PSP 5 and 6

A bevel on the side of an edge graphic adds a whole new dimension to your page. They are simple to make. Just follow these steps:

  1. Create a new white graphic 150 x 100.
  2. Add a layer and name it "Fill".
  3. Add another new layer and call it "Bevel".
  4. Make a 100x100 selection on the Bevel layer starting at 0,0.
  5. Save this selection to an alpha channel (Selections>Save to Alpha Channel).
  6. Set your background color to white. On the Bevel layer, apply the buttonize filter as follows:

  7. Your graphic should now look like the following:

  8. Add another new layer without deselecting and call it "Shadow". If you dropped your selection, load from the alpha channel (Selections>Load from Alpha Channel). Add a right drop shadow Color: Black, Opacity: 100%, Blur: 6, Offset: Vertical 0, Horizonal 2-3. Adjust the opacity slider until the shadow looks the way you like it.
  9. Trim your graphic from the middle to 150x50 as follows:

  10. Save as a psp file to for future use as a template. I called mine "Bevel.psp".
  11. Choose Image>Canvas Size, enter a new width of 1200x50 and uncheck both Center Image Horizontal and Vertical. Then enter 0 in Top, Bottom and Left and 1040 in the right.
  12. Flood fill the "Fill" layer with a background color or pattern of choice.
  13. Save as a gif or jpg. Note: If you are using a fine grained pattern or solid color, you can trim your template to 150x20 before enlarging. This will result in a smaller file size and your background will load quicker. More complicated patterns will require a larger tile.



You can also make a "double edge bevel" for another unique effect. to create this effect:

  1. Follow steps 1-3 above.
  2. Make a selection approximately 10 pixels wide on the edge of the graphic.

  3. Buttonize this selection with the Height slider all the way to the left and the Width slider all the way to the right, Opacity at about 65.
  4. Copy your selection and paste "as a new selection".
  5. Move the copy to the left of the graphic.
  6. Adjust the opacity slider to see if you like the effect with less opacity.
  7. Crop the graphic as outlined above and fill the fill layer. Turn off the Bevel Layer and turn on or off the Shadow Layer (your preference). Copy your graphic and complete as outlined above.

Now that you know the basic technique, experiment. Try using a sharper bevel or a softer bevel. Or, fill the selected area of the dual bevel with a different color or texture.