Create Your Own Credit Card in Corel PHOTO-PAINT

© 1999 by Karen Wilfong. All Rights Reserved.

This is kind of a fun tutorial created using Corel Photo Paint 8, and will introduce you to some basic concepts, tools and effects that are useful for many other projects.

1. Create a new image.

• Color mode: 24-bit RBG color, Paper color: White, Size: 400 x 275 pixels, Resolution: 72 dpi

2. To create the rounded rectangle shape, first create a new object and place 4 guidelines on the page. (Note: It is very important that you first create an empty object to contain the new rectangle)

• Click [Object] / [Create] / [New Object] or Click the New Object button in the Object Docker Window.
• Then Click [Tools] / [Guidelines Setup]
• Add 2 Horizontal guidelines: One at 50 and one at 225 pixels
• Add 2 Vertical guidelines: One at 50 and one at 350 pixels
• Click both Checkboxes: Show guidelines AND Snap to Guidelines
• Click OK.

3. With the new (empty) object selected, create a rounded rectangle within the guidelines, and then hide the guidelines.

• Double-click the Rectangle tool to bring up the tool settings dialog box.
• Set the Roundness level to 18. Color is unimportant so long as it's easily visible.
• Click and drag the mouse closely within the guidelines to create a rounded rectangle.
• Click [View] / [Guidelines] to uncheck the guidelines and hide them from view.

4. With the new rectangle selected, create a mask from the object and reduce the shape by 3 pixels.

• Click [Mask] / [Create from Object(s)] then
• Click [Mask] / [Shape] / [Reduce] Width: 3

5. Save this mask as a channel for future use and remove the mask.

• Click [Mask] / [Save] / [Save as Channel]
• Name the channel "rectangle" and Click OK.
• Click [Mask] / [Remove] or Click the Remove Mask button.

6. Now resample and paste your chosen photograph into the image. For this example, I used a Corel photo: Disk 3: Photos / Eve_sky / 790089.wi

• Click [Edit] / [Paste from File]
• In the 'Paste an Image from Disk' box, select a photograph then select 'Resample' in the drop down box next to 'Files of Type'. Click OK.
• In the 'Resample Image' box, choose: Width: 300, Units: pixels, Check box 'Maintain aspect ratio', Resolution: 72 dpi, Check box 'Identical Values' Click OK.

7. We want the photograph to 'take-on' the shape of the rectangle below it. To do this, 'clip' the photo object to the rectangle by clicking the empty box directly to the left of the photo thumbnail in the Object Docker window. A paperclip icon will appear. The Object Docker window should now look like the illustration. Object 2 is now clipped to object 1 (Clip to Parent).

8. Apply 'The Boss' effect to add depth. With the photo object selected (object 2):

• Click [Mask] / [Load] / [rectangle] (the mask channel saved in step 5)
• Click [Effects] / [3D Effects] / [The Boss]
• Width: 20, Smoothness: 30, Height: 50, Brightness: 60, Sharpness: 30, Direction: 135, Angle: 90, Drop Off: Gaussian
• Click OK.
• Click [Mask] / [Remove] or Click the 'Remove Mask' button.

9. Apply a drop shadow.

With the rectangle object selected (object 1):

• Click [Object] / [Drop Shadow]
• Flat, 315 degrees, Offset: 3%, Opacity: 50, Color: Black, Feather Width: 2%, Direction: Average

10. We will now crop the image to conserve file size. Since we want to trim the 'invisible' outer edges of the photo (the edges that were hidden when we 'Clipped to Parent') we will leave this object out of the mask. Select Object 1 in the Object Docker window (this will also select the drop shadow), make a mask from the objects, and crop the image to the mask.

• Select Object 1, then
• Click [Mask] / [Create from Object(s)], then
• Click [Image] / [Crop] / [To Mask]

11. The basic credit card is now complete. To create the same effect with a different photo, simply delete the photo from the Object Docker window (currently object 2) and repeat steps 6 thru 8. Make sure that the new photo is placed directly above the rectangle object (object 1) in the Object Docker window.

12. To create the silver embossed text, type some words near the bottom/left corner of the image.

• Double-click the Text tool. In the font dropdown box, choose 'OCR A Extended', 30 pts.
• Color: Black, Click the Checkbox: Anti-aliasing
• Type the text; click the Object Picker tool to create a new object for your text.

13. Emboss the new text, and adjust the brightness level.

• Click [Effects] / [3D Effects] / [Emboss]
• Emboss Color: Gray, Depth: 2, Level: 300, Direction: 45
• Click OK, then
• Click [Image] / [Adjust] / [Brightness-Contrast-Intensity]
• Brightness: 20, Contrast: 25, Intensity: 0
• Click OK. Use the arrow keys to position the text on the credit card.
• Repeat for the lower text, using a 22 pt. font.

14. To create the yellow embossed text, use the Eyedropper tool to extract a bright yellow paint color near the sun. Type the name of the bank in the top right corner of the image.

• Click the Eyedropper tool, point to the desired color and left-click.
• Double-click the Text tool. In the font dropdown box, choose 'Staccato222 BT', 28 pts, Italicized
• Click the Checkbox: Anti-aliasing
• Type the text; click the Object Picker tool to create a new object for your text.

15. Emboss the new text.

• Click [Effects] / [3D Effects] / [Emboss]
• Emboss Color: 'Original Color', Depth: 2, Level: 50, Direction: 45
• Click OK. Use the arrow keys to position the text on the credit card.

16. When you are happy with the results, combine all objects with the background.

• Click [Object] / [Combine] / [Combine All Objects with Background]

17. Finished. Now, print your new credit card and charge-it!

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