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Initial Fill
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Initial Fill
Created by: Barb Townsend

 
Using a picture to fill a letter or object and using some effects can make an interesting tag.
 
Download File Download File
You may use the picture in the download file on the left to fill your letter or one of your choosing. This picture was taken by my friend Blon Hunt on a visit to her home town in Hiawassee, Ga.
 

New Image 		Create a new image (File || New or Ctrl+N):
– Width = 500
– Height = 500
– Resolution = 72
– Raster Background = checked
– Transparent = checked
 

Text Tool

Click on your Text tool and set as follows:
– Create as = Vector
– Choose a nice fat font
– Size = 200
– Stroke width = 1.00
– Anti-alias = checked
– Line style = default

Alignment, kerning and leading are not important as we will only be using one letter for this example.
 
Materials Palette - Materials Box  Materials Solid Color Option In your Materials palette set the following:
– Foreground Material = Color: Black
– Background Material = Null
 
 

Click into your image and type the initial you wish to use. Click on Apply and use the nodes to stretch your initial to the size and shape you want.

When you are satisfied, right-click on the layer in your Layer palette and convert your vector layer to a raster layer.
 

Magic Wand Tool

Click on your Magic Wand using the following settings:
– Mode = Add (shift)
– Match mode = RGB value
– Tolerance and Feather = 0
– Anti-alias = checked
– Sample merged = unchecked

Click into the image outside your letter. If you have holes in your letter like in the letter "B" click inside the holes as well. Then go to Selections || Invert. You should have marching ants just around your letter now.
 




Activate the image that you are using for the filling. Go to Edit || Copy (Ctrl+C) and then go back to your letter image. Go to Edit || Paste || Paste into Selection.

Note: The reason for doing this is so that more of the image fills the initial. If you flood-fill using the patterns, you could get lines in your image that you do not want, unless you have tiled the image seamlessly, which may or may not change the integrity of your photo.
 

Let's apply some effects to make this stand out: First go to Effects || 3D Effects || Chisel:
– Size = 4
– Solid color = checked
– Color = white

Then go to Effects || 3D Effects || Drop Shadow:
– Vertical and Horizontal offset = 10
– Opacity = 50
– Blur = 5.00
– Color = Black
– Shadow on separate layer = unchecked

Now deselect with Ctrl+D (Selections || Select None).
 
Crop Tool  Crop Area = Opaque - Current Layer

Apply current tool settings

Click on your Crop tool. In the Tool Options palette, for "Snap Crop Rectangle", choose the middle icon, "Layer Opaque" and click on the check mark to apply the settings. Save as a tube or a psp image.

That's it! I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial as much as I have creating it for you.