Transparent text!
Figured since my internet was down I'd write a tutorial on how to make your outlined words transparent.
Okay, this is going to be a bit difficult since I do things the difficult way. But I've got time, and if
you're going to be doing this you have time as well!
This tutorial is meant for PSP 7 and Animation Shop.
1] Open your base image and crop it and resize it. Then copy the newly cropped picture.
For this tutorial I'm going to be using this image:
And here it is cropped and resized:
2] Now, open up Animation Shop and create a new image, making sure it's going to be transparent and the same size as your
icon.
3] Select your transparent frame and transfer it into PSP using this button:
4] Open up PSP and paste your picture into the new frame.
5] Now, in PSP, create a new image, the same size as your icon, filled with the color that you want the text to be outlined
with. In my case I'll be using black. [Note: It doesn't matter what color the fill of your text is, you're going to be getting rid of it!]
6] Select your text tool and type whatever you want, make sure that you've made it so the text is floating and not a vector!.
It should look like this:
8] Then go to drop down menu labeled Selections | Modify | Expand.
A small box will pop up asking you how many
pixels to expand, make sure it says one and hit okay.
9] Go to Edit and copy the newly outlined text. Paste the text into your icon and place it where you'd like it.
Now it's doing to get a bit dicey!
10] Magnify your icon until you feel it'd be easy to erase the fill of the text. Then select the eraser tool and set it so
that it's 1 pixel and square.
11] Make sure you've got your text layer selected, and begin erasing the fill of your text.
12] Repeat step 10 but with the layer in which your picture is pasted selected instead.
hit the 'Transfer to Animation Shop' button and save! [Note: Personally
I like to preview it in a browser first, making sure that the background it'll be shown on is a different color, so that I
know it's transparent and that I didn't miss anything.]
Your icon should look like this [I have mine placed on a magenta background to show how it's transparent]:
Hope that helps! If you have any questions just ask and I'll do my best to help you.
If it helps, look at my icon. 'Doctor' has a transparent fill.
Okay, this is going to be a bit difficult since I do things the difficult way. But I've got time, and if
you're going to be doing this you have time as well!
This tutorial is meant for PSP 7 and Animation Shop.
1] Open your base image and crop it and resize it. Then copy the newly cropped picture.
For this tutorial I'm going to be using this image:
And here it is cropped and resized:
2] Now, open up Animation Shop and create a new image, making sure it's going to be transparent and the same size as your
icon.
3] Select your transparent frame and transfer it into PSP using this button:
4] Open up PSP and paste your picture into the new frame.
5] Now, in PSP, create a new image, the same size as your icon, filled with the color that you want the text to be outlined
with. In my case I'll be using black. [Note: It doesn't matter what color the fill of your text is, you're going to be getting rid of it!]
6] Select your text tool and type whatever you want, make sure that you've made it so the text is floating and not a vector!.
It should look like this:
8] Then go to drop down menu labeled Selections | Modify | Expand.
A small box will pop up asking you how many
pixels to expand, make sure it says one and hit okay.
9] Go to Edit and copy the newly outlined text. Paste the text into your icon and place it where you'd like it.
Now it's doing to get a bit dicey!
10] Magnify your icon until you feel it'd be easy to erase the fill of the text. Then select the eraser tool and set it so
that it's 1 pixel and square.
11] Make sure you've got your text layer selected, and begin erasing the fill of your text.
12] Repeat step 10 but with the layer in which your picture is pasted selected instead.
I like to preview it in a browser first, making sure that the background it'll be shown on is a different color, so that I
know it's transparent and that I didn't miss anything.]
Your icon should look like this [I have mine placed on a magenta background to show how it's transparent]:
Hope that helps! If you have any questions just ask and I'll do my best to help you.
If it helps, look at my icon. 'Doctor' has a transparent fill.