Tutorial 11

Using a Gradient Background and Motion Blur

In this tutorial you will be using a Gradient to create a Background and Motion Blur, both of which can be found within PSP.

Supplies needed:-

PSP - I am using PSPXI but this will work in most versions.

PSP Tube - The one I used is from Creographix and can be downloaded from Creographix. You will find this particular tube in the Sport section.

Frame of choice.

Font of choice. I used Calligrapher available Here

Open your psp image/tube in your workspace and minimise it until you need it. You are now ready to start making your tag. Remember to save your work often so that if your program or pc crashes you do not have to start from the beginning again.

Open a new image :-

Set your colours to a dark and pale colour from your tag colours. I used #C5111 as the foreground colour and #F4817B as my background layer.

Click on the little drop down on your foreground colour as above :-

The box will open as above . The block colour signifies colour, the striped arrowed box is for gradients, and the chequered one below it is for patterns. Click on the gradient box and you will get the following box:-

Click on the drop down box and find the foreground/background gradient, and then set the gradient at the above settings, i.e. Angle 45, Repeats 0 and the Linear Style. Flood fill your image with this gradient. Your image should now look something like this depending on your colour choice:-

Rename this layer background gradient.

Open your Creddy Tube and making sure that the teddy layer is active copy and paste it as a new layer onto your image. Click on the tube layer in your layers palette and duplicate the layer. Rename the original tube layer Motion Blur, and the copy Tube. Click on the eye on the top layer to hide it and make sure the bottom tube layer is your active layer:-

Resize your image using the settings below, make sure that Resize All Layers is unchecked :-

Now move your images so that the larger one is towards the bottom right of the image, and the smaller one is up slightly and to the left , you will need to make your top layer visible for this step. You should have something like this:-

Hide your top layer again and make sure your lower image layer is still the active layer.

We are going to give the effect of movement in the tag by adding a "Motion Blur". Go to Adjust, Blur, Motion Blur:-

Use the settings as below, Angle 311, Strength 100:-

If you have used a different tube to mine, you might need to adjust the angle of the blur to suit your tube. If you imaging the centre dot of the angle dial in the above screen shot as your tube, the arm will show you the angel the blur will run .

Now make the top layer visible and active and add a drop shadow:-

with the following settings:-

Horizontal and Vertical 4, Opacity 75, Blur 5, Colour Black . Then repeat the drop shadow changing the Horizontal and Vertical settings to -4.

Now we can add some text. Click on the text tool and choose the Font you have chosen. If you downloaded Calligrapher and opened and minimised it with your supplies, it should show in your drop down menu of fonts available. I used the following settings:-

Now choose a colour for your text. You need to pick a background colour, and then blank off/null the foreground/stroke colour. I used #FEFEFE for mine.

Add your text, position and resize to suit your tag, and then right click on the Text layer and convert it to a Raster Layer. Add a drop shadow using the original settings you used on the tube.

Now is the time to add your "Tagged By" or watermark layer and the © layer from your Creddy tube. Save the image as a psp image then merge all the layers.

Ok,click on "Image" in the top menu bar, scroll down and you will see Picture Frame:-

Click on the drop down menu and locate a frame of your choice. Mine was called Fire and Smoke. Make sure you have Frame Canvas, and Frame Outside of Image Ticked.

Click OK and your tag is now ready to export or save as a jpeg:-

Now you can save your tag as a jpeg and the tutorial is finished.

If you have any queries on this tutorial , please contact me. I would also love to see your results.

This Tutorial was written in July 2010 by Helen Peachey, and the concept of the tutorial is copyrighted.
Please feel free to LINK to the tutorial and/or print it out for your personal use,
but please do not copy it in any way to put online, pass out or re-write without permission.
The image you create using this tutorial is for you to do what you wish except for monetary gains or for merchandising.
© Peachies Designs and Tutorials. Any Resemblance to another tutorial is purely coincidental.