For information about which fonts, programs, etc I used to construct my pages and my headers, click here.
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For this tutorial you will need: ULead PhotoImpact - available for trial or purchase here or Corel Paint Shop Pro (or Jasc PSP pre version X)- available for trial or purchase here or Adobe Photoshop - available for trial or purchase here or Adobe Photoshop Elements - available for trial or purchase here ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This tutorial will work in any of these programs and will also work in most graphic programs that support layers and filters and expanding the canvas. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Filters and Materials needed Italian Editors Generatore-Pattern Pirotecnico- available free here - click on the little filmstrip icon to download, click on next to see more filters Simple-Quick Tile, available free here
FM Tile Tools (optional)-Blend Emboss, available free
here
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this is
commercial, but after the time limit
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Let's get started! |
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1. Open your tube, duplicate and close original To duplicate, in PhotoImpact it's Control-D, in Paint Shop Pro it's Shift-D; In PS/PSE: right click on title bar of the picture and pick Duplicate or go to Image>Duplicate. In older versions of PS you may have to use Control-A to select all, Control-C to copy, up to File>New>it will automatically be set up for what you have in the clipboard, so say ok, then Control-V to paste the picture in. |
| Create the background tile |
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2. Open canvas 200X200.
(make the
tile divisable by your tube or desired stationery height so it
tiles easily. |
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3. Effect (or Filter)>Italian Editors Generatore> Pattern
Pirotecnico> leave top at default, play with bottom 3 to get the
color you like- |
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4. Effect (or
Filter)>Simple>Quick Tile It should look like this now  |
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5 (optional). Mute to make it lighter
and or go to Effect (or
Filter)>FM Tile Tools>Blend Emboss at default To mute, in PI go to Edit>Fill>Color, pick the color you want and lower the transparency in the bottom right field In PSP, add new raster layer, fill with desired color and lower the transparency in the layer palette In PS/PSE go to Layer>New Fill Layer, fill it with color, then lower the transparency in the layer palette FM Tile Tools Blend Emboss window  After Mute  After Blend Emboss  |
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If you are just
making the tile and not assembling into stationery, you're done
Back to the top For those going on, in PI copy your tile and minimize, in PSP just minimize, and for PS/PSE you must define the tile as a pattern. While having your tile canvas highlighted, go to Edit>Define Pattern, give it a name and save. 
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| Bordered Stationery Strip |
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6. Open your tube resized to
about 300 or less in width. Open a new canvas, 1280 X the height of your tile (as explained in step 2) |
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7. Fill the new canvas with your tile PhotoImpact Copy your tile then go to Edit>Fill>Image>clipboard - check "tile the image" and apply. Deselect (control-D) Paint Shop Pro Click below one of the palette colors and change it to pattern, then click on the color box and click on the pattern of your open tile, use your bucket or fill tool to fill the selection. Deselect (control-D) Photoshop/Photoshop Elements Go to Edit>Layer>Fill Layer>Pattern,  in the next window make sure you click on group with previous layer,  in the next window pick the pattern you just defined, it should already be there but if not just click on the arrow and find it; click on link with layer, and leave the rest at default; 
(in PS you can also go to Edit>Fill>Pattern) |
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8. Copy your tube, paste it into the stationery strip to the
left Apply a shadow if desired. 9. Merge all (or flatten), watermark and done. Save as a jpg and don't forget to optimize (see just below for optimizing tips)  Back to the top |
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Optimizing PhotoImpact: I normally optimize the jpg at anywhere from 60-80, just check the preview window and see how it looks. I use 60 the most but sometimes you need it optimized less for a good graphic. Paint Shop Pro: I normally optimize at about 10-12 Photoshop/Photoshop Elements: I normally save at medium. |
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Assemble the stationery To assemble it into stationery, go to the following links: http://www.ellies-treasures.com/statdesign/lc-sideborder/lc-sideborder.html These tutorials on assembling stationery are for Incredimail only, at this point. One day, I'll write a basic tutorial on how to assemble them for Outlook Express. I don't know if you heard, but the new Vista Operating System from Microsoft, coming out later this year or early next year, has replaced Outlook Express with a different email program, called Windows Mail, so as people switch to Vista, I'm not sure what that will mean for OE stationery. |
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That's it! You're
done!! Stationery I created with this tutorial: On the Cold Seat in the Winter section Butterfly and Yellow Roses in the Floral section Jungle Gang in the Animals-Wild section Star Cat in the Animals-Wild section as well as the Fantasy section Back to top |
Some more examples  |
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If
you have any questions or suggestions, click on the email button
below to contact me. |
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These tutorials are all my own creations. |
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