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Note: PSPX was used to create this tutorial; there may be slight variations in other versions. In addition, depending on how you have your workspace set up, it may be in the default settings, your screens may look slightly different from mine.
Open the bottom layer of the alpha, called the blank base in Erica Hite's Alpha Template Alpha Tags, by either dragging it onto a new image or double clicking on it from with in the PSPX browser. Duplicate the image and close the original. Save with a new name.
Activate your Magic Wand and click on one of the blank tags (Arrows 1 and 2). Selecting them, you will see marching ants around them (Arrow 3). Drag a paper you wish to cover the Alpha with on top of the base layer.
Click on the paper layer (Arrow 1). You will see the marching ants on your paper layer now. Go to Selections> Invert Selection (Arrow 2) and hit Delete. You will now have the paper covering just the tags (Arrow 3). Go to Selections> Select None to remove the marching ants. Save your work. I save as a .pspimage. PSP can open .pspimages where Adobe products cannot; by saving as a .pspimage you will have greater versatility for use in the future.
Now I want to change the color of the paper from the blush to a sunny yellow. I used the Color Picker or Eyedropper Tool (Arrow 1) to select a color from my photo and left-clicked to choose it as my foreground color (Arrow 2).
Activate your Change to Target Tool found in the drop-down box just under the brush tool (Arrow 3).
Click on the upper left corner group of tags getting as many in the brush as you can. I have my setting at 500 which is the largest PSPX allows. Left mouse click once (Arrow 1). Move to the bottom and holding the Shift key, left click again, the whole row will turn your chosen color (Arrow 2). Continue left-clicking, holding the Shift key down each time, until all the tags are your chosen color. Save your work.
Turn off the Base layer and paper layer by clicking on the eyes (Arrow 1). Open and Copy> Paste or drag the next layer onto the template. I used the Sketch layer of the Alpha Template, making sure it is over the first two layers. Use the Magic Wand to select the sketch template area; you may have to zoom in a bit to select the non-transparent area (Arrow 2). Selection> Invert. Drag your choice of paper on top of the template or use the Paint Bucket to fill the areas with your choice of color. I chose Amanda Sok's Winter White Tapestry Paper and, making sure it is active, hit Delete to remove unwanted sections of the paper. Selections> Select None. Save your work. Turn off the template layer by clicking the eye.
I wanted to give this layer an embossed look so I used Effects> 3D> Inner Bevel and played with the settings until I found something I liked. I lowered the Opacity to let the paper layer show through (Arrows 1 and 2). If you want to be able to see your settings on what you are working on, click the auto setting eyes (Arrow 3). Turn off this layer by clicking the eye. Save your work.
Now that the tags are done, it's time to add the Alpha. Drag it onto the image you are working on, making sure it becomes the top layer. You may need to turn on your paper layer to see where the alpha lines up. Once you have it where you want it, turn off the paper layer again.
Select the Alpha as we have done with the last two layers and Selections> Invert. Drag your paper on top of the Alpha, activate the paper layer and Delete so that the paper is covering your Alpha. I used Effects> Inner Bevel on the Alpha to create the embossed look again (Image 7).
Drag the eyelet layer on top and repeat the steps above. I used the same paper for the Alpha as the eyelets, Angie Briggs' Day to Day Life Solid Purple, again adding the Inner Bevel.
Turn on each of the layers by clicking on the eyes, leaving off each layer of the template itself. Save as a PNG, if you are asked about saving as a merged image, click "OK."
To use your newly created Alpha tags, use the Marquee Tool (Arrow 1) to select each letter (Arrow 2), and Selection> Promote Selection to Layer (Arrow 3). I name each layer with the letter. After you have each letter you need on its own layer, hide the base layer and arrange the tags, adjusting until you like the way they look. Layers> Merge> Merge Visible and Copy> Paste them onto your layout. Be careful if you save at this time that you use a different file name so you do not overwrite your Alpha file.
Layout by Dee-Ann Decker
Tutorial by Dee-Ann Decker
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