This beginner tutorial was written using PSP 9 , The tutorial could be done with PSP 8 also. The 'tag' below is what we're going to create, its a very basic simple tag.

Drag and drop this arrow to keep up with where you are in the tutorial

You can download the tube I used HERE if you want.

Go to File/New  400 x 400  transparent canvas. On your layer palette notice it has Raster 1 on there.. its just one layer right now.. If your layer palette isn't showing hit your F 8 button on keyboard, that toggles your layer palette on and off.

See comment below on picture...

Just so that you will know... this is the materials/colors palette

The Foreground/stoke color if you were using the Text tool ..*controlled by the left mouse button*..is the OUTLINE of the text.... the background/fill color is the color that the text is filled in with.*right mouse button* Try going back and forth with left and right mouse buttons you will see what I mean.

As you can see above on the material palette.. you can have a solid color.. or a gradient.. or a  bkg tile to fill.. like floral or striped.. or dots.. etc.. you can put a texture on which ever one you want.. or turn OFF either the background or foreground color..

Click Fill Tool and follow below instructions.

Open your tube now.. either the one I have for you to download or one of your own choosing.

You click the top of the Tube window to make that window active.. then right click.. COPY

Then go over to the canvas your working on and click the top of that window and right click and PASTE as a new layer

You now have 2 layers on the layer palette.. Raster 2 which is the Bear Tube and the white bkg layer. .highlight or select the tube layer *raster 2* and right click and RENAME it Bear layer or what ever it is.. to remind you what it is...

Now right click on the newly named BEAR layer... and go up to DUPLICATE. So you now have 3 layers on your layer palette.. the bottom WHITE bkg layer.. the next one up the original tube layer then the COPY of the tube layer.

Your layer palette should look like the one below.

Now HIDE or X the copy of the Bear layer by clicking the EYE

Highlight the original BEAR layer as shown below

go to EFFECTS/Distortion EFFECTS/Twirl

Use these settings below

While that same layer is active or selected on layer palette go to EFFECTS/Texture EFFECTS/Soft Plastic

Use this setting below.

Now UNHIDE or UN X  your Top copy of the Bear layer.. should look like below then go to EFFECTS/3D effects/Drop shadow . Use these settings below.

Click your selection tool as below and draw a rectangle around your bears like so.. So there wont be so much extra white around it.. be careful NOT to cut off some of the blurred background.. that would look bad.. never wanna see a edge of a graphic cut off along the sides of a tag or graphic... it wont look right.. looks TACKY :) Go to IMAGE/Crop to Selection.

Click on the very TOP layer on the layer palette and right click/Merge/Merge All (flatten)

There should be just ONE layer now on the layer palette.. make sure youve positioned your bears exactly where you want them BEFORE you merge ALL.. cause you cant move them afterward.

 NOTE>>>> I added a few lil pink hearts if you noticed.. after it was merged.. they're brushes... you could use any thing to decorate your Tag...

I also added Text ... at this point you need to SAVE AS.. a jpg now.. so that it can be saved with out text *blank tag*.. Then if you make Xtras with different sayings on them save with a new name.. that way the original tag is saved each time.. be careful NOT to over write the original tag... If you close out the tag accidently it can't be UN done ... I learned this the HARD WAY lol.. That tends to tick you off at yourself :-)

After I put the text on there.. I used this Inner bevel on the text.. the text was set on floating.. and while the marching ants were moving around it... I added the bevel, the 3 D shadow... and moved the text where I wanted it. when you unselect the text. then you cant move it anymore. UNLESS you had put it on its OWN layer...it can be done both ways... .

After you unselect...SAVE AS.. with a new name.. dif from the original.. then you can open original again and put another name on there.. do the same .. over and over..

Hope this has helped you learn how to make a simple tag. there are 1000s of ways to do this.. as you progress in PSP you will learn them ALL.. trust me :)

Toodles..

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