Creating Leather Look Text

Creating a Leather Look Text in Paint Shop Pro

New image 500 X 500

Raster background colour of your choice- I used white for time being.

New Vector layer

Select Text tool and a slightly rounded block type font size 350 pixels

I used Arial Rounded MT Bold. Vector text.

Material Foreground nil Background red.

Selections > Selections from Vector Object.

Selections > Promote Selection to Layer.

Selection > Modify >  Expand 5 pixels

Fill with Leather texture of your choice. I used a texture which I had created using Filter Forge and PSP but there are many free leather textures available on the Web.

Selections Modify > Contract 5 Pixels.

Effects > 3D effects> Inner Bevel

I used these settings:

Selections > Invert and promote selection to layer:

Selections > Select None and apply the same bevel:

Merge Down.

Stitching

Move your Vector Text level to the top of the top and open the vector:

 Right click on that text layer and change properties to Foreground a colour of your choice. I chose a light cream and style line small dash width 2, Background nil:

Convert to raster layer and apply same bevel but reducing the width to 5:

Apply a small drop shadow to stitching, using a colour that will blend with your leather colour:

Close visibility of your background.

Merge all text layers and save as a .png   or as a .pspimage.

Here I have used my saved image with a punched and riveted hole:

Another Example using different materials and finer stitching to make this notebook:

You could use the same principles to create a leather frame. I have used a .pspshape of an oval frame and a beautiful painting by Fannie Moody to create the image below.

Happy Creating!

Judy

Text Variation - Text on Text- Using a Mask

This sort of overlaid text effect was once fairly common in advertising.

To create "space" around the overlying text, you need to make a selection of your uppermost text, expand your selection and using that "expanded" selection  "cut out" your underlying text.

Now that is fine if your underlying text is a raster layer, but what if that layer is a vector? And what if you wish to move your uppermost text a smidgeon? It is certainly annoying to have to "undo/redo multiple steps".

The answer is to use a mask and link it to the top text layer:

1 First create a background layer [not absolutely necessary but I find it helps :) I used white

2 Create your bottom vector text . I used a red fill and no outline but any would do.

3 New mask layer  -show all

4 Create new vector layer for your uppermost text make sure it is NOT within this layer group but in a separate vector layer above it. [Layer > new vector layer]
 Place it in the approximate final position

5 Carefully select the actual text vector. Create a selection from vector layer. [Selection>selection from vector]

Selection>Modify> expand by 2 [or a value which suits i.e. creates a little space around your topmost text]

6 Keep selection. Go down to your mask and fill with black #000000. 

7 Select none. Notice how now part of that underlying text is masked out.
We will now link the actual mask to the overlying text.

8 While the mask layer is still selected, hold down the control Ctrl key and also select your top text and link these two.

This will enable you to move the mask and top text as one -important if you want to shift its position.

You can now alter your background to whatever you like and your bottom text layer  will stay "cut out" .

You can also convert your text layers to rasters and apply any effects or simply alter their properties. At any time later, you can move that top text layer and the cutout effect on the lower text layer will "follow" it.

Judy