Simple Sig Tag PhotoImpact 7.0 Level: Beginner Needed Items: A nice wide font of your choice. Description: Create a simple basic sig tag.

For this tutorial I have included express tips at the beginning of each step, and included detailed instructions for those just beginning with PhotoImpact.  If you have trouble understanding the advanced tips, use the detailed instructions instead.  1. New image, color #CF8B8E, 200 X 300, ok. Go to file/ new/ new image.  Click the Custom color box. Enter this hex code #CF8B8E in the ulead color picker box as shown. This screen shot is the lower right corner of the box. Copy this number from your browser, and select the numbers already there. Right click and paste. Enter 300 X 200 for the dimensions, making sure the unit is set on pixels. Click ok.

2. Creative painting, weave preset Click on the gallery button in your easy palette. If you don't see an easy palette window, go to view/ toolbars and panels/ easy palette. (Or just press the F2 button.) Find the words painting gallery on the left side of the easy palette, and click on them. In the right side, you will now see thumbnails of the various effects available. Find the weave preset and double click it. Now your card is filled with this texture.

3. Select background color, Select all, soften 20 pixels, invert, delete. Now we are going to make the edges softly rounded.  Click on the background color box here, which is probably white. In the hex code box, paste in this hex code : #4B1F21. This is a darker color than your card color. Click ok. Right click on the tag canvas, and click all. Selection lines surround your tag.  Right click again, click soften. Leave the soften amount set on 20 pixels. Right click, click invert. Now the outside of your selection, the softened part is selected. Hit the delete key. The more times you hit the delete key, the darker your edges get and the more rounded. On this example, the delete key was pressed three times.

1. Path tool, 3D Round, custom shape, plant two. Material attribute gallery, Plastic, green 3. Draw plant two. Click on your path tool, and then the rectangle under shape. Click custom shape. Making sure the Tab Group is set to all, look through the shapes until you come to plant two. Click ok.  Set the mode to 3D round.      Go to your easy palette again, and this time find and double click the words Material attribute gallery.  This will cause the sub categories of the gallery to show. You will see Plastic under that. Click to select it. Find and double click green 3 on the right side. Click and drag on your canvas to outline a rectangle about one inch high.

2. Transform tool, Rotate and flip, Rotate left 90 degrees. Duplicate. Rotate Right 90 degrees. Flip horizontally. Click on the transform tool. Under rotate and flip, select Rotate left 90 degrees.  Hold down the control key while dragging. This will create a duplicate of your shape.  Click on rotate and flip. Select Rotate Right 90 degrees.  Click rotate and flip again. Select Flip horizontally. Arrange these two pieces in the lower left corner of your tag like in this sample.

3. Path tool, 3D round, custom shape, flower 8, Material gallery, Plastic, P01 preset, draw shape. Click the path tool. Under shape, click the artist icon, and click custom shape.  Find flower 8 in the thumbnails. Click on it, and then ok.  In the left side of the easy palette, find and double click the words material gallery. Under that click Plastic.  In the right side you should see a thumbnail marked P01. Double click it. Click and drag on your canvas, outlining a square.  This will make a flower. Arrange it as you see in the sample.

4. Path tool, 3D round, custom shape, Dots, Material attribute gallery, Copper 2. Click the path tool. Under shape, click the artist icon, and click custom shape.  Find dots in the thumbnails. Click on it, and then ok.  In the material attribute gallery, metallic section, find and double click Copper 2.  Click and drag to draw a small center for your flower. Drag it over until it is on top of your flower. Press the space bar.

Part 3. Writing your name with the text tool. For this tutorial I am using a very nice font called Ariston. If you don't have it, you may use another font. Choose one with wide letters for best effect.

1. Path tool, Ariston font, Material gallery, Plastic, P01  Click on the text tool, and in the drop down beside arial, click Ariston. Set the mode to 3d round and the size to 50.  In your easy palette, select Plastic in the material gallery. Double click P01.  Click on your canvas. This will cause the text box to open, where you type your name. Click on the text entry area, and type your name. Click ok. Place your name where you would like it on the card.  Press the space bar. Go to web, image optimizer, and save your work as a jpg.