|
Matching a patterned background
1. Make your stationery in the usual way (see my basic strip and framed graphic step by step following the part for the background strip - don't make a framed graphic).
2. Look at the top and bottom patterns for a repeat (I've used an easy pattern here, to show the repeat more easily). If you look at the top and bottom of this graphic, you can see that the repeated diamonds are cut in different places... the diamond at the very top is complete, while the one at the very bottom of the strip has it's point missing. Were you to leave the graphic like this, this is what you would see on your finished post where the background strip repeats.
3. To rid your stationery of these faults, do the following...
Use the Selection tool set at rectangle, to choose an area of your strip. Look for the repeating pattern. If you start the selection halfway down a diamond at the top of the strip, you must draw your selection down the strip, and end it halfway through a diamond, so that when the two halves of diamond are put together they make one whole one. Also note at this point that I've chosen the inner row of diamonds top and bottom. If you pick the inner row at the top and the outer row at the bottom, they won't match of course : (
Ok, you've made your selection, now check that you've selected the right area by clicking Edit/Copy.
Open a new large image 1024 x 900 and click Edit/Paste as new layer twice. Move one of the two strips to the top of the new image like this and line the 2nd layer up directly under the top one.
When you have got the right selection, go back to your strip, click Image/Crop to selection, Click Layers/Merge Layers and save as a .jpg
4. You join should now look like this.
and the finished stationery would look like this
when repeated in Outlook Express, it would look like this
I hope this step by step has been of use to you.
There are more help files on my
Homepage
|