Welcome to Wouter's Designs & PhotoImpact

Flip Chop Frame Tutorial for PhotoImpact 11:
(Can be done with earlier versions).

Description: Create a nice frame using PhotoImpact 11, Eye Candy 3, Simple Filters and VM Distortion.
Author: Wouter Démoet.
Terms of Use: Please read
Skill Level: Intermediate. I assume you know where the tools are in PhotoImpact.
Additional Files: A photo (courtesy PD Photos), my wd-knots pattern fill image and the Seperates font.
Please download the materials here

Filters:
Eye Candy 3
Simple Filters
VM Distortion
If you need help installing third party filters, please refer to Debbie Hardisty's tutorial.

NOTE: Save your work often. I suggest you read the entire tutorial, before you start. Where it reads "Rc" in this tutorial, it means right click. And if you need help, or if you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me at: wouter@demoet.nl

Instructions:
If necessary install all 3 plugins and restart your copy of PhotoImpact. Open the wd-flip-chop jpg. Ctrl+D twice. Close the original. NOTE: If you use an image of your own, make sure it is not larger than 400 x 300 pixels. Otherwise you will end up with a huge picture. Minimize one of the duplicates. Rc.: All. Rc.: Expand/Shrink - Shrink the selection with 17 pixels. Rc.: Store Selection. In the menu bar: Effect - Eye Candy 3.1 - Cutout with these settings: Menu bar: Edit - Repeat Cutout, but change the Direction to 135 degrees. Rc.: Merge All. Rc.: Load Selection. Rc.: Border. Create a 2 pixel border Inward: Convert to Object. Edit: Fill - Image tab - Browse to your wd-knots image from the download. Please use these settings: Merge All. Load Selection. Rc.: Invert. Convert to Object. Photo - Blur - Gaussian Blur - Default setting. Keep selected. Effect: Simple - 4 Way Average. Apply the Eye Candy Cutout. Edit: Repeat Cutout changing the Direction to 315 degrees again.Merge All. Menu bar: Adjust - Expand Canvas (Shift+N). Expand your canvas with 2 pixels using white. Rc. All. Rc: Border using the same settings. Convert to Object and fill with the knots image. Merge All. Open the minimized duplicate and Rc.: Copy. Minimize it again. Expand your canvas now with 15 pixels using white. Rc.: All. Rc.: Border. Create a border of 15 pixels Inward. Convert to Object. In the Menu bar: Edit: Paste - Fit Into Selection. Keep selected. Apply the same default Gaussian Blur. Effect: Simple - 4 Way Average. Effect: Eye Candy - Cutout. Edit: Repeat Cutout but change the Direction to 135 degrees. Menu bar: Photo: Light - Brightness & Contrast - Gamma: 1.4. Rc.: Merge All. Expand your canvas with 3 pixels using white. Rc.: All. Rc.: Border: 3 pixels Inward. Convert to Object. Fill with the knots image. Merge All. Your image should look similar to this: Expand your Canvas (Shift+N). This time with 30 pixels. Rc.: All. Rc.: Border: 30 pixels Inward. Store Selection.Convert to Object. Edit: Paste - Fit Into Selection. Keep selected. Apply the same Gaussian Blur and Simple - 4 Way Average. Merge All. Load Selection - Select-2 - Convert to Object. Menu bar: Effect - VM Distortion - Flip Chop with the Default setting. Keep selected. Effect: Simple - Top Left Mirror. Effect: Eye Candy - Cutout. Edit: Repeat cutout changing the Direction to 315 degrees. Merge All. Expand your Canvas (Shift+N) with 4 pixels using white. Rc.: All. Rc.: Border - 4 pixels Inward. Convert to Object and fill with the knots image. Merge All. Your image should look similar to this: Expand your Canvas with 15 pixels using white. Rc.: All. Rc.: Border: 15 pixels Inward. Convert to Object. Edit: Paste - Fit Into Selection. Apply the same Gaussian Blur and Simple - 4 way Average. Keep Selected. Effect - Fills and Texture - Texture Filter: Click the Effect: Embossed thumbnail (1), click on the little arrow on the top (2) and click: Select Texture. I am using the texture with the Vertical Lines (emboss009.bmp) with these settings: Keep selected. Change to your Transform Tool and Rotate this Object 90 degrees to the right. Repeat the Texture filter using the same settings.Then rotate the object back 90 degrees to the left. Menu bar: Web - Button Designer - Any Shape. Default settings but change the Bevel Size to 3. Merge All. Photo: Focus - Options - Auto-adjust. Change to your Text Tool. Using the Seperates font from the download. Mode: 2D. Style: Bold. Color: Any for now. Size :70. Type a lowercase: h. Open your Material Box and in the Color/Texture tab click: File (1) and browse to your knots image. Click: Options (2) and make sure that Tile the Texture has a checkmark (3). In the Attribute toolbar, check the Border Feature and allow a border of 1 pixel. Right click on the color box and select: Color on Screen and sample a darker color from the eye of the lion. I am using #5F2905. Add a shadow with these settings: Menu bar: Web - Button Designer - Any Shape - Bevel Size: 1. Put in place like so: Rc.: Align - Center Horizontally. Keep selected. Photo - Focus - Options - Auto-adjust. Deselect. Add your watermark or name. Merge All. Optimize and save your work as a jpg. That is all, I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial as much as I liked writing it for you.

Instructions:

If necessary install all 3 plugins and restart your copy of PhotoImpact. Open the wd-flip-chop jpg. Ctrl+D twice. Close the original. NOTE: If you use an image of your own, make sure it is not larger than 400 x 300 pixels. Otherwise you will end up with a huge picture. Minimize one of the duplicates. Rc.: All. Rc.: Expand/Shrink - Shrink the selection with 17 pixels. Rc.: Store Selection. In the menu bar: Effect - Eye Candy 3.1 - Cutout with these settings:

Menu bar: Edit - Repeat Cutout, but change the Direction to 135 degrees. Rc.: Merge All.
Rc.: Load Selection. Rc.: Border. Create a 2 pixel border Inward:

Convert to Object. Edit: Fill - Image tab - Browse to your wd-knots image from the download. Please use these settings:

Merge All. Load Selection. Rc.: Invert. Convert to Object. Photo - Blur - Gaussian Blur - Default setting. Keep selected. Effect: Simple - 4 Way Average. Apply the Eye Candy Cutout. Edit: Repeat Cutout changing the Direction to 315 degrees again.Merge All.
Menu bar: Adjust - Expand Canvas (Shift+N). Expand your canvas with 2 pixels using white.

Rc. All. Rc: Border using the same settings. Convert to Object and fill with the knots image. Merge All.

Open the minimized duplicate and Rc.: Copy. Minimize it again. Expand your canvas now with 15 pixels using white. Rc.: All. Rc.: Border. Create a border of 15 pixels Inward. Convert to Object. In the Menu bar: Edit: Paste - Fit Into Selection. Keep selected. Apply the same default Gaussian Blur. Effect: Simple - 4 Way Average. Effect: Eye Candy - Cutout. Edit: Repeat Cutout but change the Direction to 135 degrees. Menu bar: Photo: Light - Brightness & Contrast - Gamma: 1.4.

Rc.: Merge All. Expand your canvas with 3 pixels using white. Rc.: All. Rc.: Border: 3 pixels Inward. Convert to Object. Fill with the knots image. Merge All. Your image should look similar to this:

Expand your Canvas (Shift+N). This time with 30 pixels. Rc.: All. Rc.: Border: 30 pixels Inward. Store Selection.Convert to Object. Edit: Paste - Fit Into Selection. Keep selected. Apply the same Gaussian Blur and Simple - 4 Way Average. Merge All.
Load Selection - Select-2 - Convert to Object. Menu bar: Effect - VM Distortion - Flip Chop with the Default setting. Keep selected. Effect: Simple - Top Left Mirror. Effect: Eye Candy - Cutout. Edit: Repeat cutout changing the Direction to 315 degrees. Merge All.
Expand your Canvas (Shift+N) with 4 pixels using white. Rc.: All. Rc.: Border - 4 pixels Inward. Convert to Object and fill with the knots image. Merge All. Your image should look similar to this:

Expand your Canvas with 15 pixels using white. Rc.: All. Rc.: Border: 15 pixels Inward. Convert to Object. Edit: Paste - Fit Into Selection. Apply the same Gaussian Blur and Simple - 4 way Average. Keep Selected. Effect - Fills and Texture - Texture Filter: Click the Effect: Embossed thumbnail (1), click on the little arrow on the top (2) and click: Select Texture. I am using the texture with the Vertical Lines (emboss009.bmp) with these settings:

Keep selected. Change to your Transform Tool and Rotate this Object 90 degrees to the right. Repeat the Texture filter using the same settings.Then rotate the object back 90 degrees to the left.
Menu bar: Web - Button Designer - Any Shape. Default settings but change the Bevel Size to 3.

Merge All. Photo: Focus - Options - Auto-adjust. Change to your Text Tool. Using the Seperates font from the download. Mode: 2D. Style: Bold. Color: Any for now. Size :70.

Type a lowercase: h. Open your Material Box and in the Color/Texture tab click: File (1) and browse to your knots image. Click: Options (2) and make sure that Tile the Texture has a checkmark (3).

In the Attribute toolbar, check the Border Feature and allow a border of 1 pixel. Right click on the color box and select: Color on Screen and sample a darker color from the eye of the lion. I am using #5F2905. Add a shadow with these settings:

Menu bar: Web - Button Designer - Any Shape - Bevel Size: 1. Put in place like so:

Rc.: Align - Center Horizontally. Keep selected. Photo - Focus - Options - Auto-adjust. Deselect. Add your watermark or name. Merge All. Optimize and save your work as a jpg.

That is all, I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial as much as I liked writing it for you.