Universal Language
Keyboard Short Cuts
Toolbars in PSP
Layers in PSP
Erasing in PSP
Opacity and Size in PSP
Transparency
Color Replacer


All these tutorials are either created in Paint Shop Pro, MS Paint, or Open Canvas. I do not use GIMP, or Photo Shop, so my terminology my appear off to you. What I have noticed, is that tool names are universal amongst computer programs. However for those of you who wish to follow along, PSP can be downloaded at Jasc.com and a free limited trial of Open Canvas can be found Portalgraphics.net.

Some steps may not be mentioned in my tutorials because they have previously been covered, and I just don’t want to type them again. So I may refer the reader to this section of my web site.

Keyboard Short Cuts
There are Keyboard Shortcuts that you can use instead of the Primary Task Bar. Simply Hold down the Control Key [Ctrl] AND the following assigned key at the same time to preform the desired task. Note this only works with windows.
  • Cut = [Ctrl] + [X]
  • Copy = [Ctrl] + [C]
  • Paste = [Ctrl] + [V]
  • Undo = [Ctrl] + [Z]
  • New Canvas = [Ctrl] + [N]
  • New Layer = [Ctrl] + [L]
  • Save = [Ctrl] + [S]
  • Open = [Ctrl] + [O]
  • Select All = [Ctrl] + [A]

Toolbars in PSP
  • Standard Tool Bar: this has your print, save, copy, paste standard controls
  • Tool Palette: has all the tools that are unique to the program like paint brush, blend, fill, ect
  • Color Palette: controls your color selection
  • Status Bar: tells you the size and shape of your image
  • Tool Options Palette: controls the specifications of a selected tool
  • Layer Palette: this controls the canvas
If your tool boxes are not showing up
  • Select view, scroll down to toolbars, and make sure all of the above are checked

Color Replacer Tool
  • This tool is found on your Tool Pallette and typically will look like a Bi-Colored (two colored) Box
  • To familiarize yourself with the Color Replacer, open a new image and create a new layer. 
  • Using your paint brush, draw a black line across your canvas
  • Select your Color Replacer Tool
You want to Replace Black with Red
  • Under your Color Palette you have a Foreground Color option and a Background color option.
  • If your foreground color is Black, the background color needs to be Red. You will then select your Color Replacer tool and using RIGHT click, draw on your black line. It will be replaced with red.
  • If your foreground color is Red, the background color needs to be Black. You will then select your Color Replacer tool and using LEFT click draw on your black line. It will be replaced with red.


Layers in PSP
To create a new layer in PSP
  • You can select [Ctrl] + [L]
  • You can go to your layer palette and select “create new layer” at the top left hand corner
To hide layers
  • You can hide and view certain layers by selecting the layer palette and clicking “layer visibility toggle”
To merge certain layers
  • You turn off the visibility of the ones you don’t want merged
  • Then either RIGHT click a layer within the layer palette, scroll down to merge, and select “merge visible”
  • Or you can go to your layer control tab at the top of the screen and  scroll down to merge, and select “merge visible”

Erasing in PSP
To erase a single layer
  • Highlight the layer you want to erase within the layer palette
  • Select the eraser tool from your tool bar
  • Use the tool options box to change size and opacity, begin erasing the lighlighted layer
To erase multiple layers
  • Turn the layer visibility toggle off on layers you don’t want merged
  • The ones you want merged are the ones your erasing
  • Use the merge visible option under your layer controls
  • Repeat the steps to erase a single layer

Opacity and Size in PSP
  • Opacity in layers can be controlled with the layer palette
  • Size and opacity of tools is controlled with the tool options palette
  • If you are using a pressure sensitive tablet, select your curser and tablet options, under that check “vary opacity” and “vary width”

Transparency
If your Line Art is not Transparent
There are a few ways to make your layer transparent. If you have the “Multiply” option with your computer program, you can stop after step 1. However if you do not have this option, skip step one and keep reading.
  • This step is for line arts with white backgrounds. Open up your line art, and copy the image. Open up a new image and paste the line art into a new layer. In your layer control panel, you can control layer setting. Set this layer to multiple. The white is now transparent and the line art is not ruined.
  • Using your layer palette, create a new layer, place that under the line art layer you want transparent. TIP: make the new layer a different color then the line art layer, so you can see the clean up process.
  • Select your magic wand and click on a white area of your line art, hit your delete key on your key board
  • If you erase part or the entire line art, play around with the tool options titled "Match Mode" and "Tolerance", do not play with feather.
  • If your image is in black and white, under the tool option palette, make sure the match mode says “RBG Value”. Feather should be set at 0, and your tolerance should be around 50 or more. The higher the tolerance the less white left on the line art. But be CAREFUL this method will remove some of the line art of the tolerance is to high.

If you had any other questions, please contact us, or google search “PSP Tutorials.”