Fantasy Elf Tag

Fantasy Elf Tag

Supplies:

Paint Shop Pro 8
Mask : diamond frame mask (sorry, don’t have any idea where this mask came from)
Tube: tube of your choice or you can use this one
Gradient: brushed satin or gradient of your choice
Filters: Alfs Border FX – Border Fade III
Greg’s Factory Output II – Pool Shadow
Graphics Plus -Cut Glass
Tube, Gradient, Mask of your choice or use this one.

SUPPLIES

1. Open new file 500 x 500 transparent (plenty of room to work & you can resize later if needed). Right click on your background layer in your layer pallet & promote layer to raster layer. Flood fill with your gradient with these settings:

2. Layers, Load Mask from Disk – select the diamond frame mask.

3. On your layer pallet – right click on Mask & delete. Answer yes to popup message about merging

4. .Right click on group in your layer pallet & merge group..

5. Alrighty then - now your mask is visible and we can do the fun part.

6. Lets get those ants marching on your mask so we can work with it. Go to -Selctions- Select All – Float – Defloat (you still with me here) Selections – INVERT. Oh goodie, now your mask is ready for the royal treatment. Do NOT deselect.

7. Effects – Plugins – Graphics Plus and apply Cut Glass (Do NOT deselect)

8. Adjust – Brightness & Contrast – Clarify using strength 5. Do NOT deselect.

9. Effects – 3D Effects – Inner Bevel – Do NOT deselect

10. Effects – 3D Effects – Drop Shadow – Do NOT Deselect

11. Apply the Drop Shadow again changing the Vertical/Horizontal to -3/3
Drop shadow again changing the V/H to 3/-3
Drop shadow again changing the V/H to -3/-3
Select none.

12. Effects – Plugins – Alfs Border Fx – Border Fader III

13. Play with these setting until you like the way your background looks. This is only a
guide – experiment – have fun. If the background looks good to you.

You will probably need to resize your tag background depending upon the size of the tube you will be using. I resized this one by 85% = bicubic – all layers checked. Then
Adjust Brightness/Contrast – Clarify at 5. I then resized again at 85% and Adjust/Sharpness – Unsharp Mask. Doing it this way seems to avoid the loss of quality in your image after resizing.

*****OPTIONAL STEP -- You can colorize this tag to match any tube you'd like to use - just got to Adjust - Hue and Saturation - Colorize.*****

Activate your tube, Copy -------------- Activate your tag background Paste as New Layer . Effects – 3D Effects – Drop Shadow This is the drop shadow settings I used (once again, play with it until you are happy with your results)

14. Image, Effects, Plugins – Gregs Factory Output Vol II Poolshadow

When you are satisfied with your tag – Layers – Merge Visible.

If you decide to add text, be sure to add a new layer so if you don’t like the results you can simply delete the layer, & add new layer and begin again. Much easier than hitting the redo button a zillion times.

Most of all have fun and experiment.