HEIRLOOM PHOTO PLATE Immortalize your favourite photo on a plate

Paint Shop Pro Tutorials by Karen

My father and I used to have a little home based business, glazing photo`s onto plates and other collectors items. I still have some of the ones we made for our "samples" display, and when looking at them the other day, thought how nice it would be to do something similar in PSP. So I have photographed them and hope to be able to digitally recreate them. If I succeed I will then make tutorials so others can make them too!.  Obviously I need to slightly alter the finished item so not to directly "copy" the designs of the actual items, but the resulting images will be along the same concept. This is the first in the planned series...  I hope you like it. Before we begin you will need my files... CLICK HERE to download. Unzip the "kkphotoplateselections" folder into your selections folder, and "kkphotoplatebits" folder into a folder of your choice. You will also need your own photo. Ready?... lets create a photo on a plate!

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I hope you enjoyed this tutorial which is written for PSP V 7 but should work in other versions.

Open your photo in psp, use your selections tool set at square, antialias 0, feather 0. Drag the mouse around the main part of the photo to select a square area. (This is important because if you leave the photo oblong, when placing into the selection on the plate, it will be out of proportion.) Go edit / copy / edit / paste as new image. Minimise (click minus (-) sign at the top.) Open the ribbon and bow you want to use ( I have supplied 6 colours) and also open"kkgolden.jpg"... minimise these files too. Start a new image as in fig 1.

Go layers / new raster layer / ok. Now go selections / load from disk... browse to find the folder "kkphotoplateselections" double click the folder then find "kkplateedge.sel" highlight it then click "open". Flood fill with white then go selections / select none. Go back to selections / load from disk, and open "kkribbonholes.sel" now hit delete. Next go effects / 3D effects / outer bevel, and apply as in fig 2.

Deselect ( selections / select none) then add a new layer (layers / new raster layer / ok).  Go back to selections / load from disk and open "kkribbon.sel". Keep selected. Open the "ribbon.jpg" which you have minimised (click on the "restore" icon, top left on the minimised file)- go edit / copy. You can close the ribbon- now  go edit / paste into selection, still keeping selected, go effects / 3D effects / inner bevel, apply as in fig 3.

Deselect then add a new layer as before. Open the photo you have minimised, go edit / copy. Close the photo. Go back to selections / load from disk and open "kkphotoedge.sel" next go edit / paste into selection, keep selected. Now go effects / 3D effects / inner bevel and apply as in fig 4.

Next go effects / 3D effects / drop shadow and apply as in fig 5.

Repeat the drop shadow, but change the horizontal and vertical offsets to minus 2 (-2) Add a new layer as before, go back to selections / load from disk and open "kkplaterim.sel". Now go to your styles pallette, double click on the patterns icon and load "kkgolden.jpg" ( it should be at the top of your patterns choices within the pallette) flood fill with the golden pattern then go effects / sharpen / sharpen then deselect. Open the bow tube you have minimised, then go image / resize, and apply as in fig 6.

Now go edit / copy, close the bow then go edit / paste as new layer. Move the bow to the top of the plate and position over the top "holes". When you are happy with it go layers / merge / merge visible. That`s it... your own photo on a plate! Tube it, save as psp image or transparent gif. Why not do a collection of them, or add plate holder / shelf etc. Have fun!