Enhancing Paint Shop Pro's Preset Shapes

Objective: To create graphic makeovers.

Tools Used: Preset Shape Tool, Flood Fill Tool, Selection Tool, Edit Selection, Pick Tool

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

Effects Used: Gradients, Gaussian Blur

Types of Layers Used: Raster, Vector

This purpose of this tutorial is to show you the idea behind graphic makeovers. To create a better looking image from the previous one. A "must know" for those looking to add a little something extra to their webpages to help give it more life. With minimal effects, it's pretty simple to turn even webdings, wingdings, and dingbats (etc...) into awesome images that will compliment any web site.

Step 1

Start by creating a new image 150 X 150 with a white background.

We're going to start out by creating a quick pattern. I've chosen a Preset Pattern that isn't to simple, and definitely not the hardest one in the collection. Depending upon the shape that you do select, some of those are going to require some thinking in order to get the correct appearance.

On the Tools toolbar, select the Preset Shape Tool(P)

On the Tool Options palette, select the Arrow 13 shape from within the Shape list:

To help maintain it's default shape, hold down the SHIFT key on your keyboard and draw your image as large as possible on the canvas:

Layers > Convert to Raster Layer

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!

Now that we have our pattern, lets remove this black color filled layer and start fresh.

Layers > Delete

Step 2

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

On the Materials palette, set your Foreground color to #279de5 and your Background color to #12499c

On the Materials palette, click on the Foreground color and select the Gradient tab.

Click on the image to open the available gradients.

Select Foreground-background and use the following settings:

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

Selections > Select None

You now have a pretty blue image similar to this:

Now let's have some fun with it.

On the Tools toolbar, select the Selection Tool(S)

On the Tool Options palette, Selection type: Rounded Square

So you have a better understanding of what we're trying to accomplish here, this would be a good time for a quick note. The idea with any of these shapes is to split them in two pieces. That's pieces, not two half's. It'll make perfect sense once we continue, but with this in mind, for this particular pattern (or shape), I know just by looking at it that the Rounded Square selection will work the best. It has a round corner, and the image itself looks to be perfectly square. The selection type that you may end up choosing is going to depend on the Preset Shape being modified. You may even have to hand create the selection by using the Freehand Selection from the Tools toolbar, and Point to Point on the Tool Options palette. You'll get the idea easy enough. Let's continue.

Create a Rounded Selection towards the center of your image:

What we want to do now is line up the selection with our image. First, we'll put the selection into edit mode.

Selections > Edit Selection

You'll notice that the selection is now a salmon color indicating that we are in edit mode:

On the Tools toolbar, select the Pick Tool(P)

Now our edited selection has a box around it with several smaller square boxes (called nodes):

Grabbing it from the center node, I'm going to line up one of the rounded corners of the selection, with the rounded corner on the image:

I'll start by lining it up fairly close:

Remember, the idea here is that we're going to split this image in half. What I recommend doing is to start from one corner (in this case the point on one of the arrow tips) and move the edge of the selection until it lines with the edge of the arrow tip:

There's a very good chance that it doesn't line up on the other side:

So, grab the node from the side that is off, and either bring it inwards, or outwards until it lines up:

It may take a some maneuvering to get it lined up on the edges and you may even need to rotate the selection slightly so as to keep it centered in the image. Once you get the hang of it, it's fast and simple.

Okay, assuming everything went well and you have it all lined up so that it looks like you have half of the image covered up, let's take the selection out of edit mode.

Selections > Edit Selection

Here's a tricky part.

Selections > Invert

Now, very carefully click on the upper portion of your image with your mouse. Your image should now look similar to this:

If you glance over at the Layers palette, you'll notice that the upper portion of the image is now floating above the current Raster 1 layer:

Let's place it back down on the layer.

Selections > Defloat

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

Don't de-select yet!

Step 3

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

What we're going to do now is change the direction of our gradient.

On the Materials palette, click on the Foreground color to bring up the Gradient tab.

Modify the Foreground-background settings to use the following:

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

Don't de-select yet! :))

Now we're going to create a highlight ridge.

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

On the Materials palette, click on the Foreground color to bring up the Gradient tab.

Click on the image to open the available gradients.

Select Fading white and use the following settings:

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

We only want to create a highlight ridge, so we'll remove all of the excess.

Selections > Edit Selection

Using the arrow keys on your keyboard move the selection up one pixel:

Now we'll take the selection out of edit mode and trim the excess.

Selections > Edit Selection

Now hit the Delete key on your keyboard:

Don't de-select yet!

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

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

On the Materials palette, click on the Foreground color to bring up the Gradient tab.

Modify the Fading white settings to use the following:

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

That's to bright for my liking.

On the Layers palette, highlight the Raster 4 layer and lower it's Opacity down to around 55:

Your image should now look similar to this:

Almost forgot, NOW you can deselect.

Selections > Select None

Let's put this into a group so that you can make additional copies to colorize etc.

On the Layers palette, select the Raster 1 layer

Layers > New Layer Group... > OK

Drag the other layers into the group. Remember to keep them in the same order when you move them. When you're finished it should look similar to this:

Always get in the habit of saving the source file. In this case it's the Group 1 layer. That way you have proof of creation, and if you want to modify it layer you can without having to re-create the entire image.

On the Layers palette, 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:

Now you can add a drop shadow or colorize it until your hearts content!

Step 4

For those of you that want to add a little extra shine to it, you can add a hotspot to the image. The hotspot represents the highest point of the image, where all the light is gathered into one spot and causes it to shine.

It's still very much a new technique I'm learning myself, and it's easier to do with certain colors than others. I figure I'd throw it in here in case someone wants to perfect it. If you take a look at the sample image we provided below, you'll see what we're after.

Let's give it a go.

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

On the Tools toolbar, select the Selection Tool(S)

On the Tool Options palette, Selection type: Ellipse

It's going to need to be fairly small so you may need to really zoom in on your image.

Create a small elliptical selection similar to this:

Selections > Edit Selection

On the Tools toolbar, select the Pick Tool(P)

Turn it slightly so that it lines up with the top ridge of our image.

So you have a better idea of where I'm at, here's the full size image:

Selections > Edit Selection

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

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

Selections > Select None

Now we'll give it a slight glow effect.

Layers > Duplicate

Adjust > Blur > Gaussian Blur > Radius: 3 > OK

To increase the glow, just repeat the step.

Layers > Duplicate

Adjust > Blur > Gaussian Blur > Radius: 3 > OK

Layers > Merge > Merge Down

and one more time to attach it to the original hotspot.

Layers > Merge > Merge Down

Your image should now look similar to this:

The rest I leave to you to explore and have fun with. Enjoy!

Sample