Description:

• Manipulate a photo or object to create a beautiful card.
  

Skill Level:

• Beginner. I assume you know where the tools are in PhotoImpact.

Additional Files:

• an image or object of your choice or you can use the elvis object in the zip file.
• Toadies filters (in the zipped file below)
• A nice font I am using: Odalisque. Open the font and minimize it before you open PI and it will be available in your Text Panel. No need to install it into your Windows/Fonts folder.

Download all the materials from here.

Author: Wouter Démoet.

Terms of Use: Please read

NOTE:

• Install the Toadies filters into your plugin folder. Debbie's tutorial on how to do this can be found here
• Save your work often. I suggest you read the entire tutorial, before you start. And if you need help, or if you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me at wouter@demoet.nl
  

Open the Elvis image object in PhotoImpact. Press Ctrl+D to duplicate the image and close the original. Using the Eye Dropper Tool, set your foreground color to a light color from the image and the background color to a dark color from the image. I am using: #debfa8 and #302a2c. Make sure to deselect the object if needed so the base image is active.



Go to Edit: Fill -- Gradient tab and use the settings below to fill your background. Colors are foreground- and background color.



Merge all. Press Ctrl+D to duplicate and resize the duplicate to a height of 250 pixels.



In the Menu Bar go to Photo - Focus - Options and check the Auto-adjust box and click OK. You should have 2 images now a larger and a smaller one.
Open a new white canvas of 500 x 450 pixels. Edit: Fill - Color. Fill it with your lighter foreground color. Open the larger elvis image copy and paste it on your background. Right click: Align - Center Both.

Keep selected. Effect: Toadies - Plain Mosaic. Use these settings:



Deselect.

Make your smaller elvis image active. Press Shift+N and add a border of 1 pixels with the background color. (Right click on the color box)



Add another border of 1 pixel: foreground color and another 2 pixel border with the bg color.
Copy the image and paste it on your background. Right click: Align - Center Both. Your image should look similar to this:

50%

Change to your Line- and Arrow Tool with these settings: color is background color



Press your Shift key and draw a horizontal line of about 400 pixels.

Note: When you press the Ctrl key PI will enable you to draw straight lines horizontal, vertical or with an angle of 45 degrees.

In your Layer Palette, right click and duplicate the line 2 times. Press the Ctrl key and in your Layer Manager select all three lines.



Right click: Align - Space Evenly and use these settings:



Right click and Merge the 3 lines into a Single Object. Right click: Properties: Size & Position tab with these setting:



Duplicate the lines. Right click: Properties: Size & Position tab with these settings: Left: 80 Top: 397.
Your image should look like this now:



Deselect.