Hand Crafted Gold Text

Objective: To utilize the selection tool for creating hand-crafted, high quality text.

Tools Used: Flood Fill Tool, Text Tool, Edit Selection, Move Tool

Palettes Used: Materials Palette, Tools Toolbar, Tool Options Palette, Layers Palette

Effects Used: Gradient, Gaussian Blur, Drop Shadow

Types of Layers Used: Raster, Vector

Paint Shop Pro works a real treat when it comes to creating custom hand crafted, high quality text. We think you'll agree that this text is suitable for printing greeting cards for any occasion. Achieving these types of effects without the use of third party add-ons, filters, or plug-ins is actually very simple in any graphics program.

Step 1

Start by creating a new image 450 X 250 pixels. Set the background color to #631218.

This Background layer will be our border around the main image. Now we'll create a gradient border for the primary background.

Layers > New Raster Layer... > OK

On the Materials palette, set your Forground color to #631218 and your Background color to #c1272f

On the Materials palette,click on the Foreground color and select the Gradient tab. Select the Foreground-background gradient and use the following settings:

Selections > Select All

Selections > Modify > Contract...> Number of pixels: 2 > OK

On the Tools toolbar, select the Flood Fill Tool (F) Flood Fill Tool (F) and fill the selection.

Selections > Select None

It would be kind of pointless for me to show you such a large blank image at this point, so I'll shrink it down to conserve bandwidth, but at least you'll know whether or not we're all on the same page. Your image should now look similar to this:

Step 2

Now that the boring part is out of the way, let's start the main highlight to this tutorial, the gold text. But first let me explain for just a moment what your going be doing here. Usually, If I create something really unique, I try to remember how I did it as quickly as possible. If your the type that creates lots of graphics, you'll forget just as quickly as you create it. So, what we're going to do with this tutorial is pass along a very simple tip.

We're going to name the layers as the colors that we'll be using. This way, should you ever want to remember how you created this effect, all you'll need to do is resort to the source file that I know your going to save. You are going to save it aren't you? We'll if you don't, you can always come back here to re-take the tutorial, but it really is a good habit to get into. For all of you that have downloaded my free psp source file(s).. I know.. I don't always practice what I preach. I'm impatient at times and always feel in a hurry. That's my story...

It's only five layers, so let the fun begin.

On the Materials palette, set your Background color to #c6b89e

On the Tools toolbar, select the Text Tool (T) Text Tool (T)

On the Tool Options palette I've chosen the Monotype Corsiva font (you can substitute this with the Symbol font) and these are my settings:


Click towards the center of the canvas where you would like to place your text. Enter your text in the Text Entry dialog box. I've entered "2007":

Layers > Convert to Raster Layer

Layers > Properties...

Change the Name: Raster 2 to #c6b89e > OK

Now, let's create a selection from our text and save it to the Alpha channel.

Selections > Select All [Keyboard shortcut: CTRL + A]

Selections > Float [Keyboard shortcut: CTRL + F]

Selections > Defloat [Keyboard shortcut: CTRL + Shift + F]

Selections > Load/Save Selection > Save Selection To Alpha Channel... > Save

Don't de-select yet!

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

When the New Raster Layer Properties box opens, Name: #5b3004 > OK

On the Materials palette, set your Foreground color to #5b3004

Selections > Modify > Contract... > Number of pixels: 1 > Okay.

On the Tools toolbar, select the Flood Fill Tool (F) Flood Fill Tool (F) and fill the selection:

This filled layer represents our upper left edge. We want to remove the excess fill, but rather than do it manually, we'll put the selection into edit mode and use the buttons on our keyboard. This will help keep create a small crisp edge and is almost essential when working with narrow style fonts. You see this better in a moment.

Selections > Edit Selection

Your selection is now a salmon pink color:

On the Tools toolbar, select the Move Tool (M) Move Tool (M)

Using the arrow keys on your keyboard move the selection down one pixel and to the right one pixel:

Take the selection out of edit mode

Selections > Edit Selection

Now hit the DELETE key on your keyboard:

Don't de-select yet!

Let's put the selection back into edit mode!

Selections > Edit Selection

On your keyboard move the selection left four pixels:

This layer represents our lower left edge. Take the selection out of edit mode

Selections > Edit Selection

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Name: #8f4619 > OK

On the Materials palette, set your Foreground color to #8f4619

On the Tools toolbar, select the Flood Fill Tool (F) Flood Fill Tool (F) and fill the selection:

Trim off the excess

Selections > Edit Selection

On the Tools toolbar, select the Move Tool (M) Move Tool (M)

On your keyboard move the selection right three pixels:

Selections > Edit Selection

Now hit the DELETE key on your keyboard:

Selections > Select None

This next layer that we're going to create represents the "reflection" from the background beneath our text. If our background was blue for example, we would select blue for our foreground color. I generally try to pick a color from that background that is between the top and the bottom of the text.

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Name: #62160f > OK

On the Materials palette, set your Foreground color to #62160f

Selections > Load/Save Selection > Load Selection From Alpha Channel... > Load.

Selections > Modify > Contract... > Number of pixels: 3 > Okay.

On the Tools toolbar, select the Flood Fill Tool (F) Flood Fill Tool (F) and fill the selection:

Trim off the excess

Selections > Edit Selection

On the Tools toolbar, select the Move Tool (M) Move Tool (M)

On your keyboard move the selection right two pixels:

Selections > Edit Selection

Now hit the DELETE key on your keyboard:

Selections > Select None

Because this is suppose to be a reflection, we don't want it that crisp. Let's blur it very slightly! It's to small to go out of bounds of the main text so we're not going to worry about loading an alpha channel to keep it within the text.

Adjust > Blur > Gaussian Blur > Radius: 1 > OK

Now the final layer that really adds the class to this!

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Name: #ffffff > OK

On the Materials palette, set your Foreground color to #ffffff

Selections > Load/Save Selection > Load Selection From Alpha Channel... > Load.

Selections > Modify > Contract... > Number of pixels: 1 > Okay.

On the Tools toolbar, select the Flood Fill Tool (F) Flood Fill Tool (F) and fill the selection:

Trim off the excess

Selections > Edit Selection

On the Tools toolbar, select the Move Tool (M) Move Tool (M)

On your keyboard move the selection down two pixels and left one pixel:

Selections > Edit Selection

Now hit the DELETE key on your keyboard

Selections > Select None

Now, if that doesn't look like gold text, I don't know what does!

Step 3

Let's have some more fun.

On the Layers palette, select the first text layer that we created (#c6b89e):

Layer > New Layer Group... > OK

Okay, it's kind of like drag-n-drop. You need to drag the other text layers into the group. Always remember to keep the layers in the same order when you move them. When your finished it should look similar to this:

 

Make sure that the Group 1 layer is highlighted.

Layers > Duplicate

Layers > Merge > Merge Group

On the Layers palette, turn off the visibility for the original Group 1 layer:

You'll notice that the top layer (Copy of Group 1) layer is still highlighted. This is the layer that you can play with. The original is your resource should you ever need to reference it at a later time.

Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow... > and use the following settings:

On the Materials palette, set your Background color to white ( #ffffff)

On the Tools toolbar, select the Text Tool (T) Text Tool (T)

We want to select a font that's like hand writing or festive.

On the Tool Options palette I've chosen the Monotype Corsiva font (you can substitute this with the Symbol font) and these are my settings:

All I've done here is change the size of the font and removed the bold. Click on the canvas above the gold text where you would like to title text to be and enter your text in the Text Entry dialog box. I've entered "Merry Christmas".

Layers > Convert to Raster Layer

Now you can decorate it up with all kinds of holiday greetings and wishes.

From all of us at Loadboy.com to all of you...

...have a great holiday season!

Return to top of page.
 
   
 

Thank you for visiting our site - we hope that you enjoy your stay and please tell your friends about us!