I did this tut in PSP XI, but it can be done in older versions - back to PSP8. The only difference I can tell is that the screenshots are a little different in each version, especially the layer palette.

Materials needed:

• Paint Shop Pro - any version will work.  I am not familiar with PSP7 and older, so did not write instructions for this tut for PSP 7.
• Image (misted tube and background pattern or jpg image of choice)
• Tag back of some sort or mask image of choice.  The mask makes the cutout, so you want an image that has clean, defined edges, like the pattern in the example image.

Make your Mask

I chose a tag back that had clear distinct lines for this tut. This is the lazy way to make a mask. I am sure that someone used preset shapes or ding fonts to make a mask but I grabbed the first one I came to and used it.  Right click to save this tagback - or drag it from here onto your workspace in PSP.

Image > Greyscale
Adjust > Brightness and Contrast
(Each image will be different. Adjust your brightness and contrast until you get a clear black and white image. I just slid the slider bar til it looked right.)

Your mask is done. Minimise it and open the image you are going to make your tag from.

I chose a misted fall scene, so I need to put a background behind it. If you started with a jpg image, skip the next 3 steps.

1. Create a new raster layer and move it to the bottom, beneath your image.
2. Choose a soft pattern that will coordinate with your misted image... floodfill your bottom layer with the pattern and make any adjustments to the layer; ie. gaussian blur, noise, etc. until you have the 'look' you want.
3. Merge the visible layers together.
   

Layers > New Raster Layer

Floodfill this layer with a solid color or pattern. It has to be completely opaque.

Right click on the top layer in the layer palette and select New Mask Layer > From Image.

Browse to the mask you made earlier. Mine was Image 3. Choose Source luminance and Invert mask data UNchecked.

Right click on the Group layer in the layer palette and select Merge > Merge Group.

Yuck! That doesn't look anything like what we want to do, does it?   Let's fix that.

Selections > Select All
Selections> Float
Selections> Defloat

All of the mask has been selected.

Drop to the bottom layer in your layer palette and select Promote Selection to Layer.
You will have 3 layers... the bottom background, the promoted selection and the mask layer on top.

Do not Deselect.
Drag the Promoted Layer to the Top, so that the group layer is in the middle.


Effects > 3D > Inner Bevel with these settings

Effects > 3D > Drop Shadow with these settings:

Here's the fun part. As it is right now, you have a nice tag to use for whatever you want.
You can finish it by adding your watermark and merging all the layers... export it as a jpg.

Orrrrrrrr... you can play.

Remember, there's a Group layer hidden beneath the top layer.

Change the Layer Properties on the Group Layer to Burn. Change the Properties on the top layer to Hard Light.

Change the Layer Properties on the Group Layer to Exclusion and the top layer to Luminance.

Blend your layers so they give you all kinds of wonderful effects. There is no limit.

You can export each one individually so you have a variety of tags with completely different looks.

Hope you enjoyed doing this little backwards tut as much as I did...

vetch