Let's Make a Vinyl 45!

	for font and graphic I used for this tut

I found a tut on the net for a vinyl 45 that gave me some problems. Written for an older version of PSP, the effects did not work well in newer versions. I decided to write a tut using techniques I've learned in this group of avid PSPers. I used PSP 9 for this tut. I have taken pains to make this tut as detailed as I can for the beginner. Advanced users feel free to ignore those mini-steps and tear into this.

Let's get started. Find a graphic of your favorite musician or band and open it in PSP. Shift+D to duplicate it twice and close your original.

Open a new 500 X 500 transparent image. Use the Selection Tool > Circle > Feather 0 > Anti-alias checked. Place your cusor at the center of the square. X -250 and Y - 250. The changing numbers at the bottom right of your screen will tell you the exact position of your cursor. Or you can use a couple of guides that intersect at the center of your image.

Draw a large circle that fills most of the image.
Floodfill it with black. DO NOT DESELECT!

Effects > Distortion Effects > Ripple	The effect floats the layer you are working on. When you click OK, right click on the floating layer and defloat. I applied this setting twice to get a slightly more refined look to my vinyl. Select None.

**An alternative to using this effect is to use Alien Skin Eye Candy 5 Impact: Brushed Metal > Vinyl Record on the selection. It does a beautiful job. If you have it, use it instead of the distortion effect! You'll be glad you did!

Selection Tool > Circle (same settings as above)

Place your cursor at the x-250 y-250 position. This time, draw a smaller circle for your record label. This is a single 45 so make it larger than the label on an album.

Add a new layer, leaving the circle selected.

	Restore one of the images you picked for your label. Find the center point of the image and draw a circle extending to the edges of the picture. Selections > Invert and tap the Delete button. Selections > Invert Edit > Copy

Return to your 45 with the center still selected. Edit > Paste Into Selection. Close that copy of the label image. You don't need it any more.

Again, center your cursor and make a small circle in the center of the LP for the spindle to go thru.
Tap your delete key. Do not Deselect

Selections > Modify > Select Selection Borders > 2 (inside if your hole's too large. Outside if it's too small.)
Floodfill the selection with black.

Effects > 3D Effects > Cutout with these settings.

Select > None.
Layers > Merge Visible
Add a new layer and move it to the bottom. Select > All.
Restore the 2nd copy of your label image. Edit Copy.
Return to the LP, making sure the empty bottom layer is selected.
Edit > Paste > Paste into Selection.
Adjust > Blur > Gaussian Blur > 6
Add a drop shadow to the LP from the top layer if you want. Study your graphic and see if it needs something. There's always UNDO if you don't like the effect.

ADDING TEXT

It's is up to you how you want to add your text. I found a graphic with the album cover and somewhat mimed the graphic because I liked it so much. You may prefer to just pick an appropriate font, size and enhance the text and place it over the label or over the LP itself.

This is how I did my text.

New Layer.

Selection Tool > Rectangle > Feather 0, Anti-Alias Checked

Draw a rectangle from the top left corner to the bottom, about 100 pixels wide.Floodfill the selection with grey. Do NOT Deselect.

Flaming Pear > Transline
Select None

Change the blend mode of the layer to Hard Light by clicking once on the mode box for the layer and selecting the blend mode from the flyout list. (Ignore the top layer in this example. I took the screenshot after it was finished. My bad. Look at the next to the top layer, instead.)

Add a wide blurry drop shadow to the rectangle layer like this.

Now to the text! Pick a dark color (#40481f) from your label for your foreground and a lighter color (#c0c0c0) for the background.

Use vector settings for your text. (I can hear the screams now... )

Type your text across the image and when satisfied with the width, click OK. Near the middle of your selected text is a line with a node extending to the right. Run your cursor over that node until your cursor turns into a circular set of double arrows. Click and hold down and drag the node upward to rotate your text counter clockwise so it is vertical instead of horizontal. My text didn't fit. It looks too small at this size. Move your mouse over the node handles on the outline of the text and stretch your text to fit the size of the rectangle on the layer below. Objects > Align > Vert Center in Canvas Right click on the vector layer in the layer palette and select : Convert to Raster Layer. Use your mover tool to position your text inside the rectangle on the right side. Add a drop shadow to the text layer - darker and narrower than before. Layers > Merge > Merge all > Flatten. Image > Add Borders 1 pixel, color black. Resize and export as a jpg. (Phew. It's lots easier than this tut writing business is, folks. I hope you enjoyed the remaking of your favorite 45. I did. ) vetch