Blinkies by Selections

I claim the copyright to this tutorial.  You are free to do whatever you please with what you make, but please do not take my tutorial.  Do not send the tutorial through email.  Only share my link.

This tutorial was created for some friends of mine who wanted to begin learning more about PSP.  It is intended for beginners to learn how to make blinkies.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.  This tutorial includes selections to make 6 different sizes:
468 X 60
100 X 100
250 X 250
261 X 66
50 X 50
150 X 20

Click on the size that you want to make.  All the blinky sizes follow the same instructions.

To do this tutorial you will also need Paint Shop Pro.  I used Paint Shop Pro 7.04 .  You may download a free trial at Jasc.

Remember to save as a psp file often!

Before we begin, you might want to study the PSP tool bars.  I have labeled the tools on another page.  Click on the link and it will open a new page.  You may want to keep this page open while you work on the tutorial, to refer to the names now and then.  PSP Tools

Now that you have studied the tools, let's begin!

Before you begin, you will need to pick 3 colors--a center background color, center color, and marquee color.
 

1.  Click New File in the top menu bar. 
Depending on which size blinky you want to make (which selection folder you downloaded)  your width and height vary.
For 468 X 60 blinky:  width = 550, height = 120
For 100 X 100 blinky:  width = 200, height = 200
For a 250 X 250 blinky:  width = 300, height = 300
For a 261 X 66 blinky:  width = 400, height = 150
For a 50 X 50 blinky charm:  width = 100, height = 100
For a 150 X 20 blinky:  width = 200, height = 50

All sizes have these settings:  Resolution=72.000 pixels/inch, Backround color=transparent, image type=16.7 Million Colors (24 Bits). 

Click Ok.  Click File--Save As and save this file as blinky.psp.

2.  Add a new raster layer (Right-click on layer Palette and click new raster layer) and call it background.  Then from top menu click Selections--load from disk.

Choose the selection 01RDBblinky*.sel ( The asterisk * stands for a number.  The number depends on which blinky size you picked) and click ok.

3. Make your foreground color the color you chose for the background.  From the left tool menu, choose the paint can icon.   Flood fill the background layer with the color choice for the background.

4.  Add a new raster layer (Top Menu--Layers--Add raster layer) and call it center.  Then from top menu click Selections--load from disk.  Choose the selection 02RDBblinky*.sel and click ok.

5.  Make your foreground color the color you chose for the center.  From the left tool menu, choose the paint can icon.   Flood fill the center layer with the color choice for the center.

6.  On the center layer add any graphics or text that you want to place on your blinky.  Don't let your graphics or text run outside of the center colored area.

7.  From the top menu, click Layers--merge--Merge Visible.  Right-click on merged layer and choose Rename.  Rename to background.

8.  Add a new raster layer, by clicking Layers--Add raster layer and call the layer marquee1.  Change your foreground color to your choice for marquee color.  Choose the magnifying glass to enlarge the image, by LEFT-clicking a few times.   Click Selections--Load from Disk--03RDBblinky*.sel .   Flood-fill the selected marquee with your color choice  for the marquee.

9.  Add a new raster layer, by clicking Layers--Add raster layer and call the layer marquee2.  Change your foreground color to your choice for marquee color.  Choose the magnifying glass to enlarge the image, by LEFT-clicking a few times.   Click Selections--Load from Disk--04RDBblinky*.sel .   Flood-fill the selected marquee with your color choice  for the marquee.

10.  In the Layer Palette, right-click on the background layer and choose duplicate.  Slide the copy of background layer between the layers Marquee1 and Marquee 2. 

11.  Hide the background layer and Marquee 1 layer by clicking on the glasses for those layers.  Click on Marquee 2 layer to activate it.  Right-click on Marquee 2 layer and choose merge layers--visible.  Right-click on the merged layer and rename to blinky2.

12.  Unhide the background layers and Marquee 1 layer by clicking on the Red X's in the Layer Palette.  Hide the blinky 2 layer by clicking on its glasses in the Layer Palette.  click on Marquee1 layer to activate it.  Right-click on Marquee1 layer and choose merge layers--visible.  Right-click on the merge layer and rename to blinky1.

 

So now you should have two layers:  on the bottom is blinky1 and on top is blinky2.  Now you must decide.  Do you want a blinky with a graphic on the edge, or do you want just the blinky?

If you want just the blinky, then continue to 13a.
If you want a blinky with a side graphic, then continue to 13b.

13a.  Grab the magic wand tool from the left menu, and click on the outside (the transparent area) of the blinky.  In the top menu, click on Selections--Invert.
The marching ants should surround the blinky.  In the top menu, click Images--crop to selection.  Make sure both layers are NOT hidden (no red X's)  and SAVE.  Now skip to Step 14.

13b.  These instructions are for adding a tube to the outside image of your blinky.  Open the tube that you wish to use.  In the top menu bar, click Edit--copy.

    c.  In the Layer palette, click on the top layer of the blinky image.  In the top menu bar, click Edit--paste--as new layer.  Now you should have a 3rd layer--your tube. 

    d.  From the left tool bar, grab the mover tool and move your tube into place along one edge of the blinky.  Make sure that all of it shows on the canvas.  Resize the tube if necessary  (Image--Resize.  Be sure all layers is NOT checked)

    e.  When your tube is in place, right-click on the tube layer in the Layer Palette (should be the top one) and duplicate.

    f.   Slide the copy of the tube layer between the layers blinky1 and blinky2.

    g.  Hide the background layer and Marquee 1 layer by clicking on the glasses for those layers.  Click on blinky2 layer to activate it.  Right-click on blinky2 layer and choose merge layers--visible.  Right-click on the merged layer and rename to blinky2.

     h.  Unhide the copy of tube layer and blinky1 layer by clicking on the Red X's in the Layer Palette.  Hide the blinky 2 layer by clicking on its glasses in the Layer Palette.  click on blinky1 layer to activate it.  Right-click on blinky1 layer and choose merge layers--visible.  Right-click on the merge layer and rename to blinky1.  So now you are back to TWO layers.  SAVE.  Continue with Step 14.

14.  Open up the Jasc Animation Shop, by clicking File--JASC Software Products--Launch Animation Shop.

15.  Open the file you saved by clicking on the yellow folder and finding the blinky.psp file that you have just saved.  When the file opens, all 3  layers will be there as 3 frames.

16.  At the top, click on Edit--Select all.

17.  RIGHT-click on one of the frames , and select frame properties.  Change the display time to 15.  Click ok.
 

18.  Now Save your animation:  Click File--Save As. 

Type your file name.  Click Customize. 

Click the Partial Transparency tab.

Set the Convert to pixels,--less than 1%.  Click No, use existing image color or select a light gray in the color box at 100% opacity.  Click ok. 

Click Next, Next, Next, and Finish!

19.  You can view your animation by RIGHT-clicking on a frame and choose VIEW animation.

And there you have it!  Your own blinky.

©  Dragon's Breath (aka The Dragon Lord), 2001-2003.  This tutorial and the blinky  graphics are copyright to The Dragon Lord, 2003, 2002.  Please do not remove this tutorial from my site.  Share my url.