Glass Effect and Paint Shop Pro

This tutorial is by request from a member of the WrapCandy forum.  This tutorial is written in Paint Shop Pro X but will work in earlier versions as well as newer versions.  Some techniques will also work in Adobe Photoshop CS and Adobe Photoshop Elements.  This tutorial will focus on Paint Shop Pro.

There are several ways to create a glass or “domed” effect in Paint Shop Pro.  Some require a plugin.  Some examples of methods to create a glass “domed” effect are:

1. Cutout & Starburst Effect Combination

2. Balls and Bubbles Effect

3. Eye Candy 5 Impact Glass Effect

4. Shapes & Feathering

Today, we are going to focus on using our shapes and feathering options in Paint Shop Pro.  This will not require any plugins. So, let’s get started.

Step 1 – Open a new image using the following settings:

Step 2 – Select Ellipse from your preset shapes tool:

Using the following settings (located on your toolbar at the top), draw out a circle on your canvas:

Mode: Draw Circle

Line Style:  Solid

Width: 20

Anti-alias Checked

Your image should appear similar to below (depending on your color choice).  For this tutorial I am going to be using a solid gold color (we will make this into metallic as we go along in this tutorial).

Now we are going to make this metallic.

Step 3 – Right click on the Layer titled Vector and select Convert to Raster Layer

Step 4 – Go to Effects/Artistic Effect/Hot Wax Coating

Step 5 – Repeat Hot Wax Coating then go to Effects/Artistic Effects/Chrome and use the following settings:

Step 6 – Go to Effects/3D Effects/Inner Bevel and use the following settings:

Your circle frame should now appear as below (May appear differently in color depending on the color you selected as your circle initially)

Step 7 – Using your magic wand, select the area OUTSIDE of the circle and then go to Selections/Invert and then Selections/Modify/Contract and use the following settings:

Step 8 – Go to Layers/New Raster Layer and then using the flood fill tool, fill this selected area with the color, gradient or pattern of your choice.  For this tutorial I am using a pattern.  Then go to Selections/Select None.

******** NOTE ********

If you already have a design image in a circle shape, you can place it in the new raster layer without having to make the above selections.  Simply pull up the image you already have, go to Edit/Copy and then return to the workspace that contains our metallic ring and go to Edit/Paste As New Layer. Using your Pick Tool (Raster Deform if using PSP 9 or earlier) and then position it where you need it to be making sure the layer is moved (click on it and drag it below the metallic rings in the layer pallet) and sits BEHIND the metallic ring we just created. 

******** END NOTE ********

OK…so I flood filled with a pattern and then moved (as stated above) the layer BELOW the metallic ring layer.

Our image now should appear similar as below:

Step 9 – Now, we want to select the layer that has our metallic ring on it (making it the active layer) and then using the magic wand tool select the area INSIDE the metallic ring.

Now…we have a couple options here before we move along.  This tut was written for someone who wanted to make displays of glass domed (flat backed) Christmas ornaments.  So, if that is the type of display you are needing you may skip this next step and move on to step 11.  IF…however, you are wanting to make the pattern appear rounded then you will need to follow the next step.

**** NOTE ****

This next step is a great effect to use when making pearls or Christmas baubles.

**** END NOTE ****

Step 10 – With the inside of the ring selected, make the pattern filled layer the active layer (this should be called Raster 3) then go to Effects/Geometric Effects/Spherize

Adjust the size of your sphere you want to use.  For this tutorial we will be using the following settings:

Go to Selections/Select None.

Step 11 – Now, click on the metallic ring layer to make it the active layer and then using your Ellipse Tool in your Preset Shapes Tool make a circle similar to the one below (The color of your circle does not matter) But you must set the following settings:

Mode: Draw Circle

Line width should be set to 0

Anti-alias Checked

Place your solid circle as below:

Step 12 – Repeat the step above, except change the color of your circle and place it as below:

Both of these vector circles should be on the same layer which is named Vector 1.

Step 13 – Select the outer vector circle so that only that color is selected.  For example:  In my image, I will click on the white area and my “marching ants” will appear as below.

Step 14 – Go to Layers/New Raster Layer and create a new layer. Then go to Selections/Modify/Feather and use the following settings:

Now close the eye next to the vector layer so that the layer is now invisible. Then return to the new raster layer you just created (Raster 4) and make it the active layer by clicking on the layer.  At this point your workspace should appear as below:

Step 15 – Flood fill this feathered selection using WHITE. Then go to Selections/Select None. Your image will appear similar to below (depending on your pattern, gradient, color choice)

Step 16 – Now right click on the Raster 4 layer and select Duplicate then go to Image/Mirror and then Image/Flip.  Your image should appear similar to below.

Now make sure your top layer is the active layer (should read as Copy of Raster 4) and then go to Layers/Merge/Merge Down.  Double click the Raster 4 layer and name it “Glass Effect”.  Double Click the Raster 2 layer and name it “Metallic Ring”.  Double click on the Raster 3 layer and name it “Pattern”.

Save your file as a psp image that you can go into later and just change the pattern and spherize or just a pattern without spherize if desired.  This eliminates having to create the glass effect again when you need it at a later date.

That is it!  This is the way to create the glass domed effect without plugins!  Now, bear in mind, you can change the width and length of your glass effect by placing your vector circles differently if you wish.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

Bubble Gum Parlor Website Template

This is a custom website with cascading style sheet for faster loading and dynamic HTML for image roll-overs.  This is a basic website template that is not configured for zencart but could be modified to work with zencart. 
This is a one of a kind (OOAK) template that has already been purchased and no other copies of this template will be sold.  Images contain digital watermarks and copyright has been filed with the U.S. Library of Congress. To preview how this site looks in real time, please visit Sweet Sue's.


SWEET SUE has taken on a new adventure and has closed her store. It is sad to see her go!  I no longer dedicate time to designing websites as my current work does not leave me much time for website design freelancing!  

Rolled Paper Preview

This tutorial is by request of LindaJP and was written using Corel Paint Shop Pro X.  It will work in earlier versions as well as newer versions.  I have included some freebie papers for you to use to work on this tutorial along with the custom gradient that we will be using.  The papers are SOE (standard open end) candy wrapper sized. You can pick up the materials HERE.

Tools we will be using:

Custom Selection, Materials Pallet and Gaussian Blur

Step 1 – Copy the gradient from the zip folder into your gradients folder. For some this will be My Documents/My PSP Files/Gradients.  For others, you may select to place them within the program file itself.  That depends on you.

Step 2 – Open your PSP and then Open the 5 papers provided for this tutorial….or you can choose 5 papers of your own.  If using your own, please be sure your papers are set to 5.25 inches wide x 5.50 inches high. 

Step 3 – Minimize each paper so that it appears on the workspace below and out of your working area.

Step 4 – Create a new image using the following settings:

Step 5 – Click on your selection tool

at the top, on your toolbar, select the custom selection icon

and use the following settings:

Step 6 – Click on your foreground selector in the material’s pallet:

Select the pattern tab then select the drop down arrow next to the pattern

Set your category to open images

Select one of the papers that you currently have open and use the following settings

Then Click OK

Step 7 – Click on your flood fill tool

Then click with your left mouse button in the selected area to fill the selected area with the paper.

Your image will appear as below:

Step 8 – Click on your selection tool, custom selection, and use the following settings:

Select your second choice paper from the materials pallet and flood fill this area with the second paper. ((NOTE – Stripes appear better if you change your angle to 90 degrees when selecting the paper))  Just be sure to change your rotation back to 0 for the other papers. Your image will appear as below:

Step 9 – Go to selections tool, custom selection and use the following settings:

Flood fill with your third paper choice. Your image will appear as below:

Step 10 – Go to your selections tool, custom selection and use the following settings:

Flood fill with your fourth paper of choice.

Step 11 – Go to selections tool, custom selection and use the following settings:

Flood fill with the fifth paper of your choice. Go to Selections/Select None. Once all five papers have been added your image will appear as below:

Step 12 – Go to Layers/New Raster Layer and then click OK

Using your foreground selection tool in the materials pallet, click on the Gradient Tab.  Using the drop down arrow next to the gradient, set your category to all, then select the RDD-RolledPaperGradient downloaded from this tutorial.

Set your gradient using the following settings:

Flood fill the new raster layer with the gradient selected. Your image will appear as below:

Step 13 – Go to Adjust/Blur/Gaussian Blur

and use the following settings:

Go to Layers/Merge/Merge Visible.  Resize by 50% for faster loading to your website.

Your end product should appear as below:

Your rolled paper preview is now ready to be exported as a JPG file and used on your website, blog or for sharing on a forum.

SPECIAL NOTE:  I already have this saved as a script and it is for sale at one of the online stores I sell in.  Please DO NOT Script this tutorial for sale.  You may script the tutorial for your own personal use, however.

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial!

Door Hangers and the Silhouette SD

OK, so this is my first tutorial on using the Silhouette SD for cutting.  By the way, I must mention that I LOVE this machine.  It has made production so much faster!  It is especially hard to cut by hand something with rounded shapes and make them perfect.  So, I thought the Door Hangers would make a perfect example for using the digital cutter.

First, you will need a door hanger.  I have a tutorial on making bordered door hangers in PSP using a template provided from the wrapcandy forum.  You can find the tutorial HERE. 

Now….on to the tut!

Step 1 – Open your Robo Master program.  (Pretty basic right? LOL)

Step 2 – Go to File/New and use the following settings:

Step 3 – Go to Insert/File and select the door hanger jpg file you just created from the tut (or one you already had). Click in the middle of the workspace.  Your workspace will appear as below.

Step 4 – Right click on the image and select Position Settings.

 

Change your size using the settings below:

Step 5 – Move your door hanger so that it is positioned to the center of the workspace.  Then click on Get Outline.

Go To View/Fit

Set your Threshold to 128 and click the check box next to Outer Frame Only.  Then click Convert to Outline.

Your door hanger shape will change on the left hand side to appear as below.  If you are satisfied with your new shape, click Paste then Exit.

Your workspace will now have a rectangle around it identifying that a shape has been added to the image.

Step 6 – Add 8.5 x 11 sheet of card stock to your printer and then go to File/Print.  Be sure your printer is selected.  Adjust the number of copies you want of the door hanger.  Then click OK.

Your door hanger will be printed on the card stock with the registration marks for cutting identification by the Silhouette SD.

 

Step 7 – Place the print out on the carrier using the guidelines provided on the carrier sheet.

Step 8 – Load the carrier sheet into the Silhouette SD cutter.

Step 9 – Return to the Robo Master software and click on the Craft Robo Icon in the toolbar.

Select the number of copies you will be cutting and select the page range of All.  Then click OK.

Change your Media Type to Card without Craft Paper Backing.

Adjust settings should not be checked.  And notice the cap color changes from the blue shown above to yellow in the image below.  This means we need to change our blade cap to the yellow cap.  If you do not have the yellow cap on, change it now. (Be sure to close the cover after you have changed the blade cap)

Click on the Next button on the bottom right of the toolbox. It will prompt you to change your cap.  Then click the Next button again.  Make sure your Design Orientation is set to Portrait.

Click on the Next button.  You will be prompted to load the media.  If you did not already load the carrier sheet, do so now then click OK. Click on the Next button and make sure your Search Registration Mark is checked.

Click the Next button again.You will be prompted to begin cutting.  Click on the Cut button.

The Silhouette SD will begin searching for the registration marks and then prompt you when the machine is ready to cut.

Click OK and the door hanger will be cut from the cardstock.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and have learned how to create custom shapes with your Silhouette SD!  Happy Crafting!