This application tutorial will teach you how to create rainbow graphics (backgrounds, logos, buttons, bars, etc.). You will need the Filter Factory Gallery V plugin for this tutorial. You also need to download Plugin Commander from a link on that page so that you can convert the plugin for use with Paint Shop Pro. If you don't know how to set up plugins, please go to my "Plugins" page for instructions.

OK, you've got the plugin, lets get to work.

Background Graphic

Click on the background graphic to see it tiled. To create this graphic:

1. Create a new graphic 500x25.
2. Add a new layer.
3. Flood fill new layer with white.
4. Apply the Filter Factory Gallery V filter "Poster Gradient".
5. Adjust the "color recycling" slider until you get the rainbow gradient you want.
6. Click the OK button.
7. Use the "Opacity Slider" on the layer you have your rainbow gradient to find the level of color you want (keep in mind, the darker the background, the harder your text will be to read).
8. When you have the tile you like, copy it (Shift D).
9. Merge the layers on the copy and save as a jpg with compression no more than 15. Don't save a rainbow graphic as a gif. Saving as a gif will dither the colors badly.
10. You might want to save the original as a PSP file so that you can go back later and adjust the opacity some more if you find your background ended up too dark.

Text Header Graphic

1. Create a new graphic approximately 500x100 pixels (this is a good size for a header graphics).
2. Add a new layer.
3. On the new layer, drop your text with foreground set to white and floating checked.
4. Apply the Poster Gradient filter.
5. Bevel the text (I used Blade Pro).
6. Add another new layer without deselecting text.
7. Add a drop shadow at 100% opacity (mine was blur 8 offset 3,3).
8. Go to the bottom layer and flood fill with your background color or pattern.
9. Adjust the opacity slider on the shadow layer until it looks right to you.
10. Save as a PSP file for future use.
11. Save again as a gif or jpg (if you save as a gif, check your new graphic before you close the original since the save may have dithered your colors).

Header Graphic

To create a header graphic similar to the above:

1. Create a new white graphic large enough to hold the header graphic.
2. Add a new layer.
3. On the new layer, place the button font.
4. Apply the Poster Gradient filter.
5. For the graphic on the left above I applied my Blade Pro Preset.
6. For the graphic on the right:
   • Add another new layer without deselecting.
   • On this layer apply the cutout filter Color: Black, Opacity: 100%, Blur: 30-40, offset 0,0.
   • Adjust the opacity slider on this layer until you get the effect you like.
7. Add a new layer without deselecting.
8. On the new layer, add a drop shadow, opacity 100%.
9. Go to the bottom layer and flood fill with your background color or pattern.
10. Adjust the opacity slider on the shadow layer until it looks right to you.
11. Save as a PSP file for future use.
12. Save again as a gif or jpg (if you save as a gif, check your new graphic before you close the original since the save may have dithered your colors).

Horizontal Bar

Plain Bar

1. Create a new graphic 600x6.
2. Apply the Poster Gradient filter.
3. Bevel (I used my Blade Pro Preset).
4. Save as a JPG.
5. To add visual interest to your page, make a mirror copy of your bar (Image|Mirror) and save it (I called mine bar.jpg and bar1.jpg). Then, rotate the bars on your page.

Fancy Bar

1. Create a new graphic 500x20.
2. Flood fill with background color.
3. Add a new layer.
4. Place a fancy font the length of your graphic (I used "U" from Atlantix Ornaments).
5. Apply the Poster Gradient filter.
6. Add a black drop shadow Blur 3, offset 1,1.
7. Save as a jpg.

Fractal Background

1. Create a new white graphic 100x100 pixels.
2. Apply the Poster Gradient Filter.
3. Select your tile (Selections|Select All).
4. Promote the selection to a layer (Selections|Promote to layer).
5. Rotate this layer 90 degrees to the right (Image|Rotate) with "All Layers" unchecked (you just want to rotate the top layer).
6. Now, the fun begins.
7. On the rotated layer, set the "Layer Blend Mode" to get the following results:

Darken

Lighten

Saturation

Multiply

Difference

Fun with Fractals

Cool Text

1. Create a new graphic 300x300. Flood fill with black.
2. Add a new layer and flood fill with "Darken" fractal tile.
3. Place text with floating unchecked. Move the text with the mover tool (right click and drag) until you have it where you think the effect will look good.
4. Invert your selection (Selections|Invert) and hit delete.
5. If you don't like the effect, hit the undo button until you are back to the text selection, move it again and repeat the process.
6. When you get an effect you like, save your selection to an alpha channel.
7. Add a new layer and drag it under the text layer.
8. On this layer, load your selection (Selections|Load from Alpha Channel).
9. Feather this selection by 10 (Selections|Modify|Feather).
10. Flood fill with a bright color a few times until you get the background effect you like.
11. Crop your graphic and save as a jpg.

Fractal Jewlery

1. Create a new white graphic large enough to hold your graphic.
2. Add a new layer.
3. On the new layer, place a dingbat font, foreground set to black (I used the font "P" letter "t" set to 72). You can get this font at the Dingbat Pages.
4. Select your graphic and copy your selection, paste as a new selection and mirror (Image|Mirror).
5. Move the new image to merge with the original image to create one graphic. Hold down the shift key and press a directional arrow cursor to move the selection 1 pixel at a time.
6. Deselect everything.
7. Choose Masks|New|From Image (this window, source luminance and invert mask data selected).
8. Choose Masks|Save to Alpha channel.
9. Choose Masks|Delete and don't merge with layer.
10. Flood fill this layer with your background color.
11. Add a new layer.
12. Load your selection.
13. Flood fill with white and apply a Blade Pro gold preset (I used my "gold_old" preset).
14. Add another layer and drag under the gold graphic.
15. Load your selection and apply the cutout filter Color: Black, Opacity 100%, Blur 7-8, Offset 0,0.
16. Add another new layer (on top of the gold graphic).
17. Make a selection with the selection tool set to ellipse with antialias checked in the center of your graphic a little larger than the size you would like your jewel to be.
18. Flood fill with white and apply the gold Blade Pro preset again.
19. Add another new layer.
20. Contract your selection by 2-3 (Selections|Modify|Contract).
21. Save your selection to an alpha channel.
22. Go to one of your fractal tiles and load the selection (Selections|Load from Alpha channel) - you may need to flood fill a tile to get the selection on the image.
23. Move the selection until you find a good "jewel" effect.
24. Copy your selection.
25. Go back to your jewel graphic and paste your jewel "Into Selection" if you still have the selection active on the tile, or paste "as a new selection" and move into place.
26. Apply the cutout filter to your jewel Color: Black, Opacity (whatever looks good), blur 20-30, offset 0,0.
27. Crop your graphic and save as a jpg or gif.