RSS Icon Paint Shop Pro Tutorial

I wanted to make a red RSS Icon for a website today, and as the result was pretty good, I decided to whip up a quick tutorial.
This tutorial was written using Paint Shop Pro 9, and can also be followed using versions 8 to XI.

1: Open a New Image 20 X 20 pixels.

Create a New Layer, and select the Selection Tool with the Selection Type on Rounded Rectangle. Starting at X: 0 Y: 0, create a selection 14 X 14 pixels, and Fill with #b81818

Create a New Layer, and go to Selections > Modify > Contract (Number of Pixels: 1)

In Forground and Stroke, set the colour to #ea7878, and in Background and Fill, set to #e44a4a

Select Background-Foreground from the Gradient Dropdown List, and fill the selection.

Select None.

2: Set #ffffff as your Foreground and Stroke Colour, and click the Transparency Tab on the Background and Fill Properties box.

Select the Pen Tool with the following settings:

1. Mode: Point to Point (Bezier Curves)
2. Width: 2
3. Anti-Alias: Checked

Draw a line in the bottom left hand corner (X: 2 Y: 10 to X: 4 Y: 10). Click Apply, and Duplicate Layer Twice, and Merge Down Twice.

Click on the image (X: 7 Y: 11), and again (X: 2 Y: 6), and draw a 270.0 degree curve.

Apply, and again, click on the image (X: 10 Y: 11), and click again (X: 2 Y: 3), and draw another 270.0 degree curve. Apply.

3: Click on Raster 2 and add some Dropshadow:

1. Vertical: 1
2. Horizontal: 1
3. Opacity: 35
4. Blur: 2
5. Colour: #000000

Click the Invisibilty Toggle on Raster 1, and Merge Visible.

Use Colour Balance to turn the RSS Icon Orange, with these settings:

1. Cyan-Red: 40
2. Magenta-Green: 100
3. Yellow-Blue: -40

Award Ribbon Tutorial for Paint Shop Pro

Create an Rosette Ribbon. Paint Shop Pro tutorial for versions 8, 9, X, and XI.

1: Create a New Image 500 X 500 pixels.

Select the Rectangle Tool with the mode set on Square.

In the Materials Palette set the Foreground and Stroke Properties Box to Transparent (Click the Transparent Tab).

Click the Background and Fill Properties Box to open up the Material Properties Dialog Window, and set the colour to #484939

Draw a square 300 X 300 pixels (View size in Status Bar).

Go to Objects > Align > Center in Canvas.

2: Convert Vector 1 into a Raster Layer (Layers > Convert to Raster Layer), and Duplicate (Layers > Duplicate).

Go to Image > Rotate > Free Rotate (Ctrl + R), and make these settings:

1. Direction: Right
2. Degrees: Free (Checked) 45.00
3. Rotate single layer around canvas: Checked

Press OK.

Go to Layers > Merge > Merge Down, and Layers > Duplicate.

Again, go to Image > Rotate > Free Rotate (Ctrl + R), and make these settings:

1. Direction: Right
2. Degrees: Free (Checked) 22.50
3. Rotate single layer around canvas: Checked

Press OK.

Go to Layers > Merge > Merge Down.

3: Go to Selections > Select All, then, Selections > Float, and Selections > Defloat.

Create a New Layer (Layers > New Raster Layer), and go to Selections > Modify > Contract (Number of Pixels: 5).

In the Materials Palette set the colour #eff1e3 in the Foreground and Stroke Properties Box. Then, in the Tools Toolbar Palette, click on the Floodfill Tool, and fill the selection.

Create a New Layer, and Again, go to Selections Selections > Modify > Contract (Number of Pixels: 5).

In the Materials Palette set the colour #484939 in the Foreground and Stroke Properties Box. Then, in the Tools Toolbar Palette, click on the Floodfill Tool, and fill the selection.

Create a New Layer, and Contract the selection again using the same settings.

I’m filling this selection with a pink Gradient. Click on the Foreground and Stroke Colour Box, and input the colour #fa3672 . Then, Click on the Background and Stroke Colour Box, and input the colour #fc88a5

Click on the Foreground and Stroke Materials Box, and Click the Gradient Tab. Click on the Gradient Window to view a drop down list of gradients, and select the Foreground-Background Gradient, with these settings:

1. Angle: 0
2. Repeats: 0
3. invert: Checked
4. Style: Linear

And Press OK.

Using the Floodfill Tool, fill the selection.

Create a New Layer, and contract the selection by another 5 pixels, and Click on the Foreground and Stroke Materials Box, and open up the Gradient Drop Down List, Select the Fading White Gradient, and uncheck Invert. Then, fill the selection.

Go to Selections > Load/Save Selection > Save Selection to Alpha Channel. Name your selection ‘rosette’, and click Save.

Go to Selections > Select None (Ctrl + D), and in the Layers Palette, reduce the Opacity of Raster 6 to 60%, using the slide bar next to the Invisibility Toggle (the eye icon).

4: Next, I’m going to create the Ribbon/Streamer

First, go to Image > Canvas Size, and make the following settings:

New Dimentions

Width: 500 pixels

Height: 800 pixels

Lock aspect ratio: unchecked

Placement

Top, Left, Right: 0

Bottom: 300

And Press OK.

Select the Selection Tool in the Tools Tool Bar Palette, with the Selection Type set on Triangle.

Make a triangle selection roughly 250 X 500 pixels, and with the Right mouse Button Held down, position the selection in the centre of the canvas, with the apex of the triangle just above the center of the rosette.

Make another Triangle Selection with the Mode set on Remove (or hold down Ctrl), beginning on the far left, below the rosette, and create another short wide triangle.

Let go of the mouse button to give the ribbon a forked style tip.

5: Create a New Layer, and Flood Fill the Selection using the colour #484939 . Create another layer, and contract the selection by 5 pixels, then fill with the colour #eff1e3

Select None (Ctrl + D), and Merge Down.

Duplicate the Raster 7 layer, and go to Effects > 3D Effects > Cut Out, and make these settings:

1. Vertical: -15
2. Horizontal: 0
3. Opacity: 30
4. Blur: 50.00
5. Shadow colour: #000000
6. Fill with interior colour: Unchecked

Press OK, then Merge Down.

6: In the Layers Palette move the Raster 7 layer between Raster 1 and 2, and Duplicate.

Then Click on the Raster 7 Layer, and select the Pick Tool (aka: Raster Deform Tool) in the Tools Toolbar Palette.

Holding down the Ctrl Key, place the cursor over the bottom left corner node and move outwards.

Then, without using the Ctrl key, place the cursor over the bottom middle node and move upwads.

7: Click the top most layer (Raster 6) in the Layers Palette, and select the Text Tool in the Tools Toolbar Palette, and add some text in the centre of the rosette.

Create a reflection effect by duplicating the Vector 1 layer, and converting it to a Raster Layer (Layers > Convert to Raster Layer).

Then invert the duplicated layer by going to Image > flip (Ctrl + I), and use the Move Tool in the Tools Toolbar Palette to position the inverted text. Then reduce the Opacity of the reflection to 20%.

If the reflection overlaps the rosette, go to Selections > Load/Save Selection > Load Selection from Alpha channel, and load the selection named ‘rosette’.

Go to Selections > Invert (Shift + Ctrl + I), and press the Delete key on the keyboard.

Select None (Ctrl + D).

8: Finally, add some Dropshadow (Effects > 3D Effects > Dropshadow) to layers: Raster 7; Copy of Raster 7; and Raster 2, using these settings:

1. Vertical: 2
2. Horizontal: 2
3. Opacity: 50
4. Blur: 15.00
5. Colour: #000000

All done