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

Dark Chocolate Text

It is no secret that my favourite chocolate is dark :)

Creating a rich dark chocolate text is reasonably easy in Paint Shop Pro.

You will need:

Font 1 - Mirabel One http://canadatype.net/fonts/mirabelhttp://canadatype.net/fonts/mirabel but a similar cursive font with some smoothness and thickness would be appropriate.

 Font 2 - Yu Gothic Semilight [Microsoft]

 Foreground colour #5c504d

Background and Text colour #342b26

Create a new image 600 X 400 72 ppi raster background transparent.

Flood fill with gradient created with your foreground and background colours using these settings.

Add some noise to give the background a slightly velvety appearance.

Adjust . add noise:

Layer > New Vector layer [text 1]

Select the text tool and font Mirabel One with these settings and using foreground null and background colour #342b26 :

Layer > convert to raster layer.

Effects> 3D effects > Inner Bevel

Select Text only

New Adjustment layer -Curves

This gives more shine and definition.

Select the text layer . Effects > 3 D Effects Drop Shadow :

Create a New Vector Layer above adjustment layer [text 2]

Select the text tool

Same dark background colour  #342b26  foreground null

Font 2 Yu Gothic Semilight 

Write some descriptive words about your chocolate.

If you wish, copy merged and pasted as a new layer and changed blend mode to dodge and reduced opacity to 25% or less to give it a bit more "oomph."

All values given for guidance. For different sized images and text, you may need to make  adjustments to the sizes and values of your settings....experiment!

In my image below I added some drips using Eye Candy Filter from Alien Skin http://www.alienskin.com/eyecandy/