There have been several tutorials written
on making tubes. I have come up with my
own way of making tubes and trying to make
it easier and to understand for beginners to
advanced PSP Users. I hope I can make some
sense to you so that you will be able to make
tubes and enjoy what You like in tubes!
So here we go ;o)

I will use this Picture to show you how as a
demonstration for you.



This is a basic graphic with a white
background. If you have a white background
and it is perfect (which most are not) You
can take the magic wand and left click
anywhere in the white part of the background
and you will then get marching ants around the
selected graphic you wish to tube. Then all
you have to do is go to selections invert, then
edit copy-edit paste as a new selection.

I won't proceed with this any further because you
are not going to run into many perfect graphics,
and I would not want to mislead you. The picture
above looks like this when you do this.



As you can see by my blue marks all of it did
not select. This is why I don't recommend making
tubes in this manner. So to tube this graphic and
any graphic no matter what color the background
this is how I do it:

Go to view, image information and find out the
size of your graphic. This one is 200 x 268
pixels in size. After I know the size go to
File, New Image, and make is bigger then what
you need because you can always trim it or
crop it as you like it of need it.

**************


You can see I am making the new image larger
than the original and also choosing a Cyan
Green background. Never work on a white, black
or transparent background, I Only do that to
check if tube is clean at the very end. ;o)
These colors are the colors of most backgrounds
or shadings and are too difficult to make good,
clean tubes with. You will make it transparent
later. I always choose Cyan because it is so
much easier on my eyes. After I have my new
image I go to my graphic and edit, copy, then
edit paste as a new layer on my Cyan (Or a color
U like and easy on your eyes) background.

You can then close your original and Save this
image as a paint shop pro image (*psp) image.
I do this because you may have to quit for a
while or something may happen to the computer
and this way you can always go back to it. This
will save it so it will still be a layer and
movable when you want to continue working and
to finish your work and save it as a tube ;o)

I use the freehand tool that on your tool
bar. On the tool bar go to the toggle layer,
pallet, click on it and it will open it up.

When you get it open please use these
are the setting I use.


I then take the freehand tool and begin cutting
away a lot of the excess background that you
don't want, or need because you really want
a nice clean smooth edge for your tubes. Then
you will be proud to share your work.



Keep working it until you get something like this.



Then go to File, save. Its a good habit to
save your image very often during your work,
so you do not loose it. I can't tell you how
many times I didn't and had to start all over,
and we do not want to do that, making tubes
takes time and patients ;o)

What I do next is this use your zoom tool
(On tool bar at top under view) and zoom in
to where you can see, its very important to
be able to see !!!! I zoom into large but then
this is a personal preference as to how much.
I zoomed in 5:1 for now but I may change that
several times. Sometimes you can't make out
the image to far out and sometimes you can't
tell what's better.

I then take my freehand tool and begin
cutting. Try not to cut out too much at one time.
If you mess up, remember you can always undo,
(Edit undo, and your back to your last step).

I place my line on the lines of the graphics
and left clicking around the way. Then go out
around the white up to the beginning part and
right click and they will all join together.
Then click on the scissors to cut or go to
top menu edit cut, either way does not matter
what one you like to use and is easier for you!
you're the one doing the work. ;o)



It will then look like this. Not too hard is it?



On this one I didn't get the freehand tool
exactly on the line so you can see a little
white around the image. This is why I tell
you not to use a white background. If this
were white you wouldn't be able to see this.
No problem, just go to the scissors tool again
and hit cut again until the white is all gone.
That is what your looking for ;o)



*The freehand tool set at feather of 2 will
move the lines in 2 pixels. This is what keeps
you from getting the jagged edges no one likes.

You can keep the ants marching and hit the
cut as many times as you want but remember
each time you do it cuts away another pixel.
So sometimes its better to start again with
the freehand tool if it looks like you are
cutting away to much of the image. At this
point take the freehand tool and move it to
the center of the image and it will change
appearance to look like a cross. I then Left
click on this and it will float move the
selection to look like this. just keep
working you will get it. Trust me.



This part is important because it takes away
all the blur left behind that you missed by
cutting and lifts the extras from the edges.
This is something I discovered by accident one
day and I believe it really makes a difference
when using the feather technique. Then just
go to cut makes it smooth!!! This technique
is the same on no matter what background you use.
Do not color the backgrounds white. This is what
we are trying to get rid of. There is nothing
prettier than a nice clean tube and you will be
proud to share something so pretty.

If you do a lot of beveling and shading its
important to have a clean tube, or if you make
a lot of tags on maybe even black background or
any dark colors. I have gone to website, and it will
tell you this can ONLY be used on white (well that's
because they could not clean the tube all the way).

***********

If I have a part that is too pointy, I fix it by
taking the and going almost touching the
tip you want to cut off and the joining. Then
cut it there. This will barely take off the tip
and will round it out. Another tip is you can
take the dropper tool and selecting a color close
to what you want to fill and fill in any booboo's
that aren't to bad. When satisfied with you image
then just go to Image, Copy. Then Image, Paste,
As A New Image. It should be nice and clean.

If you want to check your tube, bring up a
new image flood it with black and copy and
paste the tube and look at it closely. You be
able to see if its clean. If you had, lets say
a blue or black, ground that the picture came
on follow the same things with the black fill,
but this time you use white. Either way
you will see if something is not right.



Most images need a little boost to their color.
I then go to Colors, Adjust, Gamma Correction.
I usually keep mine set at this and if it needs
more just do it again until you get it the way
you like. Like I said its your tube. Just try
to not make it too dark or light.



This will add a little more depth to your colors.
Also most images need to be sharpened to enhance
them after you have finished. This makes them
look really nice!

That's all there is to it! Easy, just take your
time and enjoy. You can either save this then
as a PSP file which is a .tub or you can export
it through PSP naming it there. There is nothing
more rewarding that a nicely cleaned tube! If you
feel you need to resize, please remember to sharpen.
> (Go to Image, Sharpen, Sharpen.) Bingo you are all
done with making your very own first tube. ;o)
Go to Files,import.import a tube, name it and save
it, and be proud...you did it!

I hope I have, in some small way, helped you
make your very own first tube and that you
enjoyed doing it. Hope you make many more.
Its a lot of fun for me and relaxes me.

Always remember to have fun and hope you
will enjoy your tubing. Hugs


The Mermaid Tube if you like it

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