Supplies
Image of choice – Artwork used in this tutorial is ©Cris Ortega, www.crisortega.com. You can view her terms of use on her site, please abide by them.
Outside filters / plug-ins – You will need Mura’s Filter Meister: Copies, Penta: Dot and Cross, Penta: Jeans, Xero: Improver (optional), and Xero: Radiance (optional)
You can get the Mura’s filter here: http://www.geocities.com/murakuma/mmplugins.html
You can get the Penta filters here: http://www.pentacom.jp/pentacom/products.html (Scroll down and choose Garbage Collections Win/Mac)
You can get the Xero filters here: http://www.xero-graphics.co.uk/downloads.htm (Snag whichever filters you need/want – they are bundled in groups)
Font of choice – I used Antelope – I can’t find anywhere on the web that offers it, I can only find a font called “Antelope H” and that is not the same font. Sorry.
Optional – Eye Candy – I used Gradient Glow for text.
All links and supplies shared with permission.
Let's Get Started!
For this tutorial, we will be working with an image, not a tube. A horizontally oriented image is best, but if the image is large enough, you can just choose a horizontally oriented portion of it. (For example, if you have a large portrait, you could crop it down to just the eyes, or just the mouth, creating a horizontally oriented image.)
Crop or resize your image down to around 250 high and 600 wide. This doesn’t have to be exact, because we will be resizing it again. Anywhere from 200x500 to 275x650 will work – think about proportion instead of exact size.
Optional – apply Xero: Improver. I used the default landscape setting (just click the landscape button, then click okay), but you can play with the settings to get the effect you want.
Optional – apply Xero: Radiance (or Porcelain if you prefer). I used settings 130, 50, 193, 65 (from top to bottom). Save your progress.
Add a border (Image>Add Borders) of 2 pixels in a color from your image. (If your image is light, choose a dark color here. If your image is dark, choose a light color here.) I used #443654.
Add a border of 4 pixels in a different color from your image. If your first border was light, choose a dark color here, and vice versa. I used #eeecf1.
Add another 2 pixel border, using the same color that you used for your first border. Again, I used #443654. Save your progress.
Now, resize your image to a height of 220 pixels. (Image>Resize, be sure that “Lock aspect ratio” is checked.)
Over on your layers palette, right click on your background layer and choose “Promote Background Layer”.
Next, go to Image>Canvas Size – choose new dimensions of Width: 600 and Height: 250, and choose Placement in the center. Save your progress.
Duplicate your image layer.
On your original image layer (the bottom-most one), apply Mura’s Copies with these settings:
Save your progress.
On your Mura’s layer, apply Penta: Dot and Cross. Use settings: Amount 100, Cross Distance 10, Cross Width 0.
On the same layer, apply Penta: Jeans. Use settings: Amount 50, Border Width 3 (or play with this as you like). Save.
Now, Effects>Texture Effects>Blinds. Use settings: Width 2, Opacity 45, Horizontal & Light from the top CHECKED. Your color should be the same as the color you used for your 2 pixel borders. I used #443654. Save.
Now you can add accents if you want. I like a simple clean look, so I didn’t add any.
Add your copyright info – no tag is complete without proper copyright info ;) Add your tagger’s mark if you use one.
Add your name. I used my 2 pixel border color for the name, and my 4 pixel border color for the gradient glow.
Add a drop shadow to your name. I used 3, 3, 80, 6, color black.
Save as .png file and you are done!
For your avatar – select your crop tool. On your crop tool toolbar, set the crop size to 150x150 (see below). Choose the area you’d like as your avatar, and crop as new image.
On your new canvas, apply the same borders as you did for your tag – but instead of 2 pixels, 4 pixels, and 2 pixels, you’ll want to add 1 pixel, then 2 pixels, then 1 pixel.
Resize your avatar to 150x150. Add your copyright and your name. Save as .png and you’re done!
I would love to see your results! Email them to tutsbyj0eswife@gmail.com
This tutorial was created on
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