Effects Menu

By now you should have an idea of the size of PSP and all of the things that are available to you.  If you aren't sure of anything in PSP and you haven't already, take a look at this tutorial for an overview of everything that is available in the programme.  

This tutorial is going to look in more detail at the "Effects" menu... it's definitely one of my favourite places in PSP!  :o)

You will need:

A copy of PaintShop Pro - you can download a 30 day trial version from here

A copy of Winzip - you can download it from here

This zip file (the tube should be compatible with PSP versions 5, 6 and 7).  Unzip it to somewhere on your hard drive

Fire up PSP and start a new image (File, New) - I've made my new image 300x300... I find it's a good size to use if I'm not sure how big my final image is going to be.

Use your FloodFill tool and choose the colour, gradient or pattern of your choice 

Click the "OK" button, then hover over your image so that the cursor turns into a paintpot.  Click on your image and it will be filled with your colour, gradient or pattern.

Open up the PSP tube you saved at the start of this tutorial (File, Open then navigate to where you saved it)

Take a copy of the tube (Edit, Copy)

Go back to your image (Window, click on the name of your image)

Paste your Jesters Hat onto your image as a transparent selection (Edit, Paste, As Transparent Selection)

Your Jesters Hat will now be at the end of your cursor.  Move it so that it is in about the middle of your image (you don't need to worry about being exact) and click your left mouse button to paste it.

You'll notice that your hat has some "marching ants" (black and white dotty lines) around the outside of it - that means that it is currently selected.  We need to get rid of those, so we need to deselect the hat.  Go to the "Selections" menu and then choose "Select None" from the drop down list.

You will notice that there is a keyboard shortcut next to most of the options in the various menu's.  You don't need to worry about most of them, but this keyboard shortcut is definitely worth remembering if you can.  To deselect something using the keyboard shortcuts, hold down the Control key and press D.

The marching ants will now have disappeared from your image.  This is where the fun starts!  :o)