Exporting Transparent Layers from Livebrush

I volunteered to write this simple tutorial for Livebrush because many people in SNL@DSP use it, but there has been some difficulty in exporting the images transparently for use in other programs, such as PS, PSE or PSP.  So, first you need Livebrush, which is a drawing application which simulates a brush and lets you draw smooth curves or even decorated lines (with flowers, leaves, swirls, etc).  There is a free version and a $10 paid version.

1.  Open up Livebrush and draw your image.  The immediate problem which appears is that each line/object drawn by Livebrush becomes a separate layer.  I drew some inkblots as a demo.

2.  Also, the default project has a paper and a black background.  The background is locked so you cannot remove it.

3.  To export your image, you have to first select all of them. Do this by left-clicking on the layer above the paper layer.

4.  Press the shift key, scroll up the layers and then left-click the topmost layer.

5.  Select Export Layer(s) to Image (File > Export > Export Layer(s) to Image).  This will export only the selected layers to the file.  If you choose Export Image, then everything will be exported, including the paper and background.

6.  Select the location you want to save and type in the name of the file.  You do not need to add the PNG extension.  Livebrush will automatically append it to the file name.

Here is the example file.  Notice that is has a transparent background because I excluded the paper and the black background from the layer selection.

Livebrush does not have a layer merge because its original concept seems to be flash animation, not vector graphics.  The layer merge occurs at export, not before.

Grab Bag Blog Train

This is my portion of the Grab Bag Blog Train.  It contains items which are commercial use ok.  The other bags in the train can be either CU or PU (if you are confused about these abbreviations, see my Scrapper's Dictionary).  Their contents should be labeled on the preview. 

Grab Bag

Puffy Effect

I thought I would share a little tip tonight on making an object look soft and puffy in Paint Shop Pro.  It is fairly easy to accomplish this in Photoshop because Photoshop has styles.  However, Paint Shop Pro does not.  However, it is easy to give an object or piece of text a bit of puff.

1.  Open up your object or text in Paint Shop Pro. I'm using text at 250 pt in my example.

2.  Select the object.  (Ctrl + A to Select All, Ctrl + F to float the selection, then Ctrl + Shift + F to defloat the selection will select the object and maintain any existing anti-aliasing and transparency).

3.  Create a new raster layer (Layers > New Raster Layer).

4.  Apply the cutout effect (Effects > 3D Effects > Cutout) at 50% opacity and 50 blur.  Make horizontal and vertical any positive number that covers 10-25% of the object's edge.

Vertical = 7
Horizontal =7
Opacity = 50
Blur = 50
Shadow Color = Black
Fill interior with color = Unchecked

5.  Make another raster layer.

6.  Apply the Cutout effect a second time, but make the horizontal and vertical the negative versions of the previous settings.

Vertical = -7
Horizontal =-7
Opacity = 50
Blur = 50
Shadow Color = Black
Fill interior with color = Unchecked

7.  Merge the second cutout layer into the first cutout layer using Merge Down.

8.  If you like the look of the effect you can stop.  If you want the puff to be slight inset, then apply Gaussian Blur to the selection with a radius that is half of the horizontal and vertical values in the Cutout Effect.

Radius = 3.50

9.  Ctrl + D to select none and the puff is complete.

Grapeshot Alpha and Computer News

I got my new RAM today and installed it in the computer.  There was a moment of panic while my computer refused to boot and would only make beeping noises at me, but then I put the new RAM in the other slots.  I have color-coded RAM slots and I'm not sure why.  My old not so functioning RAM is still installed in the computer because the computer refuses to boot without it present, but when it is present, then the computer sees the new RAM and uses it.  I don't understand this.  Maybe somebody can explain it to me.  I'm not sure how to Google for the answer.

I'm very grateful to everyone who donated and helped me purchase this RAM.  I know that I have not been doing very much for a long time, but with the hard economic times, the donations were very small, so it quite a while to accumulate the necessary amount. Every little bit helped and now the RAM is now installed.  Hurray!

I booted up Photoshop to see if it would work without causing the computer to freeze and made this alpha as a test.  I hope people can use it.

Grapeshot Alpha

Twill Ribbon

This tutorial will show you how to make a twill fabric ribbon with a knobby weave in Paint Shop Pro.

1. Open a new canvas 3600 wide by 150 high.

2. Fill the canvas with a color of your choice (I used #7996bd).

3. Apply the halftone effect (Effects > Artistic Effects > Halftone), choosing an ink color that is a dark shade of your original color (I used #2c3c5e). To make broader stripes, increase the size. Use only even numbers.

 Halftone pattern = Line
Size = 8
Screen angles = 60
Use as overlay = Checked
Blend mode = Normal
Opacity = 100
Color Scheme = Greyscale
Ink = #2c3c5e
Transparent = Checked

4.  Duplicate the layer (Layers > Duplicate).

5.  Increase the canvas size (Image > Canvas Size) to 300 pixels in height.

Width = 3600
Height = 300
Top = 0
Bottom = 150
Left = 0
Right = 0


6.  Flip the layer (Ctrl + I).

7.  Merge the layers (Layers > Merge > Merge Visible).

8.  Apply the blinds effect.  Make the width the same value as the size as in the halftone effect.

Width = 8 (same as size value in halftone effect)
Opacity = 50
Color = Black
Horizontal = Checked
Light from left/top = Checked

9.  Add noise (Adjust > Add/Remove Noise > Add Noise) .

Gaussian = Checked
Noise = 30
Monochrome = Checked

10.  Adjust > Blur > Average.

Filter Aperture = 3

11.  Go to the selection tool and make a custom selection.

Left = 0
Right = 3600
Top = 75
Bottom = 225

12.  Mirror the selection (Ctrl + M).

13.  Ctrl + D to select none.  The ribbon is now complete.

I am providing the script that I saved while writing this tutorial.

Script

Psychedelic Nuclear Coral

My oven-baked graphics card is still working.  Here is a chipboard alpha that I made last week.  I really like it.

Nuclear Coral

Twill Ribbon Script

I have (temporarily) salvaged the broken graphics card by baking it in my oven.  I know it sounds crazy, but I read on several notebook forums that it was possible to salvage a broken graphics card by baking it on balls of aluminum foil.   I did not expect it to work, but I pre-heated my oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and then baked the graphics card for 9 minutes.  Then, I turned off the oven and left the door cracked open for 20 minutes to allow the card to slow cool.  Most people get cookies after 9 minutes.  I got a functional graphics card.  The laptop has been resuscitated and I'm using it to make this entry.

I found this twill ribbon script on my hard drive.  I have too many things that are only partially complete.  The script should work in all versions of PSP up to X3.  Please leave a comment if it doesn't.

Script

Fold a Paper in Half

I'm using my old computer with the broken RAM.  So, I still cannot take screenshots in Photoshop, but I came up with this fast and easy way to fold a paper in half in Paint Shop Pro.  This tutorial will show you how to put a crease or fold down the center of an existing piece of paper.

1.  Open up your paper in PSP.  I made this paper using my heart overlay tutorial.

2.  Go to the Blinds Effect (Effects > Texture Effects > Blinds).

3.  Apply the Blinds Effect at half the width of your paper and 50% opacity.  My paper is 3600 x 3600 so I used 1800 for my width.  The color should be black.

Width = 1800
Opacity = 50
Color = Black
Horizontal = Unchecked
Light from left/top = Checked.

4.  There is now a crease/fold exactly in the middle of the paper.  If you want the fold to go horizontally across the middle of the paper then check Horizontal in the Blinds menu.

Egg-citement Overlays

I made these overlays for my Egg-citement kit.  You can either use them as traditional overlays or follow my coloring an overlay tutorial to make them multi-colored.  I have left them as transparent PNGs so it should be easy to color them.  The papers shown in the preview are part of my Egg-citement kit.

Overlays

Egg-citement!

I decided at the last minute to participate in the Egg-citement blog train.  It was very bad of me because I should have been working on computer programming and not goofing off.  The preview is very sparse, but this kit contains:

• 7 papers (you can see them on the eggs)
• 6 cracked eggs
• 5 alphas
• 3 egg-shaped frames
• 1 grass border
• 1 grass tuft
• 1 wordart

Kit