Picture Tubes - Beginning Level
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just send us an email.
Please do not make copies (electronic or paper/hard) of this tutorial or use it without
permission.
You may print one hard copy for the use of you and your immediate family.
Your finished product is your own to do with as you please.
This tutorial focuses in on using picture tubes in your projects.
You should already know how to open a new image, save the image, add a new raster layer,
and rename a layer.
If you do not know how to do this, refer to the tutorial,
Introduction to Layers and Opacity.
You should also know how to select a color, gradient, or pattern.
If you do not, please refer to the tutorial, Colors, Gradients,
Patterns and Textures.
Picture tubes are a great way to add items to your project.
Basically you are "painting with pictures" when using picture tubes.
We will not get into creating your own picture tubes in this tutorial.
That will be covered later.
I used Paint Shop Pro 9 for this tutorial, however, you should be able to use other versions as
well.
For a free trial or to purchase Paint Shop Pro, click on the above link.
Step 1
Open a new transparent image.
If you are just going through this tutorial and won't be using this project for anything,
just use what I use.
However, if you plan to use it, take the comments into consideration:
- Width and Height 5 inches (make sure inches is selected) - use whatever size you wish if you
plan to use it
- Resolution 72 pixels per inch - if you plan to print, use at least 180-300 for your resolution
- Raster background
- Color resolution 16 million colors (24 bit)
- Transparent checked
Remember, those gray and white checks show transparency.
You should see them clearly, because there is nothing else to see, it's totally transparent.
Step 2
Now you need to create your background.
You can make any background you wish - using the skills you have learned so far.
If you are just doing this project and don't plan to use it, do something very simple, even if it
is just a single color, gradient, or pattern.
You can always add your photos and create you background later if you like, however, my preference
is to create the background first, so I can see what it looks like.
You may keep all the layers as you create them.
Don't forget, naming your layers helps you keep organized.
Add an empty raster layer on top.
This is where we'll place the picture from the tube.
Name and save your file.
Step 3
Select your Picture Tube tool.
You'll find it in the toolbar on the left hand side.
You'll see what it looks like below, circled in red:
In the upper left of the Paint Shop Pro window, you'll see the picture tube currently chosen:
Yours may not look exactly like mine, but that's ok.
You'll be able to tell where it is by the Picture Tube Icon.
Some picture tubes will have only one picture in it.
Every time you "paint" with that tube, only that one picture will be put in your project.
Some picture tubes have more than one picture in it.
This would mean that any time you "paint" with that tube, you could have any one of a number of
pictures put in your project.
Some picture tubes, some will paint a continuous item (like a rope or paper doll chain.)
Paint Shop Pro comes with quite a number of Picture Tubes.
You may not have the same picture tubes I have, as I've created and gathered many in addition to
the ones included.
Select any one of the picture tubes you wish.
Just
To choose a different picture tube, just click on the little triangle next to the current
picture tube selected.
A window will pop up for you to select a new one.
For now, select one that are clearly pictures.
We'll explain some of the continuous ones later.
If you are using the trial version of Paint Shop Pro, you may have very few, if any,
Picture Tubes.
You may download some directly from Corel by clicking <
a HREF="http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Corel3/Section/Display&sid=1047024315119&gid=
1047024331972&cid=1047024332033">here.
Step 4
Now we'll "paint."
Make sure the top layer of your image is active.
It should be an empty layer.
Place your cursor on your image window and click!
There it is, a picture painted onto your project.
Move the cursor a bit and click again.
Another picture will be there.
You can also click and drag to keep painting with the picture tube.
If click once, add a layer, click on that layer, add a layer, click on that layer, etc.
you'll be able to move each one of the pictures individually to where you want it.
You will also be able to use other tools, like the deform tool, on each picture individually
if you place them each on separate layers.
Even if you don't place them on separate layers, you'll be able to do all sorts of things with them,
including changing the opacity and the addition of drop shadows.
Some tubes already have drop shadows, others don't, so you can add one if you like.
When scrapbooking, the addition of a drop shadow makes it look like a sticker.
Here's my sample using the "Art group" picture tube.
I also added a drop shadow.
Save your file.
Step 5
What we just did was taking the default settings of the picture tube and used the tube.
You can also change settings.
You can find them next to where you select your picture tube:
Scale refers to the percentage of the original.
100 would mean actual size (100% of the original.)
250 would mean 2.5 times the original size (250% of the original.)
50 would be half the original size, and on it goes.
Valid entries are 10-250.
As you change the percentage of the original, some distortion can occur, so watch that.
You can also use the "sharpen" function to help clarify the image (it typically works best on
those reduced in size, though.)
Step refers to the distance, in pixels, from the center of each picture tube image.
Valid entries are 1-500.
This setting works hand in hand with the Placement Mode setting.
Placement Mode refers to how to place the item in relation to the Step setting.
Continuous would place each picture tube image the same number of pixels.
If your Step is set to 50, they will each be 50 pixels apart (from the center.)
Random would place each picture tube image at a random distance, from 1 pixel to the number you
have set in Step.
This Step and Placement Mode only apply when you are holding down the mouse button and dragging
across the screen.
It does not affect when you just click, release, click, release, etc.
Selection Mode refers to which image in the picture tube to use.
Random selects the image at random.
Incrementally chooses the image in order, and always in the same order.
Angular selects the image based on the direction you are moving the cursor.
Pressure only applies if you are using a pressure sensitive tablet.
If you are, this setting will choose the image based on the pressure you apply.
Velocity will select the image based on the speed you move the cursor.
When a picture tube is created, the author will select the default for each of the settings.
You may use the default or change the settings to what you want to accomplish.
Go ahead and play around with a few tubes and settings.
That's a good way to learn your way around picture tubes.
A good one to try is "Spiral Snake Skin."
First try it by clicking once, moving over, clicking again.
Then hold down your mouse button and drag it across your image.
Notice the difference?
Sometimes the picture tube is set up for dragging across.
Others that follow this are "Film Strip", "Spiral Beads", "Spiral Garland", "Metal Hose", and
"Sunshine."
There are others, but these are just a few to get you started.
Don't forget to save your image if you want to keep it.
Warning: Picture tubes can become addictive!
You can do a search on the internet and find many sites that have free picture tubes to download.
Just be careful about any use requirements they may have.
And watch out for copyrighted items, like Disney and Hallmark.
Some companies do not allow their items to be tubed (the two mentioned above are in this category.)
If you find any tubes like these, you can know they are illegal.
Assignment: Have fun playing with Picture Tubes.
You can use them to create your backgrounds or to use as "stickers."
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