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Open the image you wish to use for this tutorial or copy this one by right clicking on it and clicking again on copy. Open Photo Impact and paste as a new image. |
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Choose one of the masks in
the easy palettte. I have chosen border 01 in the sharpen category. Double
click to apply the mask to the image. Use the transformer tool to
re-size the mask until it won't cut off an important part of the image.
I had to make the mask a little higher.
Please note: The
mask you use will make a difference in the amount of effect you get with
this method, especially if you use one of the ones in the soften section.
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Now, when using a mask, move the cursor around on the picture until you see the cursor turn into a four headed arrow. This will tell you what part of the image is selected, and whether you need to invert. When it turns into a four-headed arrow, you know that is the part of the image that is selected. With this mask, the important part of the image is already selected. If the edges are selected instead, simply right click and click again on invert. |
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Now copy the image to the
clipboard. Push Ctrl + C at the same time or right click and copy.
Prepare a strip for the stationery. Click on file then new. Write in 1152 for the width, and 318 for the height. We want the strip to be higher than the masked image so there will be a separation between the images when they are tiled. Right click on the strip and
click again on paste. Position your pasted image anywhere from 10
to 30 pixels from the left side, and center it in the strip. The
centering does not have to be perfect, but if you click on the pick tool
which is the first tool, and looks like an arrow, you can use the center
horizontally button to have the computer center it for you.
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Now press the space bar to
select the background. Press Ctrl + F at the same time to open the
fill dialog box. Make sure the color tab is open and then right click
on the color box, and select eyedropper. Choose a color from the
image that will compliment it. I am choosing a light blue.
Many times, I choose a color and then use the color tools on the right
side of the screen to lighten or darken.
Lighten or darken looks like a sun.  |
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Now right click on your strip
and click again on merge all. Now we need to select the blue part
of the strip. Change to your magic wand tool. Use the default settings.
Now, with the background
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On the left side of the box
will be some numbered thumbnails. Click
on #0. In the right side of the box, you will see these settings. Put a check in the box beside tile image. I'm not sure it changes anything, but I like to adjust the color in the color box that is navy in this illustration. The settings in fine control are what is most important in achieving this effect. Here are the settings I used. Fineness 442 Opacity 108 Density 708 Angle 181 Variations 467 |
| Wainting... Waiting... Waiting... :-O Yawn. | Click on ok. It will take quite some time for this operation to complete. |
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Right click and merge all. Use the image optimizer on your strip as explained in any of the other tutorials. |
| Kathy Olsen's Outlook Express Tutorials | Rather than do a tutorial of my own on the stationery wizard, I'll leave you in the capable hands of another stationery creator. Kathy has wonderful tutorials on the wizard, adding background sound, and adding a scrolling script to your stationery. While you're there, be sure to check out the rest of her pages for inspiration on stationery creating. |
