How to Make a Christmas Card in Paint Shop Pro

Using Paint Shop Pro is an excellent way to make a Christmas card for your family. With this powerful, inexpensive graphics software program, you can create an attractive Christmas border to frame the family photo of your choice. The picture tubes which come with Paint Shop Pro make the decorating process simple and quick. You can also add a greeting to both the inside and the outside of the card, if you like.

Things You'll Need

• 8 1/2 by 11-inch card stock
• Printer
• Paint Shop Pro

Instructions

1. 

   Click "File > New" in Paint Shop Pro. Under "Image Dimensions," set the width to 8 inches and the height to 5 inches. Click the radio button next to "Raster Background." Click the button next to "Transparent."

2. 

   Select a white foreground color in the materials palette. Use the fill tool to make the image white.

3. 

   Click "View > Grid." Then click "View > Change Grid, Guide and Snap Properties." Under "Current Image Settings," change both the horizontal and vertical grids to 100 pixels.

4. 

   Select the picture tube tool. Use the drop-down menu to select a Christmas picture tube. Select "Random" for both the placement and selection modes. Click the left mouse button repeatedly to place Christmas decorations on the image. Use the grid as a guide to arrange the picture tubes in an orderly pattern.

5. 

   Click the "Selection" tool from the toolbar. Find a starting point in the upper left corner of the image, then click and drag the selection tool toward the lower right. Use the grid as a guide to position the selection on the image. Press the delete button on your keyboard. From the menu, click "Selections > Select None."

6. 

   Select the picture tube tool from the toolbar. Select a new Christmas picture tube and use it to create a border around the rectangular opening.

7. 

   Click "Layers > New Raster Layer." Click "View > Palettes > Layers." In the layers window, select "Raster 2" and drag it down to the bottom of the list. Save your image with a new file name. Deselect the grid option.

8. 

   Click the "Browse" button. Open your family photo. Edit the brightness, contrast and color in the adjust menu if necessary. Resize the image so that it will fit inside the Christmas card frame properly. With the family photo selected, click "Edit > Copy" from the menu. Select your Christmas card image and select "Edit > Paste > Paste as New Selection." Move the image around within the frame until it's where you want it.

9. 

   Choose "Selections > Select None" from the menu. Select the text tool, then choose the desired font, size and stroke width in the options palette. Make sure the color of the texts contrasts with the image enough to be seen. Click on the image and type your greeting. Click "Apply." Select "Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow." Click the eye button on the left to auto-proof your image. Alter the offset, opacity, blur and color of the drop shadow until you achieve the desired effect. Click "OK." Save your image.

10. 

    Click "File > Print Layout." Then select "File > Open Template." Select the card template you would like to use. Click "OK." Drag your finished Christmas card image to the template. Click "Template > Cell Placement > Free" to resize and center your image. Load the card stock in your printer and click "File > Print."

Tips & Warnings

• Download additional Christmas picture tubes for more decorating options.

Resources

• Picture tubes for Paint Shop Pro 7 and later