Postage Stamp Script

It took a bunch of troubleshooting, but this script now works in all versions of PSP 9 and up.  It should take any size image and turn it into a stamp.

Script

Clipping Mask Template

This tutorial is for designers wishing to create Photoshop templates which can be used by others.  It goes through the steps for placing a clipping mask over a an element on a layer so that other people can add their own color, pattern or paper.

1.  Open a new canvas.

2.  Create your element on the canvas.  It can be any color as the clipping mask will hide it.  I am using the Japanese floral design from my Vector Tracing tutorial which I pasted in as a smart object.

3.  Optional.  Add any layer styles to the element that you wish such as inner shadow, inner glow, drop shadow or bevel.

4.  Add a New Layer (Layers > New > Layer) with Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask checked.  I called mine paper.

5.  The clipping mask has now been created above the element.  The clipping mask 'layer' can now be filled with a color, pattern or paper.

Here is the image after a paper was pasted into the clipping mask layer.

The template can now be saved in PSD format and distributed to others.

Tracing Images in Illustrator

This tutorial will show you how to use LiveTrace in Illustrator to trace a piece of black and white clipart.  This will turn the clipart into a vector image which can easily re-scaled or editted.

1.  Open a new canvas in Illustrator.  I made mine 3600 x 3600 because that will be the size of my final image.

2.  Paste your clipart onto the canvas.

3.  Go to Object > Live Trace > Make.  This will trace the object with the default settings.

Or you can select Live Trace from the toolbar.

4.  Once the object has been traced, the trace menu will be available.  Select the Black and White Logo preset for a better trace.  Or you can go under the Edit menu and select Tracing Presets to change the preset.

5.  Re-scale the image easily by changing the values for Width and Height.  The image will scale without blurriness as the trace is a vector.  I copied the enlarged image and pasted it into Photoshop.

6.  Optional.  Expand the trace with the Expand button if you wish to use the pen tool to modify the vector or if you want to divide the vector into smaller components.

Once the trace has been expanded, the pen tool can be used to move anchors.

Postage Stamp in Photoshop

This tutorial will show you how to take any clipart image and turn it into a postage stamp in Photoshop.  I actually took the screenshots for this tutorial when I wrote the tutorial for Paint Shop Pro, but have spent the last few days working on my garden.  So, I apologize to Photoshop users for the laggard arrival of this tutorial.

1.  Open your image in Photoshop.  I am using a vintage Victorian calling card.

2.  The average postage stamp is about an inch to 1.5 inches in length and 3/4 of an inch to 1 inch wide.  Therefore, resize the clipart to 450 pixels on one side (assuming 300 dpi).

3. Optional.  If the image is flattened, promote the background to a layer (Layer > New > Layer From Background).

4.  Make a new layer.

5.  Move the new layer under your original image layer.

6.  Resize your canvas by 20 pixels on each side.  Therefore, Width = 20 + 450 + 20 = 490 pixels and Height = 20 + 272 + 20 = 312 pixels.

7.  Fill the new layer with the color of your choice.  I used #f2e1c7.

8.  Select the eraser tool.

9.  Choose a round brush.  I chose the preset Pastel Rough Texture which is a preset that comes with Photoshop, removed the Texture, Dual Brush and Other Dynamics checks to turn off those options, then changed the Diameter under Shape Dynamics to 20 px and the Spacing to 130%.

Note:  The brush should be the same size as the border.  If you have a larger border, then increase the brush size appropriately.

10.  Select All (Ctrl + A).  This should select the entire canvas of Layer 1 (or the layer you have filled with your color).

11.  Go to the Paths tab and select Make Work Path From Selection.  It should be the third button from the right.

12.  Now that you have a work path, select Stroke Path with Brush.  This will create the perforations around the edge of the stamp.

13.  The basic stamp is now complete if you do not wish to add a denomination to the stamp.  If you want to add a denomination, the cents sign can be difficult to add.  I open the Character Map tool in Windows and select the cents sign (Unicode 00A2), and click copy to copy it to the clipboard.  In Photoshop, with the Text Tool selected,  paste to get it in the correct font.

Here is the completed stamp.

Postage Stamp

This tutorial shows how to turn an image into a postage stamp using Paint Shop Pro.

Supplies:

Victorian Clipart

1.  Open clipart in Paint Shop Pro.  I am using a vintage Victorian calling card.

2.  The average postage stamp is about an inch to 1.5 inches in length and 3/4 of an inch to 1 inch wide.  Therefore, resize the clipart to 450 pixels on one side (assuming 300 dpi).

3.  Add 20 pixel borders to the image (Image > Add Borders).  I chose a border color from my image (#f2e1c7)

Top = 20
Left = 20
Right = 20
Bottom = 20
Symmetric = Checked
Color = #f2e1c7

4.  Go to the Layers menu and select Promote Background Layer.  Add borders automatically flattens the image to the background.

5.  Select the eraser tool.  Select the round 25 shape click the upper left corner.  Change the hardness to 95 and the step to 140.

Size = 25
Hardness = 95
Step = 140
Density = 100
Thickness = 100
Rotation = 0
Opacity = 100

6.  Click the image in the upper left-hand corner.

7.  Press the Shift key and click the image in the upper right-hand corner.

8.  Keep the Shift key depressed and click in the lower right-hand corner.

9.  Keep the Shift key depressed and click the lower left-hand corner.

10.  Keep the Shift key depressed and click in the upper left-hand corner.

11.  The basic stamp is now complete if you do not wish to add a denomination to the stamp.  If you want to add a denomination, the cents sign can be difficult to add.  I open the Character Map tool in Windows and select the cents sign (Unicode 00A2), then copy and paste it into my open Text window to get it in the correct font.

Here is the final stamp.

Magical Mystery Tour

I decided at the very last minute to take part in the Magical Mystery Tour Blog Train so there isn't much to my contribution.  The zip file contains:

• 6 alphas (uppercase, lowercase and numbers)
• 6 swirls (from my swirl tutorial)
• 4 glitter trails
• 3 castle frames

Kit

Here are all the participants in the blog train:

• Best Kept Memories
• CandysTreasures
• Crafty Scraps
• Humbug Graphics Galore  <--- You Are Here
• Karen's Scraps and Graphics
• Purple Dragonfly Creations
• Jabi's Scraps

Swirls

This tutorial will show you how to make swirls using Illustrator and then transfer the swirls to Photoshop.


1. Open a new canvas in Illustrator.

2.  Select the spiral tool by left-clicking on the Line Segment Tool (\), holding the mouse button down for a few seconds until the menu expands and then selecting the spiral tool.

3.  Click anywhere on the canvas.  This will cause the spiral tool menu to appear.

4.  The spiral tool menu has four options.  I have drawn a diagram that shows that happens when you increase or decrease radius, decay and segments.

5.  Select the options for your swirl and then click ok.  A swirl will appear on your canvas.  Make as many swirls as you like.

6.  If you make more than one swirl, then use the Selection Tool (V) to select them all.

7.  Once the swirl objects are selected, the tool bar will show options for changing the fill color, outline color, stroke width or opacity.  You can also apply a brush style or graphic style.  I've made a diagram of the different settings in the tool bar depending on whether you have a single object selected or multiple objects selected.  If you only make a single swirl, then you do not need to use the Selection Tool to select it.  The toolbar at the top of the workspace will show the options for the Single Object.

8.  Click the arrow next to the brush style. It will produce the brush style menu and you can then select one of the available brush styles.  The style will be applied to all selected objects.  I've applied the tapered stroke which comes with Illustrator CS3.

9.  To take the finished swirl into Photoshop, select the object, then Edit > Copy (Ctrl + C) to copy.

10.  Go to Photoshop and open a canvas (if one is not already open), then Edit > Paste (Ctrl + V) to paste.  A menu will appear asking you how you want to paste the object.

11.  I pasted the swirl as a smart object.  The swirl can now be converted to a brush or used as-is.