Stay Calm Tag Tutorial by Meshi

Needed:

Paint Shop Pro (I used XV).

No outside filters are needed. 

Animation Shop is used if you want to animate.

An image (I used one I purchased through Creative Fabrica).

1. File > Open 

Your tube

2. Window > Duplicate

(You can now close out the original.)

3. Image > Resize 

Pixel Dimensions 

Height 246 Pixels  (Width will adjust itself)

Resample using: Weighted Average

Lock aspect ratio = Checked

Resize all layers = Checked

(Sometimes I like to crop the image first

if there is a bit of space above/below.)

4. Adjust > Sharpness > Unsharp Mask

Settings = High Res Portrait which is:

Radius: 1.00 Strength: 50 Clipping: 2

Luminance only = Unchecked

Or use any setting of your choice. 

5. Layers > Duplicate

6. Image > Canvas Size 

New Dimensions 

Width: 600 Pixels

Height: 250

Placement = Middle box

7. Dropper Tool

Choose a light (left click on image) and a medium color

(right click on image).

8. Layers > New Raster Layer

9. Layers > Arrange > Send to Bottom

10. Flood Fill Tool

Flood Fill with one of your colors.

11. Layers Palette

Highlight your original tube (middle layer)

12. Effects > Image Effects > Seamless Tiling

Tiling method = Corner

Direction = Horizontal

Horizontal offset = 0

Transition (%) = 40

13. Effects > Image Effects > Seamless Tiling

Change Direction to Vertical.

14. Layers > Merge > Merge Down

15. Effects > Distortion Effects > Pixelate

Block width and height = 25 

Symmetric = Checked

16. Effects > Geometric Effects > Skew

Skew direction = Horizontal

Skew angle = 45

Edge mode = Wrap

17. Effects > Geometric Effects > Skew

Skew direction = Vertical

18. Effects > Geometric Effects > Spherize

Strength = 80

Shape = Ellipse

19. Effects > Edge Effects > Erode

20. Layers > New Raster Layer

21. Flood Fill Tool

Flood fill with any color from your image

that you think would frame it well.

22. Selections > Select All

23. Selections > Modify > Contract

Number of pixels = 1

24. Edit > Clear 

25. Selections > Modify > Contract

Number of pixels = 2

26. Layers Palette

Highlight your bottom layer.

27. Selections > Invert

28. Adjust > Blur > Gaussian Blur

Radius = 2

29. Selections > Select None

30. Palette Layers

Highlight your middle frame layer.

31. Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow

Vertical and Horizontal = 0

Opacity =50

Blur = 5

32. Palette Layers

Highlight your top layer.

33. Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow

You can choose your own or use mine:

Vertical offset = 2

Horizontal = 0

Opacity = 90

Blur = 45

Color = Black

34. Text Tool

I used Sweet Shine from dafont.com, and

changed the colors to what looked best.

Size 9 

Units: Points 

Bold

 Align Center 

First Direction

Sharp

Stroke Width 1.5

35. Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel

Click on the Default Arrow and then change:

Bevel: 2

Depth: 1

36. Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow

Change Opacity to 50 and Blur to 5.

37. Add your copyright information on a new layer.

38. File > Save As

I like to save as png for the clearest image.

You can save as jpg if you'd like less kbs.

You are done with the making of your tag.

However, if you would like to animate:

1. Layers Palette

Highlight your bottom layer.

2. Edit > Copy

3. In Animation Shop

Edit > Paste > As New Animation

4. Effects > Insert Image Effect

Effect: Wave 

5. Click on F:1 and hit delete on your keyboard four times,

making sure to click on the first frame before each delete.

You should have seven frames still.

6. Edit > Select All

7. Edit > Copy

8. Animation > Reverse Frames

9. Click on Frame Seven.

10. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame

11. Click on Propagate Paste at the top of AS (looks like three folded edged pages).

12. Back in PSP close off background layer in Layers Palette.

13. Edit > Copy Special > Copy Merged  

14. In Animation Shop

Edit > Paste > As New Animation

15. Edit > Copy

16. Highlight your animated image and 

Edit > Select All but have Frame one in site.

17. Edit > Paste > Into Selected Frame

Make sure everything lines up and left click.

Every frame should have your full tag now.

18. File > Optimization Wizard

Both Animated GIF File and Replace the current animation with the optimized version selected

Next

Better Image Quality bar should be at the top.

Click on Customize

Number of Colors: 255 colors

Create palette by Optimized Octree selected

Reduce colors by Error Diffusion selected

Click on Optimizations tab

Write Minimal Frames checked

Map Identical pixels to Transparent checked

OK

Use these settings when saving unoptimized files should be checked

Click Next three times and then finish

19. View > Animation

20. File > Save As

Name your tag 

Save as type: CompuServe Graphics Interchange (*.gif).

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This Tutorial was Made by Meshi September 20, 2021

I'd love to see your results. :)