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Paint Shop Pro 7 Tutorials

Creating a Vector Christmas Stocking
Creating and Editing Vector Shapes - also Exporting Shapes

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This is an intermediate/advanced tutorial for PSP 7 users
Remember to SAVE often!

If you would like a less advanced tutorial, or do not want to make your own Vector Shapes, click on the FINAL PAGE of the series.

Part Two

Images have been cropped for faster downloading.

8. Now we are ready to create the top fluffy shape. FOREGROUND color: null, BACKGROUND color: LIGHT GRAY. PRESET SHAPES tool: ROUNDED RECTANGLE, ANTI-ALIAS, VECTOR.

Create New VECTOR LAYER and draw a rounded rectangle for the top fluffy top section. You should now have 3 layers. The original Layer 1 and two vector layers.



Node Edit top fluffy part

9. Click on the Vector OBJECT SELECTOR tool Object Select tool, and if the top white fluff is not already selected, select it now. The editing box should be around the shape. On the Tool Options, click EDIT NODE.



Add 4 new nodes to each side

10. Add 4 new nodes to each side of the top shape ~ hold down the CTRL key as we did in Step 3.

Move the nodes so they make a zigzag line. Now RIGHT-CLICK on each node to change the NODE TYPE to ASYMMETRICAL. Move both sides of the fluff.

quick placement of nodes


11. Because most of the nodes came from straight lines and edges, they are not easily curved, unless we change the nodes to ASYMMETRICAL. Click on each of the added nodes- RIGHT-CLICK and choose NODE TYPE> ASYMMETRICAL - (also note: keyboard shortcut is "CTRL+SHIFT+S") this adds both control arms to the node. Lengthen Slightly and Move the node where needed. The top part wants to look fluffy, smooth and with rounded curves. If you like, you can even add more Asymmetrical Nodes to the bottom and top part of the fluff, like I did.

Final fluffy node placement  Final Fluff

I changed the background of my image to BLACK, so I could see the nodes a little easier. This process of trying to get the nodes to look just how you want, takes a lot of practice. Sometimes the more you work at it, the worse it looks! LOL!

12. Save your image!!! Now we want to export the two shapes we made for future use. Make sure "SELECT NONE" before exporting. If only one shape is selected, then only that one shape will be exported. This is good if you only want to export one shape, but for this tut, we want both the stocking and the fluff.

Click on FILE> EXPORT> SHAPE ~~~ Type in the name of your choice. I used "Christmas Stocking". PSP does its work, and viola! Both the shapes are in your shape pull-down list!!

If you cannot seem to get your nodes into position and would like to use my shapes, Click Here for the Zip file.

Now, onto Using our Shapes to Make a Christmas Stocking.

Back to Part One

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