Gradient Glow Frame
Advanced Beginner
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To make this frame you will need the following:-
Jasc Paintshop Pro Version 9 or X
I. C. NET. Software Filters Unlimited 2
A fade mask (20/20 or LD Circle Fade work well) Zip 20-20 Here
A graphic of your choice (Resized to no more than 370 in height and width)
1. Open your graphic in PSP and duplicate twice.
2. Close the Original.
3. Minimise one copy.
4. Working on the active copy of the graphic go to:-
5. Effects/Image Effects/Seamless Tile/Default Settings.
6. Adjust/Blur/Gaussian Blur/Radius 25
7. Effects/Distortion Effects/Displacement Map/Using the following Settings.
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8. Effects/Image Effects/Seamless Tile at default.
9. This is the pattern for your background of the framed image and for the letter.
10. If you would prefer to use your own for the letter background please feel free to do so.
11. Save as a Jpeg with the compression set at 25. (Do not close this image)
12.In your materials palette choose two colours from your image and then select the gradient tab. Select Edit/Foreground Background. You should now have a gradient from your two colours. Use the following settings. Angle 45/Repeats 2/Invert not checked.
13. Minimize this image.
14. Open a new Raster/Transparent canvas 460 x 460 in your workspace.
15. Selections/Select All
16. Selections/Modify/Contract 35
17. Selections/Invert
18. Flood fill the selection with your gradient.
19. Selections/Select None
20. Effects/Distortion Effects/Displacement Map using the following Settings.
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21. Layer/New Raster Layer
22. From your Toolbar Select Rectangle Tool with the following Settings:-
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23. Make Sure that your background colour in your colour palette is nulled and your gradient is still showing as your foreground choice.
24. Starting at the top left inner corner of your frame drag a rectangle to the bottom right inner corner like this:-
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25. Don't worry too much about getting it in exactly the right place we will adjust it now.
26. Click on the Raster Deform tool and adjust your newly made rectangle so that it just touches the inner edges of your frame on all sides.
27. Effects/3D Effects/Inner Bevel at the following settings:-
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28. Effects/3D Effects/Drop Shadow at the following settings:-
Vertical 6
Horizontal 7
Opacity 62
Blur 22
Colour Black
29. Repeat with vertical and horizontal set to minus 6 and minus 7.
30. Your image will look a little odd at the minute but don't worry.
31. Layer/New Raster Layer
32. Materials Palette/Patterns/Locate the pattern you created earlier/Angle 0/Scale 100/Flood fill your new layer with the pattern.
33. Send this layer to the bottom. (If your background layer is too dark and heavy you can lower the opacity or change the blend mode at this point)
34. Maximise the second image you minimised earlier and Layers/Promote Background Layer
35. Layers/Load/Save Mask/Load Mask from Disc
36. Add your fade mask to the image in the usual way/delete the mask layer and merge group.
37. Edit/Copy
38. Close this image.
39. Activate your frame image.
40. Edit/Paste as new layer
41. Layers/Merge/Merge all Flatten
42. Image/Add Borders.Symetric/8 Pixels/ In a colour not in your frame.
43. Select this border with your magic wand and flood fill with your gradient.
44. Effects/3D Effects/Inner Bevel at the same settings used throughout.
45. Select None.
Your frame is complete.
Save as a Jpeg with the compression set at 25
To Create Sidebars
1. On your main image with your selection tool select from the bottom left corner to the bottom right corner. Select only the frame part of the image.
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2. Edit/Copy
3. Edit/Paste as new Image
4. Image/Rotate/Rotate Clockwise 90 degrees
5. Effects/Plugins/I.C. NET Software/Filters Unlimited 2/Tile & Mirror/Mirrored and Scaled.
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Your sidebar is complete.
Save as a Jpeg with the compression set at 25.
Assemble in Letter Creator.
I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial.
This Image was completed in the same way but with a light background layer placed between the frame layer and the image background layer.
Using a different image and gradient
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This tutorial is entirely my own work and any resemblance to any other is purely coincidental.
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