This tutorial will show you how to create a tag using a mask. Most of you who already have experience with masks will not need the specific steps included here. Those who are beginners and want to learn do need them.

Preparations:

1. Use this image - pointing finger - to mark your place. Just drag it along as you read each line.

2. Open your PSP.

3. Go to the bottom of your Windows desktop. Look at your taskbar which is located to the right of your Start button. It lists all the windows folders and programs you have open. Look for an empty spot. Right Click and hold mouse down on that blank space.

4. A menu pops up. Select "Tile Windows Vertically". You should now have the tutorial and your own PSP open side by side. This will aid you in following the tutorial.

5. Download the mask here HERE:.


Let's Begin:

• 1. Extract the mask from the zipped folder.
  
  
• 2. Open your PSP program.
  
  
• 3. Open your mask and set it aside
  
  
• 4. Create a new transparent image 250 x 250
     
  
  
• 5. Select your flood fill tool and your colors. This tut used foreground FDE7FD and background 783C84 as shown in materials graphic below:
  
  
  
• 6. Fill image with foreground color - lighest one
  
  
  
• 7. Go to Layers/New Raster Layer.
  
  
  
• 8. Fill new layer with background color - darkest one
  
  
  
• 9. Now go to Layers/New Mask Layer/From Image
  
  
  
• 10. Use the dropdown tab and select KaraM13 - Source luminance and click OK
  
  
  
• 11. Your layer palette should look like this:
  
  
  
• 12. Then go to layers/Merge/Merge Group
  
  
  
• 13. Select your top layer
  
  
  
• 14. Select your text tool (Set at VECTOR) and your text color - this tut used white:
      
  
  
• 15. Apply your text then position it. Convert to a Raster Layer by Right Clicking on your Vector layer.
          
  
  
• 16. Then add your Effects - bevel/drop shadow/etc
      
  
  
• 17. Merge Visable
  
  
  
• 18. If you want you can buttonize it
  
  
  
  
  
• 19. Congratulations, you are now finished and are ready to save! This tut used JPEG to save but you can use GIF if you prefer.

Please be sure to share your results with everyone. Use your imagination - mirror image the mask pattern, use various colors, and see how they come out. Hope you had fun!

Here is the same tag I made with my name on it.

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This tutorial was written by Cathie for PSP Times Three.
Any similarities to other tutorials is merely a coincidence.
©   PSP Times Three
~March 2007~