Okay, now I like COLOR, as many of you may already know.  I made this new flood fill just the other night that I am going to try with this tutorial.  If you would like to use this flood fill, then just save it.  Otherwise go to my flood fill page and snag one.  Or use one of your favorites!

1.  Open a new transparent image in PSP (make it big enough for your name, we will resize later).  For this tut, I am using 600 x 300 (but if your name is long, use 800 x 400 at least!).  You need to allow enough room to use your fat fonts and then to decorate after.

2.  Open the flood fill you will be using.  This is mine (right click > Save As, if you want it!)

3.  Click on the title bar of the new transparent image (the top portion) to select it.

4.  Click on your background style palette and select the flood fill or gradient you want to use for this tutorial.  My palette looks like this:

5.  Click on the text tool and select your text in the font window, pick a nice fat font so you can easily see your fill or gradient:

6.  I have decided to use a font call Butterfield Demo.  If you want it, you can get it at Abstract Fonts

7.  Type your font in the text box, and if necessary adjust the size.  I am using 72 point.

8.  Your text should look something like this now:

9.  Click EFFECTS > PLUGINS > FANTASTIC MACHINES > PAINT ENGINE.  Select "Bad Brush" from the drop down list.  If you don't have this setting, then be sure to save this setting for future use.  Here is the dialog box with the individual settings:

10.  Click on APPLY.

11.  You can add an inner bevel if you like now.  I am going to, but if you are not much for beveled text, just skip this step (I don't mind!).  Click on EFFECTS > 3-D EFFECTS > INNER BEVEL.  When the dialog box appears try my setting, or one of your favorites (in PSP 8, if you like the effect of a new setting, be sure to save it!)

12.  Click OK.

13.  Click SELECTIONS > SELECT NONE

14.  Open a new transparent image, make it big enough for the largest letter in your name.  My "W" is my largest letter, so I am going to use a new image size of 150 x 150.

15.  Click on the text tool and type ONLY the first letter of your name. Click Apply.

16. Use your mover tool, , to position your letter into the center of the image.  Mine looks like this:

17.  Apply the same inner bevel settings you used in your entire name and then SELECTIONS > SELECT NONE.  The first letter of your name should look something like this:

18.  Repeat the process of the creating the rest of the letters for your name and apply the inner bevel so all individual letters are consistent.  When you are done you should have 1 image for each letter of your name and 1 image with your complete name.  Here is what I have so far (resized for quicker loading)

19.  Click on the first letter of your name to select it.  Click on EFFECTS > IMAGE EFFECTS > PAGE CURL.  A dialog box will appear.  Here are some setting I used previously.  Select a color that is complimentary to your fill.

20.  Click on APPLY. 

If you prefer using AV Brothers, it is a great filter, but it will leave a white area around your individual letters.  I still have KPT 3, and it is my favorite for page curl.  You must first click on SELECTIONS > SELECT ALL, then SELECTIONS > FLOAT.  This way just your letter is selected. If you happen to have it, these are the settings that I am using:

21.  Now if you used KPT or AV brothers you will notice a white area.  This must be removed!  Here are my two images.  The one on the left is after I applied KPT 3 Page Curl, and the one on the right is after I removed the white.

If you don't want to mess with this, then just use PSP 8's internal filter.

22.  SELECTIONS > SELECT NONE.

23.  Repeat the page curl steps for the rest of the letters (but not the image with your full name!)  Now your images should look something like this:

24.  Now we are ready to lay our page curled letters on top of the name text we made.  This is a very critical process.  In order to ensure that you properly line up your layers, I would suggest that you work EXTREMELY big!

25.  Select your 1st page curled letter (for me this is the "W").  Click EDIT > COPY

26.  Click on your name image.  Then click on EDIT > PASTE AS NEW LAYER.  Your layer will now be in the center of your name tag. 

27.  For convenience, you may decide to change the name of this layer.  In PSP 8, just double click on the layer (it would say "Raster 2") and a dialog box will appear.  I changed the name of both my layers (and will change the additional layers I add also).  My layer palette looks like this:

That step is not necessary, but it allows you to know which layer is which.

28.  Click on VIEW > ZOOM > ZOOM IN BY 5 STEPS.  And if necessary zoom in even closer if you need to.

29.  Using your "mover" tool, , move your first letter directly over the full image of this letter in your name.  You do not want to be able to tell that there are 2 separate layers.  Which doing this, if you are only at Zoom 5, you may decide to zoom in a little more to fine tune your positioning.  Your first letter should look something like this once it has been positioned.

30.  Continue this process until you have added all your curled letters to your name.  When you have lined up all letters, it should look something like this:

31.  Your layer palette will look something like this (spelling your name from the bottom to top)

32.  Now, a little bit of shadow may be nice.  I am using these setting:

33.  Click on OK.

34.  Apply the same drop shadow on each letter.  Once you have shadow on each letter, it should look something like this:

35.  Select the image with your full name (it should be the bottom layer), and apply the following drop shadow (this is different from the previous shadow):

36.  Click LAYERS > MERGE > MERGE VISIBLE.

37.  If you like, decorate with a tube or your choice.  Then  click LAYERS > MERGE > MERGE ALL (Flatten). You are done!!  Mine looks great, and I hope yours does too!  I would love to see it!

If you decide to resize, don't forget to sharpen!!!  Oh and Jimmy, thanks for another awesome tube!!!!!