Creating Your First Tag

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Creating a Tag Using Tube, Mask and Borders

This project will create a tag with a background, a mask, a tube, text and borders.

If the PSP program is new to you, review Tools and other tutorials about Setting up your PSP program.

This learning project may seem very complicated if you are not familiar with the PSP program, so take your time.

Before you begin, download the 4 steps at the bottom of the page and read through.

You will need to use your own masks and tubes from your files, or they can be found on the internet.

Some Helpful Tips:

1. When you open any image in PSP, it automatically becomes some type of a layer. You can view the layers in your layer palette.

2. If you open a jpeg image, it will open as a "background layer". If you highlight the open image with your mouse, the layers palette (just under the materials palette with the color) will show the type of layer. Read more about Layers.

3. When you create a new, transparent, raster layer - to begin the tag - that layer would show as one 'raster' layer in the layer palette. That is where this lesson starts with the creation process, but it's okay to also have your tube open (as a separate image), and the mask open (as a separate image). Think of that 1st raster layer like a canvas where you, as

the artist, are beginning to paint your 'picture'.

4. You will be adding a 2nd transparent layer to that 1st layer (flood-filled and texture added) - which will become the mask layer. Read more about Masks. The mask layer seems to be the most confusing to everyone. The mask transforms that 2nd layer into a new look, but always remember, once you go to layers, add new mask layer from the mask image that is open, you must go back to layers (top menu) and merge, merge group, because that makes the mask become part of the 2nd layer. Once you have done that then you will see 2 layers in your layer palette.

5. When you add the tube, then you will see 3 layers in your layer palette. When you add borders, the program will automatically merge the layers back into one layer.

6. Remember, when you open a tube in your program, it may have the tuber's name as a separate layer - or even have a background layer. To get just the tube, you can either ~ highlight the tube layer in your layer palette, go to the top menu and click, edit copy, then click edit paste as a NEW image - or - highlight the layer with the writing in the

layer palette, right click, and click delete.

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