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For this tutorial you will need: ULead PhotoImpact - available for purchase here or Adobe Photoshop - available for purchase here or Adobe Photoshop Elements - available for purchase here or Jasc or Corel Paint Shop Pro - available for purchase here This tutorial will work in any of these programs. Filters and Materials needed If you are using PhotoImpact, you don't need any filters If you are using one of the other programs, you will need one of these filters. Super Blade Pro filter (optional)- available for purchase or free trial here or Eye Candy 3.1-available free here or Eye Candy 4000-available for purchase here Some abbreviations I used: PSP is Paint Shop Pro, PI is PhotoImpact, PS is Photoshop, and PSE is Photoshop Elements. For this tutorial, I used PSP 9, PS CS2, PSE 3 & 4 and PI XL & 11 The procedure is very basic in all programs and can be done in any version. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I prefer PhotoImpact to make my font previews. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Note: sites come and go all of the time and it's very difficult to keep the links to other sites updated. If you find some of the links to sites that offer presets, etc are not working, go to my Great Beginnings page to find the sites you need. It's updated quite often and when I find out sites are gone, I take them out at the next edit of the page. |
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Let's get started! Very easy. |
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BASIC STEPS 1. Create Canvas, transparent for a transparent gif, colored or white for a jpg 2. Type (in PSP, PS or PSE); in PI, pick 3D round and then type 3. Apply preset, filter or bevel and/or shadow 4. Save To the tutorial for your program PhotoImpact Paint Shop Pro Photoshop Photoshop Elements See the tips just below before you head off to your tutorial |
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CREATE CANVAS Create a new canvas, anywhere from 200-600 X 100 pixels - transparent or the color of background you will put them on. Using 600X100 would be the same size as the header on this page ("Create 3D Text"). For the canvas size I use for font previews or webpage headers on my website, I use a canvas 550X100. Size of canvas depends on the font, some are tall and narrow, others are short and sprawling. You can make the canvas too big at first and then crop to selection when done. ************** *Tips Canvas SIZE I start out with a blank canvas of 550X100, type the text and apply the effects. When done just select it and crop to selection. Or just use your rectangular selection tool and crop out the excess. If you are going to put it on a solid color background, just make the canvas that color and the matte color will automatically be picked when saving or save as a jpg. Font size to use I usually start with font size of 100 for my website font previews. For a smaller preview, start with font size of about 50 and see how it looks. I like the font to be the size that will fit the height of the canvas - since fonts are all different as mentioned above, I keep trying different sizes till it fits the height and then crop it to remove the excess canvas width. Font color If I am using Super Blade Pro or a PhotoImpact preset, I make the color a very pale grey, just enough color so I can see it. If you are not using SBP or a preset, make it whatever color you want it, or fill it with a pattern if you like. |
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PHOTOIMPACT Set the mode to 3D round, choose a font and a color and type the word(s). Use colored text if you are applying a bevel and shadow, use white or light grey text if using Super Blade Pro or a PI Preset. If you are using a clear or glass SBP preset, make the text the color you want it. The preset may still change it a bit though.    Click on the move tool and this selects the text. If you want to make changes, if it's before you merge any of the text samples, you can just click on the text tool with the text still selected and change font, size, etc. At this point you can choose to use PI presets or you can use Super Blade Pro or Eye Candy on them. Option 1 - Super Blade Pro (click here or scroll to the bottom to see how to use SBP) Go to Filter>Flaming Pear>Super Blade Pro and select and apply your preset. Option 2 - Eye Candy 3.1 (free) or Eye Candy 4000 (commercial)- (click here or scroll to the bottom to see how to use Eye Candy 3.1 or here for Eye Candy 4000) Go to Filter>Eye Candy 3.1 or 4000>Glass and select and apply your preset as shown in my minitut below.  Option 3 - PhotoImpact Presets In example 1, I used PI preset G16 from the Material Gallery>Gel  You can apply a preset just by having the text active and then double clicking the one you want. Since I like the text to be somewhat flat and not too sculptured, in the PI Material Gallery, Gel text, I pick the one that I want, right click, modify and apply and change the border to 4. That makes it just the way I like it.    For example, this is the unmodified preset (G21 in the Material Gallery>Gel category of PI presets)  This is the way it looks when I change the depth to 4  I like this look much better, but you will have your own preferences You can also change other things in this modify and apply window such as the color.  My favorite presets are from Deb's PI presets and of those, her gel ones are my absolute favorites. This is her bright red preset  Her gel presets have shadow as well as color so you don't need to add a shadow. Some presets have texture as well as color and dimension. In the next example I used the texture foil preset shown here and ended up with sample 3.   As you can see, it doesn't have much depth, so I added a shadow Keep all at default except change the X-offset to 3 and the Y-offset to 5.   You can see it now has more depth   I had to add shadow to this one as well, there was no shadow on the preset. I used the same shadow as shown in the shadow window above. I don't know if these are the current pages she has, I think they are old ones and I can't find the newest one, but the links here still work. http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/millenit/1716/pitutorials/objects/presets/presets1.html http://www.geocities.com/debldoya/ OPTION 4 - Simply type the text in 3D round Just make the text the color you want the end result to be, then in the text toolbar make sure it's set to 3D round, and type! This one is with no shadow.  This one is with shadow set at same settings as above, x to 3 and Y to 5, rest at default.  Click here to learn how to save it Back to top |
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PAINT SHOP PRO Open Blank canvas, white, chosen color, or transparent. In palette, change background color to your chosen color, turn the foreground color off - see screenshot (to turn color off click the button just below it as shown)  Type out your text, see settings in screenshot. Make sure it's set to floating.   After applying the text, centre it in your canvas (if you hover over it you'll see the cursor change to a move-double arrow-tool. When you see that you can move it). Light for SBP  Colored for Inner Bevel  Leave it selected. Option 1 - Super Blade Pro (click here or scroll to the bottom to see how to use SBP) Go to Filter>Flaming Pear>Super Blade Pro and select and apply your preset.  The Super Blade Pro preset I used here is from Kris - Pink Baby Boots Jelly. She owns Paint Shop Stop which is now a forum site. Option 2 - Eye Candy 3.1 (free) or Eye Candy 4000 (commercial)- (click here or scroll to the bottom to see how to use Eye Candy 3.1 or here for Eye Candy 4000) Go to Filter>Eye Candy 3.1 or 4000>Glass and select and apply your preset as shown in in my minitut below. Option 3 - Beveled If you are not using SBP, next step is inner bevel. You can play with the setting but this is the one I used (Bevel 9, 6-40-4-0-80-angle 0-25-40-a lighter color of the color I used for the text).  When you click on inner bevel, a window will come up asking if you want to rasterize the layer, say yes.  While the text is still floating and selected, you can fill it with a pattern, such as I did here. I used the same bevel settings for this one, as shown, but changed the color to white.   Click here to learn how to save it Back to top |
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PHOTOSHOP Open blank canvas; white, chosen color, or transparent; click on the text tool, pick a font, size and color for your text. It will create it's own layer. After typing it, center it with the move tool. Use colored text if you are applying a bevel and shadow, use white or light grey text if using Super Blade Pro. If you are using a clear or glass SBP preset, make the text the color you want it. The preset may still change it a bit though. If you have it snapping in place at one of the edges, just use your arrow keys on the keyboard to move it where you want it. Option 1 - Super Blade Pro (click here or scroll to the bottom to see how to use SBP) If you are using Super Blade Pro, go to your layer palette and control-left click on the T in the text layer. This will select the text. Now go to Filter>Flaming Pear>Super Blade Pro and select and apply your preset. This was done on a transparent canvas, putting the preset over white text.  This SBP preset is from Kris-Raspberry Jelly. She owns Paint Shop Stop which is now a forum site. Option 2 - Eye Candy 3.1 (free) or Eye Candy 4000 (commercial)- (click here or scroll to the bottom to see how to use Eye Candy 3.1 or here for Eye Candy 4000) Go to Filter>Eye Candy 3.1 or 4000>Glass and select and apply your preset as shown in in my minitut below. Option 3 - Beveled If you aren't using Super Blade Pro, go to Layer>Layer Style>Bevel and Emboss and apply a bevel. I used this setting for mine: Gloss contour: cove deep, 4th from the left in top row; all left at default except the gloss contour - Smooth-100-direction up-5-0-120-30 Use Global Light checked   I used a purple color for the text. Click here to learn how to save it Back to top |
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PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS Open blank canvas; white, chosen color, or transparent; click on the text tool, pick a font, size and color for your text. Type the text. Use colored text if you are applying a bevel and shadow, use white or light grey text if using Super Blade Pro. If you are using a clear or glass SBP preset, make the text the color you want it. The preset may still change it a bit though. Option 1 - Super Blade Pro (click here or scroll to the bottom to see how to use SBP) Go to your layer palette and control-click on the T in the layer, this will select all of the text. Click on Filter. When you click on Filter, a window will come up telling you to simplify your layer. Say OK to that. Now go to Filter>Flaming Pear>Super Blade Pro and select and apply your preset. This was done on a transparent canvas.  This SBP preset is from Angelic Designs; I cannot find her site. I sure wish I had saved URLs when I first started! I do now but in the meantime, I can't find all of the resource sites I used. Option 2 - Eye Candy 3.1 (free) or Eye Candy 4000 (commercial)- (click here or scroll to the bottom to see how to use Eye Candy 3.1 or here for Eye Candy 4000) Go to Filter>Eye Candy 3.1 or 4000>Glass and select and apply your preset as shown in in my minitut below. Option 3 - Beveled If you will not be using SBP, look at your Styles and Effects palette, change it to layer styles, and bevels. I used Simple Inner for mine.   If you want to change some settings of the bevel, go to Layer>Layer Style>Style Settings. I didn't like the bevel as it was so I changed the bevel depth from 5 to 3 in the Style Settings  If you want to apply a drop shadow, go to your Style Palette and choose Drop Shadows from the right hand drop down menu. Click on Low for mine.  Once you apply the shadow, if you don't like it that way, again, you can go to Layer>Layer Style>Style Settings and adjust it to your liking. Option 3 - Photoshop Elements Presets Another option, instead of using the bevel and drop shadow. In your Style Palette, click on Layer styles in the left field, and in the right field, click on categories below the separator, such as Glass buttons, complex, etc. There are some nice presets there. I made this one using Glass Buttons>Teal Glass and then applying the bevel Wacky Metallic and then a drop shadow>Low.   This one above was made using the Wow Plastic Clear preset in PSE. In PSE and PS, there is no option to pick a pattern for the matte when saving, so you have to use a solid color. I picked the green in my background here, but as you can see, in the WOW plastic one, it didn't blend in well. I used it for the others above done in PSE as well but in those cases, it blended in So in this case it's best to put it on a bg color and use that color as the matte for it.   This last one turned out the best. I went into Layer>Layer Style>Style Settings and unchecked both the Glow and the Drop Shadow, leaving only the inner bevel. I then saved it using the green matte that matches this background. I think Super Blade Pro does a better job on clear text though. Look just below to learn how to save it Back to top |
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SAVE AS A JPG If you made your text on a solid or patterned background, you can save as a jpg
SAVE AS A
TRANSPARENT GIF |
| The examples below were done using Super Blade Pro and presets |
 The shiny gold preset is from Graphic Distractions. She doesn't have presets on her site so I must have got it from one of her tutorials. I see this preset offered everywhere but can't find the creator to credit him/her. If you are the creator or know where he/she is, please let me know. |
 This is a preset from Kris, in her Jelly collection called Baby Boots Jelly. She owns Paint Shop Stop which is now a forum site. |
 This one is from State of Entrophy, called SOEclear. The color it ends up depends on the color you have your text. This one was done over white text. |
 This one is from Meadows Studio, the Glass Series, and is called Aqua Glow  This one is also from Meadows Studio in the Glass Series and is called Coconut Ice and also Just Glass This one was done over white text. |
With any of these, you can add a shadow to emphasize the 3D
effect. This is the shiny gold from Graphic Distractions as shown above, with a shadow. In PI, I changed the X to 3 and the Y to 5, left the rest at default, Transparency at 50, Shadow size 100, soft edge 10. Back to top |
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I made a few mistakes
when starting with SBP. I put them in a folder with the site name but not a shortcut to the site, and now I'm having trouble finding the sites. Learn from my mistake! LOL It's possible that some of these sites have now closed down or moved. If you are the creator or know where he/she is, please let me know. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I also separated all of the bmps and presets, putting the bmps into one main folder, and the presets into a folder with the site name. I now can't match the bmps to the presets, and I'm trying to get all of these presets again so I can match them up. A friend of mine did the same thing and has the same problem. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I do have many Super Blade Pro preset links on my Great Beginnings page, and I will be adding more as time permits. |
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If
you have any questions or suggestions, click on the email button
below to contact me.
Have a wonderful day! |
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Tutorial was written June, 2005 |
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USING SUPER BLADE PRO |
