Paint Shop Pro 7 Tutorial

Create a Canning Label
and Print Multiple Images

November 14, 2002

Let's create a printable canning label using vector shapes, text on a path and a few effects then use PSP's print multiple images feature to make a sheet of labels.

Before starting up in Paint Shop Pro, decide the physical dimensions of the label.

For my canning jars, I need an oval label 2.25 inches wide by 1.125 inches tall.

Since we know the final output for printing, let's create a new file to reflect the size and the printer resolution at 200 dpi.

In PSP, go to File>New on the Menu Bar.

On the new Image dialog box change the box on the left to inches from pixels.

Type in 2.250 in the width, and 1.125 in the height.

Set the Resolution to 200 making sure Pixels per inch is selected from the drop down box on the right.

Set the background color to white, Image type to 16.7 (24 bit) color and press OK.

Our blank image looks way bigger than 2.25 inches by 1.125 inches but it will print properly, as the resolution is set to 200. Notice in the status bar that the image is 450 X 225 pixels.

Divide each number by 200 to get the size in inches.

All our canning label must fit within this image to fit on the jar!

1. Let's design the border.

I made Cranberry Orange Sauce. The label will list the ingredients, and the maker, me, Khiba. We will use vector tools for the initial shapes and text as we are going to put Text on a path today.

Click on the foreground swatch, opening the color dialog box. Set the color to a cranberry looking red. I picked RGB 130, 0, 77. Press OK to set the color.

The Fore/Back swatches should look like this:

On the Tool Options Palette, click the down facing arrow next to the shape preview, and select Ellipse from the thumbnail box.

CHECK both the Antialias box and the Create as vector box and set the Line width to 3, and the Line style to Solid.

In the image start in the upper left hand corner and drag out an ellipse to fit in the image.

Pick the Vector Selector Tool from the Tool Palette.

Adjust the size of the ellipse using the side, top and bottom handles putting a definite bit of white between the edge of the image and the oval.

Right click the title bar again, picking Paste as a new vector selection.

Position the outline of the ellipse over the previous one then click to set.

Don't worry if you miss the alignment.

With the vector selector tool, align the two ellipses as closely as possible.

Use the handles on sides and corners to make the ellipse smaller fitting inside the first.

2. Create a Cranberry Orange Gradient Fill

Click the right facing arrow on the background color styles swatch and set this to gradient

Click on the swatch itself to bring up the gradient editor box.

My default is set to foreground/ background.

Click the Edit.. button under the gradient preview to bring up the gradient editor.

On the gradient editor box, click New...

Type in Cranberry Orange and Press OK.

Click the left hand pointer under the gradient box to select it. Its point turns black.

Click the big swatch next to custom to open the color dialog box.

Run the mouse over the outline of the ellipse then click to pick up the cranberry color.

Or, set the RGB to 130, 0, 77.

When the color shows up in the New color area, press OK to set.

Click under the gradient bar about half way between the left and right pointers to set a third pointer. Move it by dragging to the 50 percent mark. (Below)

I chose RGB 255, 115, 1 as my color.

Middle Gradient button set to orange.

CAUTION: Do NOT use Fore swatch on the Gradient palette to pick up the cranberry color. Use the color picker. Why? Because using fore sets the color to always use foreground color, so if you change the foreground color this gradient would be adjusted.

Move the left pointer slider in towards the middle until the location reads 15.

Move the diamond shaped midpoint sliders on the top of the gradient bar closer to the middle until the left one reads 80 and right one reads 20 on the location area. Below.

The Gradient is ready to go. Make sure both transparency sliders are white. We do not want any transparency in this gradient. The bottom gradient in transparency area should look exactly like the one you just set. See below, then press OK.

On the Gradient box, set the following:

Linear for the style, Angle 135 and Repeat 0.

Press OK.

The solid cranberry color should be set as the foreground color and the cranberry orange gradient set as the background color.

Both Textures should be set to Null.

Make sure the Vector Selector Tool is active on the Tool Palette.

On the layer palette, right click on Layer 1 and pick Duplicate from the fly out box.

Right click and rename this copy layer to border.

Expand the border layer by clicking on the plus sign next to its icon on the layer palette.

Click on the inner ellipse, the top one to select it.

On the Tool Options Palette, pick Properties.

On the Vector Properties box, set the Fill Color to solid and white.

Press OK.

Select the outer ellipse either by clicking on it in the image with the vector selector tool or clicking on its name on the layer palette.

On the Tool Options palette, pick properties.

Click the right facing arrow next to the Fill swatch and choose gradient from the fly out.

Depending on how you have PSP set, you might get the default foreground background gradient.

Click on the swatch itself opening the gradient box.

Click the down facing arrow next to the preview area and find the cranberry orange gradient we just made.

On the Gradient box, be sure the angle is set to 135 and the repeats to 0 and the style to linear.

Press OK.

The Ellipse fills with the gradient.

With the vector selector tool still active and the outer ellipse chosen, go to Selections on the Menu Bar and From Vector Object.

Notice the outer ring has marching ants.

With the selection on, right click the Border layer on the layer palette and pick Convert to Raster Layer from the fly out box.

Let's get rid of the inner white fill.

It would help to turn OFF visibility on the background and Layer 1 by clicking the eyeglasses icons next to their names on the layer palette.

Activate the magic wand tool on the tool palette and set its match mode to RGB value ,Tolerance to 14, Feather 0 on the Tool Options Palette

Hold down the CTRL key on the keyboard and click inside the white fill to subtract it from the current selection.

Do a Selections, Invert from the Menu Bar and then press the delete key to get rid of the inner white part.

If you want, save the selection to the alpha channel in case you need it again.

Selections > Save to Alpha Channel, and fill in the boxes.

This would be a good time to save the image in the PSP format. I named my image Canning Label.

3. Border Effects

Let's add a 3D effect to this border, popping it off the page.

With the border selected go to Effects > 3D Effects > Inner bevel on the Menu Bar.

Bevel to Round, Width to 5, Smoothness to 33, Depth 7, Ambience 0, Shininess 21, Light color to white, Angle to 315, Intensity to 51 and Elevation to 31. Press OK.

BTW, if you really like this setting on the inner Bevel, up under presets, press the save as button and name the bevel. PSP will hold the setting and you can use them again, by pressing the down facing arrow under presets and finding your saved preset.

Selections > Select None.

Here is our finished border.

4. Text on a Path

Now for some tricky text on a path stuff. Let's wrap our ingredients on the inside of the inner ellipse both top and bottom.

Turn on the background layer, turn off the border layer and expand Layer one to see the sub layers. Right click and rename the bottom Ellipse, Outer Ring, and the smaller one InnerRing. See below.

Pick the InnerRing with the Vector Selector Tool.

Right click on it in the layer palette and pick Copy.

Right click again on the InnerRing name and pick Paste as a new Vector Selection.

Left click to set the new ring.

Align, if necessary over the other inner ring. Rename this ring InnerBottomRing.

For now, pick the InnerRing on the layer palette and turn OFF the visibility on both the OuterRing and the InnerBottomRing.

Select the InnerRing.

Pick the Text Tool on the Tool Palette and mouse over the Inner Ring until the cursor turns into an A with arc under it.

Click to open the Text Entry Dialog box.

Pick a squished or narrow font like Arial Narrow, at 14 points, Check Auto Kern. Start with leading at 0. Push the Center Justification button.

Set the Stroke Style to Null by clicking on the right facing arrow and picking the right hand circle with slash.

Set the Fill color to the Solid color, and click the swatch to set the Cranberry color. RGB 130, 0, 77.

Create as Vector button should be checked and Antialias at the bottom. Type in Ingredients: Cranberries, Oranges and Orange Peel. See below.

Before pressing OK, work the kerning slider up to about 15 to move the text on the path UNDER the line. Uncheck Auto Kern and move the Kerning slider up to 23 or so until the letters are well spaced out.

When you are content with the look of the text, press OK.

Turn OFF visibility on the InnerRing and Ingredients.. sub layers on the Layer palette.

Turn ON the InnerBottomRing and select it.

Again take the text tool and click on this ring with the cursor changes to indicate text on a path.

Change the text to Spices: Cinnamon, Cloves and Allspice.

We want the text inside the loop but on the bottom, how can we do that???

Place the cursor in front of Spices in the text entry box. Press the space bar many times to move the words around the ellipse until they are upside down but inside the ring. Press OK.

Lets fix up this anomaly. }:O

With the Vector Selector Tool active on the Tool Palette, and the InnerBottom Ring active on the layer palette, press the Node Edit button on the Tool Options palette.

Click on the top node on the ring turning it black. The Arrow above points in the direction the path takes. FYI.

Right click on this node and choose Edit > Reverse Path from the fly out box.

Right click again anywhere and pick Quit Node Editing.

Note how the words are happily right side up but outside the ring!

ARRGGH. Half way there...

To fix the text position, pick the Text layer on the layer palette with the Vector Selection tool active then hit Edit Text button on the Tool Options Palette.

On the Text Entry dialog box, change the leading value to about -5.

Press OK and the text is right side up. :)

On the layer palette, under Layer 1, turn OFF the visibility on the ring sub layers but leave the text sub layers ON.

Turn ON the Border layer and see how we look!

Below.

Select the Border layer then the text tool. I do this so the text will happen on a new vector layer rather than on the Layer one.

Delete the current text using the delete key and all the extra spaces will be gone too.

I picked a font called P22 Typewriter, one of my favorites, which you can use for free from http://www.identifont.com/show?586 then click the area to go to the free font. You will have to register to download it.

Set the size to about 22. Set Stroke to Solid and Black, set the Fill to Solid and the Cranberry color. Press the B for bold button, and type in Khiba's Cranberry (Enter to start a new line) Orange Sauce.

Select the text. Set the Kerning to 10 or manipulate until the letters are distinct from each other. Center justify. Vector as type.

Press OK.

Position this text just below center in the label.

The outline looks a bit too large. With the Vector Selector active and the Text selected, press the Properties button on the Tool Options Palette.

Click the Foreground Color swatch and change the Stroke to Cranberry Color, RGB 130, 0, 77.

Sorry the shot on the left doesn't reflect the right color.

5. Adding Berries and Effects.

Let's add a few cranberries to the label.

Right click on the top layer on the layer palette. Pick New Vector Layer from the layer Palette.

Press OK.

Pick the Preset Shapes tool on the Tool Palette.

Make sure it is set to Ellipse on the Tool Options palette.

Set the Foreground color style to Null and the Background Color Style to Gradient which should pick up our Cranberry Orange gradient.

In the Image drag out a Cranberry looking Circle.

Right click the image's title bar and pick copy.

Right click and Paste as Vector Selection and place the new berry elsewhere.

Do this Paste as new vector selection several times.

Use the Vector Selector tool to move the berries around.

Resize as necessary.

On the Layer palette, right click the layer with Berries on it and Convert to Raster.

Go to Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel.

The last used setting, which we used for the border should pop up. Make the following changes to this setting.

Move the Width to 7, Smoothness to 50, Depth to 13,
Shininess to 44.

Change the light color to RGB 201, 199, 199 or light Grey.

Press OK.

They still need something to look more like cranberries.

Go to Effects > Texture Effect > Sandstone from the Menu Bar.

On the Sandstone Dialog box, set the following:

Blur 0,
Detail 14,
Luminance 10,
Angle 45,
Color - White.

Press OK.

Yes!

We are ready to save and print copies.

Save the file now.

6. Printing Multiple Images on a page

In order to put several of these images on one page, go to File > Print Multiple Images.

On the Multiple printing page,
drag the Canning Label.psp thumbnail from the side bar to the white paper.

Do this as many times as necessary to fill the page.

NOTE: Remember we set this up to print at 200 dpi, so each image size is reflected in the status bar. It has been rounded to the nearest 10th of an inch, 2.3 X 1.1 but it will print at the size we specified.

CAUTION: Once all the images are positioned DON'T PRESS PRINT
or it will go right to the printer!

Instead do a File > Page Setup first.

On the page set up, press the Printer button.

Then press the Properties button to access the Printer Properties.

I am printing on an Epson Self Adhesive Sheet which is like Photo Quality Inkjet Paper, so I set this in the Media Type.

Set up any other parameters on your printer box then OK out of the dialog boxes.

Finally on the Multiple Image Printing box, press the print icon on the top.

And print your labels!

That's it!