Ellie's Treasures PS-PSE-Tuts-Adding Custom Layer Styles

For information about which fonts, programs, etc I used to construct my pages and my headers, click here.

For this tutorial you will need:
Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. 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.
Materials needed
Some layer styles, see here for a few placed you can find them
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I am assuming you know the basics of Photoshop/Photoshop Elements and where the tools can be located.
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Some abbreviations I used: PS is Photoshop, and PSE is Photoshop Elements.
The instructions are for PS, and the PSE instructions, if different than PS, are in brackets.
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This is an extremely easy tutorial and can be done by beginners.

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.

How to Install Custom Layer Styles in Photoshop Elements 5 under Windows XP
(I believe this same method is used for version 4)

I found this method in bits and pieces all over the web, took me hours to figure out how to get them to show up.
The missing factor was deleting the effects cache, and even the sites
that said to do it didn't say how or where to find it.
So here it is for you, the results of an intensely frustrating day for me.

Place the *.asl files into a folder with the same name as the *.asl file in this folder:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\5.0\Photo Creations\special effects\layer styles\
For example, if your asl file is calles stonestyles, you must name your folder stonestyles, exactly the same.
Put each layer style into it's own folder with this correct name on it.
Then delete the PSE Effects Cache so it will build a new one.
To delete the Photoshop Elements effects cache, go to
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\5.0\
and delete MediaDatabase.db3 and ThumbDatabase.db3 files. They will rebuild when you restart PSE.

Launch Photoshop Element Editor (the main program, not the graphic viewer)
and as it's loading, immediately hold down the shift key and keep it held down
until visual "Building Artwork and Effects" fully loads ( takes about 3-4 minutes )

How to Install Custom Layer Styles in Photoshop

This one is easy. Just put the .asl files into your Styles folder for Photoshop, by default it will be
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop X\Presets\Styles
replacing X with the version number of your Photoshop.
I usually keep my extras separate and out of the program
folder, so if you've done that, just put them in there.
Then in your styles palette, click on the tiny arrow on the top right and click on load styles.

Browse to your styles folder and pick the presets you want to load
They will then show up in the Styles Palette for you to choose from.

Sites offering free Layer Styles for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements
There are more, search in Google for them. I'll be adding them to my Great Beginnings page as I find them.
http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshopstyles/Free_Photoshop_Layer_Style_Effects.htm
http://www.biorust.com/downloads/browse/6/added/desc/1/
http://www.thefreelogomakers.com/pshop_styles/default.asp (pictures don't work but download links do)
http://www.chainstyle.com/free_ls.html
http://www.wz2k.co.uk/index.php?catID=13&mod=listdl

l hope you had fun!
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If you have any questions or suggestions, click on the email button below to contact me. Have a wonderful day!

This tutorial was written February 22,2007
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These tutorials are all my own creations.
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.
You may also save it to your hard drive (go to File>Save As, and save as an mht file-
this will save the pictures with the page in one single file and will open in a browser)
or print it out for your own personal use
©2003-2010 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 and her site is gone.
The font I used for all of the text on the buttons is BrockScript
The font I used for the "Adding Custom Layer Styles" tutorial header is Bucephalus.
Click on the font names 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.