Banners

[tequila girl]

Ok, I admit defeat..........could someone please tell me in words of no more than one syllable how to go about making one........please keep it really 'idiot-proof' as i'm not the brightest when it comes to these things! :hilarious:

[EaglesFanatic]

http://www.mybannermaker.com/
I used this. I just cropped out their watermark. Idk how everyone else makes theirs though lol

[whitcap]

You should be able to make them using any photo editing program.

[tequila girl]

Thanks EF i'll have a look at that :thumbsup:


You should be able to make them using any photo editing program.
Should and can are two different things entirely! :hilarious: :hilarious:

[Brooke]

I know exactly what you mean tg! lol

[Prettymaid]

I have never figured out how to 'overlay' two or more photos. So if I use two photos there is always a line or some sort of 'break' in the banner. Simple ones like my current one can be done with Photobucket editing.

[Troubadour]

Download PhotoPlus from this website. It's free, and it's more than adequate for making banners, collages and cool blends. I have never used any other software.

http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/

Once you have downloaded PhotoPlus, check out the "Help" section... it will give you some hints and tutorials on how to create certain effects.

I'll try to explain to you how to do a very basic signature now. I have taken screen captures on the way, which should help. Bear in mind this is just to get you started. There are numerous other effects on there that will make your banners look better as you go along.

So, once you have successfully downloaded Serif PhotoPlus, this is what it should look like. (I have Pro, but it should look much the same.)

Click on the plain white sheet of paper in the top left corner, underneath the “File” button. This means you want to start a new picture. When you click on that white piece of paper, a box like this will appear in the middle of your screen.


http://i456.photobucket.com/albums/qq285/atthetroubadour/SigStep1.jpg

The Width and Height boxes are the ones we need to change. It’s set to Width 150 and Height 200 at the moment (which is the maximum size for an avatar on The Border.) For a signature, the maximum is Width 500 and Height 200, but you can use any dimensions below that. For now, let’s go with Width 400 and Height 150, which I find is a good size for a sig banner. Enter those dimensions, and click “OK”.

Your screen will now look like this. The white oblong box in the middle is the blank canvas for your signature.

http://i456.photobucket.com/albums/qq285/atthetroubadour/SigStep2.jpg

Now, we need to choose two pictures that we want to merge together. This is the process Prettymaid mentioned finding tricky. (As you progress, you can add as many pictures - or layers - as you like. But we'll stick to two for now.)

Let's say I want to use this Google picture as my background. A spooky street, to get into the Halloween spirit.

http://www.ryburnimageworks.co.uk/Calderdale/Gallery/hq/img-24.jpg

Right-click on this image, select "Copy" and then bring up the PhotoPlus window again. In PhotoPlus, click on "Edit", scroll down to "Paste", and it will give you two options. "As new image" or "As new layer". Select "As new layer". The picture will then appear in your canvas, like this:

http://i456.photobucket.com/albums/qq285/atthetroubadour/SigStep3.jpg

Now, because the images are often bigger than the canvas, I would normally experiment a bit with the sizing. You can do this by clicking on "Deform Tool", then clicking and dragging the corner of your image, as you would to resize any object. Just make sure you hold down the "Shift" key while you drag, or else the picture will distort, rather than just becoming smaller.

But, I don't want to give you too much to think about right now, so we'll leave the picture as it is. I actually think this one looks pretty cool anyway! So, now that we're happy with our background layer, we need to click on "Layers" at the top of PhotoPlus, then "Merge" and then "Merge All".

Now we're ready to add our second layer.

Choose another picture. Sticking with our Halloween theme (and bringing a little Eagles influence into it), I'm going to go with this sketch of a big black crow.

http://chicagorelocationblog.com/wp-content/uploads/black-crow.bmp


Once again, we need to right-click on this image, and then in PhotoPlus, click "Edit", "Paste" and "As new layer."

(If it won't let you do this for whatever reason, save the image to your computer, then click "File", then "Open" and select the image. It will open in PhotoPlus, but you won't be able to see your sig. If this is the case, it has come up as a new image, instead of a new layer. Just click on "Edit" and then "Cut". Close the inner window with the smaller, inner cross at the top right (do NOT close the whole PhotoPlus program!) and then you should be back to your signature. Click "Edit" once again, "Paste" and "As new layer.")

The crow image will now appear over your background. It doesn't all fit into the canvas, so we need to adjust it. As I mentioned earlier, click on "Deform Tool", which you can see in the Tools menu on the left side of the screen. The little boxes that you can see around the crow pic will appear. You need to click on one of them (I go for the bottom right corner) and your Shift button (this is important, otherwise it will distort) and drag the image inwards so that it gets smaller. It should end up the same size as mine below - so that it just fits in the canvas.

http://i456.photobucket.com/albums/qq285/atthetroubadour/SigStep4.jpg

Now, under the Layers tab on the right hand side of the screen, click on the drop down menu and select "Multiply". Click on all the other options, if you like, and see how it changes the merging of the crow and the background. In this case though, "Multiply" works well. You'll see that the white background of the pic disappears and the crow stands out nicely against the spooky base layer.

It's worth remembering that pictures with white backgrounds work well as top layers, because the white effectively disappears when you merge them.

This is what you will end up with.

http://i456.photobucket.com/albums/qq285/atthetroubadour/SigStep5.jpg

You can also move the position of the crow, if you wish, by clicking on the "Move" tool and just dragging it around. Once you're happy, click on "Layers", "Merge" and "Merge all layers", as we did before.

And there it is. A very simple blend. I was going to add some text, but I need to run and make some dinner before everybody starves! I think this is enough for now, though. I really hope I haven't confused/intimidated you too much. It's great once you get to grips with the basic tools.

I'll come back and add some text later, or tomorrow, if anyone wants me too. Any questions, I'll do my best to help! Don't get put off, though - trust me. Anyone can do it with a little patience. :thumbsup:

[sodascouts]

Wow Troub. You should be a technical writer! Well done!

[Prettymaid]

Wow Toub, thanks so much for that! You make it look so easy! I just never could find the time I needed to learn how to merge. With your step by step instructions we should all have cool looking banners in no time!

[Koala]

WOW Troub,great job, with these clear instructions actually nothing can go wrong!:thumbsup:

BTW, I use a photo editing program called PhotoImpact, it is software that you must buy. I had luck, I have got the software as a gift from a friend who could not work with it, so I've saved money!

[Prettymaid]

That's great Koala! Your banners always look good.

[TimothyBFan]

I struggle so much with the couple of programs I use. But I bet I just might be able to do it with those instructions!! Thanks Lou. I tried that program one time I believe when you first told me about it but couldn't figure it out on my own. Next spare hours I have, I'll be playing with that. :thumbsup:

[Brooke]

Troub, thanks so much for the help. When I have time, I will try it too. :thumbsup:

[tequila girl]

Thank You Troub, i'll definately being having a play about with that in the next day or two!:thumbsup:

[Freypower]

When I clicked on the link Photo Plus didn't appear to be free.

I normally use banners made by experts like Maleah & Koala. The ones I have made myself are done using Photobucket editing where I just add text. Like other people I don't know how to create special effects or blend photos together. I have done a couple recently where I did try to change a few colours.

[Koala]

That's great Koala! Your banners always look good.

Thank's!:)


I normally use banners made by experts like Maleah & Koala. Thanks for the compliment, but I'm no expert! I find other banners here much better than mean!

[Troubadour]

I'm glad you guys liked the step-by-step guide. I tried my best!

FP, when you follow the link, you then need to click on PhotoPlus SE. PhotoPlus SE is a free download, PhotoPlus 9 is not.

[Freypower]

Thanks for your help Troub, but I found that I either had insufficient memory to create an image or I was not getting a rectangular image (I got a square) so I'm not sure how many pixels I'm supposed to be using.

[Prettymaid]

I can't wait until I have the time to play around with it now that Troub's got me started!

[tequila girl]

No,.... I just can't get the hang of it :-x I'm giving up! :brickwall:

And Troub - Thanks so much for taking the time to explain it all - i'm sure your tutorial will benefit some .....just not me!:sad:

[Freypower]

I decided to try mybannermaker.com & here is my first effort:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v242/ozeagle/Wallpaper/Miscellaneous/Fiery.jpg

(I will probably use this for Birthday Week).

[sodascouts]

wow, that is very striking, FP. I think you have an eye for it!

TQ - for me, it was just learning by trial and error. It's easy to get frustrated, but start slow and keep at it and I guarantee it'll come to you.

[Koala]

I decided to try mybannermaker.com & here is my first effort:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v242/ozeagle/Wallpaper/Miscellaneous/Fiery.jpg

(I will probably use this for Birthday Week).
Very Nice, love it!:thumbsup:

[tequila girl]

Very Nice FP! :thumbsup:

[TimothyBFan]

Very nice!! FP---it's gorgeous!! mybanner.com.... will have to check that one out also.

Mine was made with a program called PhotoScape my daughter found on line. It does all kinds of stuff if anyone interested in trying it. I think I did ok for my first time on it.

[sodascouts]

I love all these creative banners. Willie - that photo of Tim on the right of your banner - dang!

[Brooke]

I'm loving all the new banners, too. The whole time I'm looking at your all's I'm thinking, nope, I'll never get it. :brickwall:

Willie, is that a free site, too?

[TimothyBFan]

Yeah. Katie's been using it for a long time and showed it to me but I was overwhelmed but decided yesterday I was going to spend some time doing it. Apologies again to Lou because I was probably driving her crazy while I was working with that other site that didn't work for me.

[UK TimFan]

I love all these creative banners. Willie - that photo of Tim on the right of your banner - dang!
I've already said that's there's only one way to describe that photo - :thud:

[GlennLover]

Thanks for the instructions, Troub! I plan to take a stab at it when I have some time. All my previous efforts were done using Photobucket, but that is very limiting as to what you can do.

[Freypower]

Mybannermaker.com isn't all that much better than Photobucket when it comes to effects but at least you can have more fonts. The problem with the PB effects is its hard to know which photo would work with which effect (and you don't want the photo to be unrecognisable). I wish I could do the 'layer' thing but I am resigned to not being able to now.

[Troubadour]

I'm sorry that PhotoPlus doesn't seem to be helping people... I haven't got a clue what the lack of memory message means, I'm afraid. It's a shame, because I find PhotoPlus to be excellent. The layers thing truly isn't that tricky once you grasp the concept and know the few buttons you need to use.

I really like the creations so far, though. FP, Soda used the right word - the Glenn signature you posted is definitely "striking". Love it.

[Peekaboo]

I've got Photoplus and even though Lou personally showed me how to make banners I still can't figure it out. Well, I kinda had it figured out when she was here but I forgot how to do it. I'll admit that I haven't given it much of a chance since then but I will take a crack at again soon.

[Prettymaid]

I'm sorry that PhotoPlus doesn't seem to be helping people... I haven't got a clue what the lack of memory message means, I'm afraid. It's a shame, because I find PhotoPlus to be excellent. The layers thing truly isn't that tricky once you grasp the concept and know the few buttons you need to use.

I got it to work! I'm not sure how... I was getting the memory message also, gave up, uninstalled Photoplus and installed Photoscape, as I had played with it before and TBF recommended it. But I still couldn't figure out the layering thing, so...today I had some time on my hands, went directly to the PhotoPlus site http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/photoplus/
and downloaded from there instead of using Troub's link and it worked! From there I followed her instructions and came up with the work of art you see below! My picture of Joe had a dark background instead of a white one, so multiply did not seem to work for me, but I just played around until I got something I liked the looks of.

Thank you again Lou! What took a few minutes would have taken me weeks to figure out!

[tequila girl]

Nice Cathy, Well done!!:thumbsup:

[Brooke]

It is gorgeous Pm. Love it.

I still haven't gotten the hang of it. :-(

[tequila girl]

I still haven't gotten the hang of it. :-(
Nor me, and i'm ashamed to say.........I've given up, there's no way!

[Troubadour]

Cathy - that makes me happy! I'm glad my instructions helped a bit. GREAT first effort! Lovin' the autumnal feel. :thumbsup:

TG, I keep meaning to comment on your sig, too. Nothing better than Don + nature for me!!

[sodascouts]

Well done, Cathy!

[Prettymaid]

Well, when I read Troub's post I just figured everyone was getting the memory error message. But if you're actually able to download it and start a new project, then Troub's instructions work if you follow them to the letter. I had this thread pulled up the whole time so that I could constantly refer to her instructions.

Thanks everybody!

[Koala]

PM, your banner looks great. Well done!!!:thumbsup:

[TimothyBFan]

Well then I'm trying that one again also!!! I love the way Lou's always turn out and I'm determined!! Today it is!! :thumbsup:

Good job Cathy!! It's gorgeous!

[Prettymaid]

Hey, if I can do it anybody can. :blush: :mrgreen:

[tequila girl]

Hey, if I can do it anybody can. :blush: :mrgreen:
Except me! :hilarious:

[TimothyBFan]

Well, reinstalled from your link PM and still getting the memory message. Go figure. Guess back to the one my daughter loaded and struggle through it. I did it but it sure took a long time to do that last one. Hopefully the more I do it, it will get easier.

The things we do for a gorgeous banner! :brickwall:

[Prettymaid]

Maybe try what I did and go to the actual site and don't use a link? :shrug: I know, shouldn't make a difference but...

BTW, I don't mean to make it sound like I'm not struggling through this. I can do the things Troub laid out for us, but everything else I'm trying is hit or miss. For example, what if I want my background to have more of a watercolor painted look and not be a photo? Haven't figured that one out yet. And I'm trying to use the cropping tool but I don't know how to keep it cropped once I crop it! I know I'm just going to have to play around wiith it and it really is fun trying, except for when I mess up! :hilarious:

[Troubadour]

Cathy - once you have selected the crop tool and selected the area you want in your photo, just double-click in that area. The selection lines (and the unwanted parts of your picture) will disappear! Hope that helps.

[Troubadour]

Also, if you want to make a background picture less opaque or solid, for example, go to the Layers tab, which should be on the right-side of your screen, and lower the Opacity level. It's probably at 100% right now, but make it 70% for example and see how that changes it. Also, next to the Layers tab, you should have an Instant Effects tab. Use that drop-down menu to try out different styles. (Some of them will completely change your photo, others will add cool effects. You can also drag the little triangle left and right along the bar above the menu, to lower or heighten the strength of the effect.) It's all trial and error. :)

The only other thing I'd say is remember you're working with layers. Once you're happy with the effects on your base picture, remember to "Merge all layers". Then can you begin working on your top layer, without changing your base!

Also, try the Image tab at the top of your window, and then Adjust. It will bring up a list of basic ways you can alter your picture: Auto Levels, Color Balance, Curves, etc. Try them out! It might be that you only need to lighten a picture a fraction, rather than making it more transparent.

[Prettymaid]

Thanks Lou! I don't want you to feel like you have to babysit me every step of the way, but your instructions are really easy to follow. I have to go to work now, but maybe I'll have some time over the weekend to play some more.

[Troubadour]

Not at all! Direct questions like the ones in your previous post are fairly straightforward and I can answer them quite easily. I know what it's like when you're trying to get to grips with something - and I know how much fun it is when you do. I'm happy to help, if I can.

[whitcap]

Your instructions have been very helpful Troub! I've fooled around with opacity quite a bit but I didn't know how to do blend the layers. I'm using a free trail of photoshop right now but when it runs out I'm gonna try your program.

[Brooke]

Ok, I've been trying this out and have a start. :yay:

Troub, I could use help with text when you have some time.

[sodascouts]

Can't wait to see it, Brooke!

And I LOVE FP's Shakespearean one.

[Brooke]

Soda, I love your new banner. I actually had thought about using that pic, too, because of the colors! :thumbsup:

[Freypower]

Can't wait to see it, Brooke!

And I LOVE FP's Shakespearean one.

Thanks Soda. I like it too. You would have guessed it's the photo I took at the Globe. I had to use it. At least there was a Frey connection, tenuous or not. I had another idea for a banner using a photo I took in England, but I cannot connect it to the Eagles in any way, try as I might. It has to do with a song, but not by the Eagles or Glenn.

[Prettymaid]

Troub, can you help Brooke and I with text? We can't seem to make it larger (smaller, yes!) and is there a way to get better placement? Actually, the text tool doesn't seem very user friendly to me right now, but maybe I'm missing something.

[Brooke]

I used Photobucket to make mine, but couldn't figure out how to change the size or color of the text.

ETA: I had tried to change size and color before, but couldn't "get" it. Just tried again and voila!

I guess it'll do for a first timer! :rolleyes:

[Prettymaid]

Oh, sorry Brooke - I thought you were using Photoplus. I can probably help you.

After you've chosen text a text options box should pop up. I usually choose transparent for the background so my picture will show behind the text, but you can make the background any color you want by clicking the box or color wheel and choosing your color. As far as the text size, just unclick auto and choose the number size you want. And of course the text box is moveable and stretchable - just put it wherever you like! You can change the font style and color as well. Honestly, this is what I wish the Photoplus text tool was like!

ETA: Just read your ETA - Yay, looks great! :yay:

[Prettymaid]

And Lou, I think I figured out my problem - deform tool works for text box - duh!

[Troubadour]

Cathy - yep, Deform tool works, but you can also adjust the font, colour and size of your text manually before you start typing. My menu for this appears in the top toolbar once I have selected the Text Tool, but if yours doesn't, you might need to just search for it in the drop-down menus.

Quick tip - under the View tab, there is a list of toolbars, such as Tools Toolbar, Standard Toolbar, Context Toolbar, etc. Make sure these are all "checked" or selected, otherwise they might be hidden from you, which will make your job harder when you're trying to create a banner! If they are checked, those menus will become a part of your usual PhotoPlus window, so you have easy access to all the buttons and tools.

[Troubadour]

Another tip - once you're happy with your text (but before you Merge All Layers), try selecting the "Multiply", "Screen" etc tabs in the Layer Manager section. This will alter the look of your text just as it does with top layer images - it can make it look transparent or give it different effects so that it will show up better against your picture.

Also, try the Effects tab also in Layer Manager. If you scroll down, there is an effect called Plastic Text, which I like using. It kind of makes the text pop. Again, it's trial and error - try sliding the little triangle up and down the scale once you have selected Plastic Text and watch how it changes the appearance of your text! I hope this helps. :)

[Midnight_Flyer]

i love making sigs :D

i'm gonna make some Eagles ones today :D

[Prettymaid]

I've really been enjoying it too. I have to be careful with my time management, though, or before I know it hours have gone by! Thanks to Troub's tips for Photoplus, the ability to make great banners is there - the talent doesn't come as easily to me, I'm afraid! But I'm working on it.

[Koala]

PM, I love your christmas banner!

I agree, I enjoying it to make the banner, too!

[Prettymaid]

Thanks Koala. Yours are always superb!

I don't want to be able to see the 'lines' of the Joe photo layered onto my first layer. That's something I still struggle with.

[TimothyBFan]

I had to tell everyone that I am loving ALL of the new banners, especially all the beautiful Christmas ones!! Good job everyone! :thumbsup:

[Koala]

Thanks PM & TBF!


TBF, I agree, again, I love all the christmas banner, too!

[Midnight_Flyer]

I had to tell everyone that I am loving ALL of the new banners, especially all the beautiful Christmas ones!! Good job everyone! :thumbsup:

yours is also cool :)

[Midnight_Flyer]

a Don sig i just made, i made it quickly though so it's not very good, gonna add more to it :)

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w56/Midnight_Flyer_2007/don-edit.jpg

[Prettymaid]

It's gorgeous Midnight (I refuse to call you MF ;)). What program do you use?

[Midnight_Flyer]

It's gorgeous Midnight (I refuse to call you MF ;)). What program do you use?

hehe

i use GIMP

[tequila girl]

I second Cathy - it's Gorgeous.........but then again, when is Don not? :wink: :inlove:

[Midnight_Flyer]

hehe :) thank you

[whitcap]

Great sigs everyone!



I don't want to be able to see the 'lines' of the Joe photo layered onto my first layer. That's something I still struggle with.

That's my biggest problem too pm. I just play around with the layers and effects until the lines aren't visible or at least aren't noticeable. Sometimes if I can't get the lines to blend in the way I want them to I crop the sigs and make avatars. These started out as sigs but were avatars by the time I was done.

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x350/wkc814/Avatars/donav.jpg

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x350/wkc814/Avatars/glennav.jpg

[Eve]

Those are nice whitcap. I love that particular picture of Glenn. Over my Christmas vacation I want to mess around with that sort of stuff a bit and see what I can do. I am quite computer illiterate...

[Midnight_Flyer]

Over my Christmas vacation I want to mess around with that sort of stuff a bit and see what I can do.

:D :D

[Eve]

:D :D

Humm...that sounds sort of fun actually.

[TimothyBFan]

yours is also cool :)


Thank you MF and might I say, I'm loving your new one also! Gorgeous!!

[Midnight_Flyer]

:D thank you

i wanna make some christmassy ones :D

[zeldabjr]

Ok Have to say I love your new banner TBF...

you guys are so creative...how do you do them?....I think Troub answered this for me once but I can't find it...

are these things hard to do?...

[TimothyBFan]

Ok Have to say I love your new banner TBF...

you guys are so creative...how do you do them?....I think Troub answered this for me once but I can't find it...

are these things hard to do?...

Thank you Zelda--I'm rather proud of that one. I made it last year, and I remember looking for just the right pictures to match the purple (my favorite color). I was going to make a new one this year but decided I like this one and the one I've been using the last couple of weeks so much, I'd go ahead and use them again this year, especially since can only use a few weeks a year.

I just use Photobucket and edit my pictures. I'm not very good and it takes me forever. A lot of people here that are VERY, VERY talented at this---like Troub, who has made me some absolutely beautiful ones in the past. Just go play in there. You'll figure it out and have fun while doing it because you get to look at all those wonderful Eagles pictures! Win/win!!!

[pueblo47]

And here's another Christmas banner by TBF, made by my request a few years back that remains my fav. Thank you very much, Ms. Talented Banner maker:thumbsup:

[TimothyBFan]

Thank you Pueb!!!!