Tags and Matching Backgrounds
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Needed tools
Open an attractive colorful tube
Press SHIFT + D to make a duplicate of your tube. Close the original tube to preserve it.
Use your selection tool and select a portion of the tube that you want to be used in your background.
Press CTRL + C to copy it.
Press CTRL + V to paste as a new image.
While your new image is still active press CTRL + E to paste as a new selection. Do this a few times so that there are no transparent spots on your image
Click on Effects > Plug In Filters > Simple > Quick Tile
There are no settings here. Just click OK
Press SHIFT + D to make a duplicate copy of your new image
On the layer palette of your new image, lower the opacity to about 26%
The transparency will show through.
Click Layers > Merge > Flatten Layers
The image that you get at this point will be your background image.
It is the image that I used as the background for this page
set this image aside for now.
Open a new image 300 X 200 transparent.
make a new layer.
Use your selection tool set to rounded rectangle.
Set your foreground to your dark image.
You may need to lower the scale to make it flood the way you want it to.
Flood
While still selected, click Selections > Modify > Contract
I set mine to 15. You can set it for a larger number of you choose.
Press delete and deselect.
Click Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel
Apply the following settings
Refer to your original tube and resize it and place on your image
Merge visible layers
Save this as blank.psp
Make a new layer.
Add the text that you would like.
Apply the same Inner Bevel
Merge Visible layers
Refer to my transparent GIF tutorial to save this as a transparent gif. The tag below is a finished tag.
http://www.pixelbit.com/tips_and_tricks/transparent_gif
Another Example
A whole page of samples with the flowers and backgrounds that were used to make them
If you have any comments or questions, please email me at: