Happy Holidays Stationary Using Paint Shop Pro 8 - Page 2

Text Tool
Step 3. Add your holiday message. Click on the Text Tool icon and then click inside of the Image Window which will open the Text Entry dialog box. Before you type your message into this box you need to set the font characteristics in the Tool Options Palette. (see Figure 3) For the example I used the Arial font, size 72, with Bold and Italic selected. If you choose to use a font other than Arial, you should use a font that has thick letters so that the pattern will be more visible in the letters.

Figure 3. Tool Options Palette -- Text Tool

Font: Arial
Size: 72
Anti-alias: Checked
Font Style: Bold and Italic

Now you are ready to type your holiday message into the Text Entry box and click Apply. The words will be floating on top of the white background. Click and drag the words to the upper left corner. Now stop the letters from floating by clicking Selections > Select None from the Menubar.

Step 4. Choose a color for the snow flakes. Click on the top colored box (Foreground and Stroke) in the Materials Palette to open the Material dialog box. Click on the Color tab and then choose a color for the snow flakes. In the example I used the light gray color numbered C0C0FF.

Airbrush Tool
Step 5. Paint some snow flakes. You will use the Airbrush Tool to paint some snow flakes along the top of the stationary. Click on the Airbrush Tool icon and set the Brush type to Star Points in the Tool Options Palette. Now set the rest of the Tool Options Palette to the following values.

Brush: Star Points
Size: 85 , 50 and 35
Steps: 1
Rotation: Various
Density: 100
Opacity: 100
Rate: 0

You should have the size of the brush set to 85. Now you will paint several large stars along the top of the stationary. For each star set the Rotation value to a different number. This will make each snow flake appear to be falling at a different angle.

Step 6. Paint the rest of the snow flakes. Set the size of the brush to 50 and paint snow flakes in several places along the top of the stationary. Don't forget to change the number for the Rotation value for each snow flake. Change the size of the brush to 35 and repeat this step.

Open Template
Step 7. Print the stationary. Paint Shop Pro makes printing your images easy with the new preset print templates that were added with the new version 8. Click File > Print Layout and the layout window will open. Click on the Open Template icon to open the Templates dialog box. (see Figure 4) Choose Standard Sizes from the list under Select A Category. Then choose the 8 x 10 template by clicking on that thumbnail image. Then click OK to close the dialog box. Finally you will see the thumbnail image of your stationary at the upper left corner. Click and drag the thumbnail onto the center of the template. You are now ready to print. Click File > Print. Set the print quality to draft and print a test copy. If you are happy with the results, set the print quality back to the original setting and print as many copies of the letterhead that you are going to need for this holiday season.

Figure 4. Templates Dialog Box

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