (left side, just below the word
Normal in PSE, bottom-2nd from right in PS), in the layer palette grab and pull below the gradient layer
with the left click on your mouse. Flood fill this layer with color from tube.

Right click on a layer and Flatten Image.
7. FM Tile Tools>Blend Emboss at default. 


8. Enhance>Auto Sharpen (PSE) If you don't have this command, go to Effects>Sharpen
or Enhance>Adjust sharpness, whatever command you can find for sharpening and sharpen at default.
9. Copy-paste (control-c to copy, then control-v to paste) your tube and resize so that
it fits in the first left top square. This should be just under 200 pixels in height.
(If it's a very large tube, you may want to resize it first before pasting.
Make sure in the resize window you pick image and objects.)
10. Lower opacity of tube layer (in layer palette) to about 25 or to your taste.



Merge all.
11. Effects>Simple>Quick Tile, then copy the tile (control-C)
12. With your new tile active, go to Edit>Define Pattern, (it should be open to
that pattern already when the window opens). Click on ok.
13. Open new canvas 1280X400 (I prefer the 1280 width as most modern monitors are fairly large.
You can pick another width if you like. The height has to stay at 400 as it's the height of the tile.
14. Go to Edit>Fill Layer>Contents Use-pick pattern-and in Custom Pattern drop down menu,
pick your tile out of the patterns and pick your new pattern. Click on ok.

If you think it's too dark or bright for stationery, add new layer, click on fill tool
and fill new layer with a coordinating color or white, reduce the opacity of this layer in the layer palette
till you see what you like. You can then sharpen again if you like, to bring out the embossing again.
15. Resize your tube to about 375 in height (try and keep the width to less than 350
even if your tube is not quite as high. Any wider and it's too large for a stat border),
and apply your tube to the new stationery strip, move it to the left side, add a shadow if desired.
In PSE with the tube layer active, in Artwork and effects palette, pick layer styles
and drop shadow in the drop down to the right, then pick the soft edge drop shadow.
In PS: with the tube layer active, go to Layer>Layer Style>Drop Shadow, play with the sliders.
I like my opacity set at 50%, distance at 6, spread at 13, size at 10, everything else default.



Merge all, watermark and you're done
l hope you had fun!
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Other Examples




The above two were made with a gradient with 0 repeats
The one below was made with a gradient with multiple repeats, I don't like the effect as well.
My friend Bobbi's version
Her website: http://ramblinroots.com/
If you have any questions or suggestions, click on the email button below to contact me. Have a wonderful day!
These tutorials are translated with permission from the original writer.
Any resemblance to any other tutorial is purely coincidental and unintentional.
Feel free to share any of my tutorials on this site by a link back to my site,
but do not copy and send the entire tutorial to anyone or any group.
©2003-2007 Ellie's Treasures


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Webpage Design Information
This webpage background was made in PhotoImpact with a tutorial by Deb DeHaven
 Sadly, she passed away but her tutorials just came back online, thanks to PIRCNet.
You can find the tutorial here.
 The font I used for the text on the buttons (except for Email) is BrockScript
The font I used for the tutorial header is ETHAN.
Click on the font name to download the font.
I use PhotoImpact to make all of my headers due to the amazing
3D text it has and the wonderful presets available free online
 Most of the presets I use are either the ones that come with PhotoImpact, usually the Gel ones,
or from Deb's PI Tutorials and More (see below) or Carol Oyl's site
 This is the address to Deb's old pages
 http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/millenit/1716/pitutorials/objects/presets/presets1.html
 I can't find any links to her new pages but the presets are still on this page for download.
 For more sites to find PI Presets, take a look at my Great Beginnings page.