Hollywood Squares

This tutorial was written for PSP 8.1 but can be done in earlier versions.

For this tutorial I used:

a) pinup image HERE
b) font - Chopin Script HERE
c) mask - Squares (came with PSP 8)
d) Super Blade Pro - preset 0_glass HERE
e) Eye Candy 3.1 - Weave

WARNING: THIS TUTORIAL IS GRAPHIC INTENSIVE!
(just thought you ought to know!)

Let get started!

1. Open your pinup image and in the layers palette right click and Promote Background Layer

2. Add a new Raster layer and drag it underneath your image. Flood fill with a color from the image. I used #E3B2AD (you can also use white if you decide not to frame it and then use it in emails with no stationery - it will then just fade into the background)

3. Click on your image layer to make it active. Using your Selection tool set to Rectangle, select an area of the image that you want to stand out.

4. Right click in your Layer palette and Promote Selection to Layer.

5. Selections > Select None and be sure to click on the image layer to make it active again.

6. Select another area of your image and repeat steps 3 & 4. I did this a total of three times but this could change depending on your graphic.

*Notice the Promoted Selections do not stand out, the picture doesn't look any different yet!*

7. Hide your Promoted layers by clicking on the eye. Click on your image layer to make it active and go to Layers> Load/Save Mask> Load Mask from Disk> Squares

8. Right click on Group in the Layer palette and Merge>Merge Group

*This is what you should have so far*

9. Now one by one we are going to Unhide a Promoted Selection Layer and add a drop shadow to both sides of the selection. Effects>3D Effects>Drop Shadow I used these settings for the 1st shadow:

changing the Vertical & Horizontal to -1 for the 2nd Drop Shadow.

When you're finished with the shadows it should look like this:

10. Right click on a layer and Merge>Merge All

11. We're now adding your name so choose your font and Create as Vector. I used Chopin Script size 48 with a Stroke width of 1.00 and two colors I picked out of my image. #DBC890 for the Foreground color and #E3B2AD set as the Background color.

12. Once you have applied your font use the grab handles to position and size your name.

13. Right click your Vector layer and Convert to Raster Layer.

14. Selections>Select All then Selections>Float

15. Add your Blade Pro 0_glass preset

16. Go to Effects>3D Effects>Drop Shadow use the settings from Step #9

17. Adjust>Sharpness>Sharpen

18. Selections>Select None

At this point you can resize 80% and call it done, or add a frame.

19. Right in Layer palette, click and Merge>Merge All

20. Image>Add Borders> Symmetric Size 9

21. Using your Magic Wand select the border

22. Pick your Flood Fill tool and fill border with a gradient of the two colors you used to make your name.

23. Effects>Plugins>Eye Candy 3.1>Weave

24. Effects>3D Effects>Drop Shadow using the same settings as before. Then add another Drop Shadow and change the Vertical and Horizontal settings to -2

25. Selections>Select None

26. Image>Resize with these settings:

Voila! You're done. Hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Here is what my testers have done:

Betty M.

Is she gorgeous or what?!!