This looks like a lot but it really isn't. It is for the graphic, button (that's optional) and the letter creator. You can make this as fancy as you wish. I did a simple graphic just to teach the letter creator. You can use a tube or an image. The tube I used is from Kenny Kiernan. Please read his tou before using his work!
Supplies
any version of psp will work
No outside filters will be needed
A tube of your choice (no more than 350 wide)
This tutorial is written for the beginner. Not the beginner in psp although it will seem like it. Just the beginner stat maker. These will all be basic commands so bear with me. I'm starting from the beginning so that members of both sites with less experience can follow these as well.
1. Open your tube in psp. If you use my tube it has been resized already. If you are using your own please read on otherwise you may skip to 2. A good rule of thumb is no more than 320 width. otherwise we won' have room for text right? After all these are for stationary. Resize it with 320 in your width, height doesn't matter on this one.
2. Minimize the tube for now and open a new image 1024 by the height of your graphic + 15.
3. Flood fill with a light color from your tube. In my example i'm using white. It will show up better for you all to see what i've done.
4. Open your tube up again and copy it.
5. paste it onto your new image as a new layer. Get your move tool and move it to the left side. make sure you get it as centered (up and down) as you can.
6. Effects, 3d effects and drop shadow at these settings
7. Layers, merge, merge all flatten.
8. this is important. stationary especially when music is added tends to be a bit big. so make sure you go to file, export, jpeg optimize. i do mine around 30 but 20 to 30 is best. don't go over 30 it will make it really grainy. save and you are finished!
This is it for the stationary. Now you can continue and make a button for your footer (creator button) or you can skip this and go straight to letter creator.
1. on your completed graphic take your selection tool and make a retacangle selection in the stat area (not where the tube is) you can make it as large or small as you wish. Go to image, crop to selection (remember you already saved the stat (hopefully))
2. Use your font tool and a color that doesn't take away from the graphic to put your copyright on or name. (i always use 2006 stat by cindi if i followed a tutorial or 2006 designs by cindi if i created it)
3. add a drop shadow of your liking.
4. Effects, 3d effects, buttonize and use the next settings.
now you can change the color or you can do transparent which ever suits your graphic the best.
5. File, export, jpeg optimize same settings and name yours and close it out you are done!
Now if you are using outlook express you can put it in, save it use the wizard do what you need to. I know i'm not much help but i really don't remember how to do the wizard off hand :(
For those using incredimail and using letter creator move on forwrd this is the last step.
1. open your incredimail (duh right lol), on the menu bar go to incredicenter and choose incredimail letter creator (now for those that don't have the full letter creator you will have like 10 tries. so you can do up to 10 without having to pay for them but after that you won't be able to :( )
2. You will see at the top a bunch of choices. you should be on body. In time i'll teach you all of them. We will get to use them all but let's start at the basics shall we?
3. ok, under the body tab. go to image (under the background) and click it. it'll give you your folder choose the stat you just made. hit ok.
4. 2 spots over there is a button called tile. choose that. this will tile it down the page. don't touch anything else up there.
5. you can change your font and size if you wish. but we do need to go to margins. with a side border you won't have to worry about the top one leave that at 0. if you used my tube change it to 330 and right at 0. click footer (the top tabs again)
6. Make a Click in the white box near the bottom of this page (not in the sample it shows you), choose your font and size you wish and make sure you center this. Personally i think it looks nicer and more professional centered. now if you made the button go to the next step. if you choose not to go to step 8
7. go to image, choose your button and ok. now click on the button so the little boxes appear round it. click link and link it to your site, webpage or your email addy. or don't link it if you choose.
8. now for those that didn't you can put your copyright there 2006 your name or whatever you wish. you may highlight the text and link it like we did the graphic by hitting the link button.
9. now this is probably the most important step you can do. the artists copyright. I will put if i don't know them or they are not copyrighted i will put graphics found on www but in the case of my tube here we know who's it is and should give proper credit. (always do when possible) so type in art © the artist and link that to the artists website.
10. i usually put something about no copyright infringement is intended and next link something about not ripping my stats. but this is up to you. you can add the type of font you used and size or whatever you decide.
11. now on a stat like this you will ignore the header, left and right. 3d effects are up to you. sometimes i use them sometimes i don't. they just add a touch of animation when delivering and reciving your mail.
12. If you are done with 3d effects go to finish. you will see a little form to fill out the only thing i fill out each time is the letter name. but your first time or if your style box is getting full you can make new collections so they are spread out and easier to find. but this time if it's your first you will fill out all of it.
letter name: name your stat
collection name: this is where it will be under in your style box. i have mine numbereed do whatever is easiest for you.
Type: well you can do cards too but it should be on letter
Credits: as you see they are optional but i have © designs by cindi and url and my url of my board in mine. now you can save it if you wish or just click add to incredimail. i do not save mine because i have a program that back ups my incredmial stuff and i do it nightly.
After you do that you are done! you may close out your letter creator and send the stat!
Thank you for taking the time to do my tutorial. You may link to this page to share the tutorial. but please do not take it off this page or hotlink to it in anyway. This tutorial is copyrighted by me. The item you create is yours to do with as you wish but please remember the artists tou. no profit can be made from them.
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