Bliss-Ville Garv Signature Tag Tutorial

Bliss-Ville Garv Signature Tag Tutorial

This is a Photoshop CS2 Tutorial

Tutorial by Jaimi Standifird AKA Digital Sophistication

Scrap Kit used is called ‘Bliss-Ville’ by Gemini Creations

Tube (image) used is by artist Keith Garvey called ‘Collette’
This tube can be found at My Psp Tubes

When applying the drop shadow to your layers, you need to make sure that ‘drop shadow’ is the only things selected in your ‘styles’ box and set the opacity to 30%. To set the drop shadow (when it needs to be applied) go to Layer – Layer Style – Drop Shadow. So you can refer back to this NOTE if need be, when applying the drop shadow. This saves from this being repeated numerous times throughout the tutorial. Saving time and length.

For this tutorial you will need the following files from the ‘Bliss-Ville’ scrap kit; gcz-bliss-frame05, gcz-bliss-beads, gcz-bliss-heartgarden, gcz-bliss-flower08, gcz-bliss-bow05, gcz-bliss-butterfly, gcz-bliss-bear, gcz-bliss-ribbon, gcz-bliss-paper02, gcz-bliss-paper07 and gcz-bliss-paper09. Don’t forget to open the tube (image) file too you’ll be using too.

On the right hand side of your screen you have a ‘Layers’ box that lists/shows all the layers in the file you’re working with. You can keep track of your different layers with this box as well as move your layers in to a different order and change the layer name. You will actually be doing this throughout this tutorial.

First open all the files you will be working with to create your tag.
Go to File – Open, then select, then open. Once they’re open, minimize them down to the bottom tray so they aren’t in your work space.

Now you need to create a new file. Got to File – New and use the following settings; Preset to custom, width to 1000 pixels, height to 1000 pixels, resolution to 300 pixels/inch, color mode left set to RGB color and 8 bit, with the background set to transparent. Don’t forget to name your file as well. I’ve named mine ‘Bliss-VilleTagTut’. Now click ‘Ok’ for your file to be created.

Make sure that while you’re working, your main file you’re working with should be set to ‘fit on screen’ so that you can see your whole working space. To do this, go to View – then scroll down to select ‘fit to screen’.

Make sure you have your ‘Move Tool’ selected

Maximize the tube (image) file and gcz-bliss-frame05 file. With your ‘Move Tool’ click, hold and drag the frame to your ‘Bliss-VilleTagTut’ file and center it. Release the mouse when you are finished moving it and add the drop shadow to it. Now click, hold and drag your tube (image) to your ‘Bliss-VilleTagTut’ file and place it on the left side of the frame. Make sure it’s in front of the frame, not directly next to it. Tag a peek at my finished tag if you need to. Once the tube (image) is placed, apply the drop shadow. Now minimize the original tube (image) and frame files back down to the bottom tray, as we no longer need them. We will not close the files as we don’t want to have to go and re-open them if we happen to need them to re-do or fix something.

In your ‘Layers’ box click on the layer that is your frame layer and double click on the text and rename it ‘Frame’ and hit enter when finished. Do the same thing to your tube (image) layer but rename it ‘Tube’. We won’t worry about the layer that is named Layer 1 as that’s the layer we’re creating on. But if you want to rename it feel free to. You may want to rename it ‘Background’ so you know that is the layer that will never be moved.

Go to File – Save As to save the new file you’re creating. Keep it as a Photoshop (PSD, PDD) file so that if you need to go back in to change or fix something you will be able to. Also, we will be saving our file here and there throughout this tutorial so that we don’t lose our work. This is to ensure we don’t have to start from the beginning if something happens.

Maximize the gcz-bliss-beads file. Click, hold and drag to the ‘Bliss-VilleTatTut’ file and center it. Once the bead layer is placed, apply the drop shadow and rename this layer ‘Beads’ in the Layers’ box. You now need to click, hold and drag this layer below the ‘Tube’ layer in this ‘Layers’ box so that it is behind your tube (image) but in front of the frame in your tag. Minimize the original bead file back down.

Maximize the gcz-bliss-heartgarden file. Click, hold and drag to the ‘Bliss-VilleTagTut’ file and center it. Make sure that ‘Show Transform Controls’ is marked in your tool bar to where you actually see a dotted box around your layer. You now will size this layer down to where the bottom looks like it is meeting the top line of the bottom section of the frame, but the top and sides are over the frame. When finished resizing, hit enter. Now apply your drop shadow and rename this layer in your ‘Layers’ box as ‘HeartGarden’. Remember you have to hit enter after you are done renaming your layers. Minimize the original heartgarden file back down.

Maximize the gcz-bliss-flower08 file. Click, hold and drag to the bottom right corner of the frame in your ‘Bliss-villeTagTut’ file. Now apply the drop shadow and rename this layer ‘Flower’ in your ‘Layers’ box. Make sure in your ‘Layers’ box that the flower is under your tube layer but above all other layers, showing its second in your list. Minimize the original flower file back down. Go to File – Save to save your work.

Maximize the gcz-bliss-bow05 file. Click, hold and drag to the ‘Bliss-VilleTagTut’ file and place it in the top left corner of the frame. Size it down to the size you want it and then tilt it to the left. To tilt a layer, move your ‘Move Tool’ away from the dotted box until you see a curved line with an arrow on each end. Click and move to tilt to where you want it. You can always look back at my finished tag for a visual if need be. Apply the drop shadow and rename this layer ‘Bow’. Make sure this layer is between your tube layer and flower layer. Minimize the original bow file back down.

Maximize the gcz-bliss-butterfly file. Click, hold and drag to the ‘Bliss-VilleTagTut’ file and place it above the flower but over the frame a little bit. You want to size the butterfly down so it is smaller than the flower. Size down to your liking. Apply the drop shadow and rename this layer ‘Butterfly’. In your ‘Layers’ box make sure this layer is layer is at least above the frame and beads layer. Mine sits between my tube (image) layer and bow layer. It just needs to not be hiding behind anything. Minimize the original butterfly layer back down. Go to File – Save to save your work.

Maximize the gcz-bliss-bear file. Click, hold and drag to the ‘Bliss-VilleTagTut’ file and size down, placing it at the bottom left corner of the frame to the left of the tube (image). Refer back to the finished tag for a visual if need be. Apply the drop shadow and rename this layer ‘Bear’. Make sure this layer is above all other layers. Minimize original bear file back down.

Maximize the gcz-bliss-ribbon file. Click, hold and drag to the ‘Bliss-VilleTagTut’ file placing it over the frames left side. Size down so that is no taller or longer than the rest of the tag. Apply the drop shadow and rename this layer ‘Ribbon’. In the ‘Layers’ box make sure this layer is placed below the ‘Bow’ layer and ‘Bear’ layer but above the rest. You only want it hiding behind these two layers while it is laying over the top of the others. Minimize the original bow layer back down. Go to File – Save to save your work.

Maximize the gcz-bliss-paper09 file. Click, hold and drag to the ‘Bliss-VilleTagTut’ file and center it. In your ‘Layers’ box, place this layer below the frame and rename it ‘Paper1’. Size this layer down to where it becomes the background to the frame layer with nothing popping out of the sides. This layer should only be seen on the inside of the frame and nowhere else. We are not applying a drop shadow to this layer. Minimize this original paper file back down.

Maximize the gcz-bliss-paper07 file. Click, hold and drag to the ‘Bliss-VilleTagTut’ file and center it. In the ‘Layers’ box rename this layer ‘Paper2’ and place it under the ‘Paper1’ layer. Size this layer down to your liking and then tilt it to the left a little bit. Remember to hit enter for the resizing and tilt to take place. Apply the drop shadow. Minimize this original paper file back down.

Maximize the gcz-bliss-paper07 file. Click, hold and drag to the ‘Bliss-VilleTagTut file and center it. In the ‘Layers’ box rename this layer ‘Paper3’ and place it below the ‘Paper2’ layer. Size this layer down to your liking and then tilt it to your right a little bit. Apply the drop shadow. Minimize this original paper file back down. Go to File – Save to save your work.

We now need to add the tube (images) copyright and licensing information so that it shows we are using the tube (image) legally. So make sure you have used a tube (image) that you are allowed to be using.

Click on the ‘Text’ tool and click on an empty space in the ‘Bliss-VilleTagTut’ file and type out the tubes (images) correct copyright and license information. You now need to highlight what you just typed out and choose a font, size and color. To choose the font color, double click on the top color box for the color palette window to pop open. For my text I used the font ‘Tunga’ in size 4 with the color set at # f5074e. Select the ‘Move’ tool and apply a drop shadow like you did with the different layers you created in this tag to help the text stand out more. Then move this text to where you want it placed. Make sure this information is legible. Go to File – Save to save your work.

Now Select the ‘Crop’ tool and cut out all the empty space around your tag. Once you have done that, go to Layer – Merge Visible to flatten the file. All your layers have now become one. You will see this by looking in your ‘Layers’ box. Now go to Image – Image Size and set the size and resolution you’d like for your tag. Make sure that the following 3 things are marked before setting your file size so that it resizes everything evenly and nothing gets squeezed and distorted. You don’t want a funny looking tag. I chose to set my width to 450 pixels, putting the height at 395 pixels and my resolution is set for 300 pixels/inch. Click ‘Ok’ when you’re finished. Go to File – Save As and choose to save your file as a PNG (to keep the transparent background) or as a JPEG (which will add a white background to your tag). I however will choose to save my file twice as I like to save my stuff in both PNG and JPEG. I then can choose which file I want to use for whatever I want to use it for. Make sure to name your file, I named mine ‘Bliss-VilleTagTutorialGARV’. Then click on ‘Save’ when you’re finished. If a box pops p after you hit save just hit ‘Ok’ to complete unless there is something in the box you want to change before hitting ‘Ok’.

You now have a tag created using the scrap kit ‘Bliss-Ville’ by Gemini Creations. You can add any name or greeting you’d wish to use. You can add one now or come back and add it later on. You can also place the name or greeting wherever you would like. I of course added a name to mine and chose to place mine across the top of the frame in the right corner. The font I used was ‘Pristina’ sized at 36 with color # f5074e. I then applied a drop shadow to it so the font stands out more. I then saved my file again but saved it under a different file name since this version has someone’s name on it.

I ask that you do not copy and paste this tutorial anywhere or claim it as your own. You may post and share the tag you’ve created anywhere you’d like to, but link back to the tutorial if you wish to share the tutorial itself.