These are my own steps that I used; any resemblance to any other tutorial is strictly coincidental. I am hoping that you already have some understanding of PSP.

You will need to download my Photo Tag supplies here.
Photo Tag selections HERE
Photo Tag templates HERE
Load the Selections to your PSP Selections folder and the Photo Templates to a folder where you will store them for use.

You will also need an image, or tube, of your choice. Why not use a photo of yourself for something fun and different?

Open the two Photo Templates and the image/tube you will be using in PSP. Click on your image/tube and SHIFT D to make a copy, close out the original, as we will be working with the copy only. Minimize them for later use.

Start with a new canvas 500X430. We will resize it when we are done. Change your foreground to WHITE and the background to NULL. I will be using a white background for this tutorial.

Remember to SAVE AS a .pspimage often. This will save your layers incase you need to stop working or if your PSP should shut down.

Step 1      Add a New Raster layer. Click on your Selections Tool (located with your Magic Wand). Set your cursor to 30,40 (watch your numbers in the lower right of your PSP window), holding down the LEFT mouse, drag down and to the right until you see 360,360. Release the mouse. You will see the Marching Ants, now Flood Fill with the WHITE. Go to Selections/Modify/Contract and set it to 10. KEEP selected.

Now you can Flood Fill this with a color of your choice or a Gradient. I will be using a Gradient for mine.

Step 2      Maximize the image that you will be using. Right click on the title bar and choose COPY. Now right click on the title bar of your working canvas and click on Paste/Paste as a new layer. Do not worry if your image is over the Marching Ants. Now click on your Mover Tool and click on the image and move it to where you want it in your photo frame. DO NOT close out the original image as we still need it.

Go to Selections/Invert and click your Delete key. Click on your image layer to be sure it is highlighted, then Merge/Merge down. This will merge your image to your photo layer. Select/Select None.

Selections/Select all then Selections/Float. Go to Effects/3D/Drop shadow and apply the settings below. Selections/Select None.

Step 3      Maximize the photoframe.gif -- the one that looks like a Polaroid. Use SHIFT D to make a copy and close out the original.

Step 4      Click back on your image/tube original. Using the Selection Tool, choose a section of your image that will be closer than the first one you made in your photo.

Step 5      Click on your Magic Wand and click on the BLACK section of your photoframe image and Flood Fill with your color/Gradient. Make sure you click on the LAYER Palette and Promote to Background layer. Right click on the title bar of your image/tube and choose COPY. Now right click on the title bar of your photoframe image and click on Paste/Paste into selection. Selections/Select None.

Step 6      Right click on your photoframe image and choose COPY. Click on the title bar of your working canvas and choose Paste/Paste as a new layer.

Step 7      Use the Deform Tool and angle it to the left. Move this to the upper right of your first photo image. Effects/3D/Drop shadow and apply the same settings as before.

Step 8      Duplicate this layer and using the Deform Tool, angle this layer to the right. Move it to the lower right of the larger photo.

Step 9      Maximize the phototrio.gif. Use SHIFT D to make a copy and close out the original. click on the LAYER Palette and Promote to Background layer.

Step 10      Click back on your image/tube original. Using the Selection Tool, choose a section of your image that will be more like a "face shot". Right click on the title bar of your image/tube and choose COPY.

Step 11      Using the Magic Wand click on the FIRST BLACK section of your phototrio image and Flood Fill with your color/Gradient. Now right click on the title bar of your phototrio image and click on Paste/Paste into selection. Selections/Select None.

Step 12       Repeat Step 11 for the second and third black sections. You need to do each one separately or the image you are copying will split between the selected sections.

Step 13      You can now close out your image/tube as we are done with it.

Step 14      Right click on your phototrio image and choose COPY. Click on the title bar of your working canvas and choose Paste/Paste as a new layer.

Step 15      Use the Mover Tool to move this to the lower bottom of your first photo image. Effects/3D/Drop shadow and apply the same settings as before.

You are almost done and you have completed a lot here. Take a break, have some coffee or tea. Relax for a few before coming back and completing the rest of your Photo Tag.

Click here to continue Part 2

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