Sigtag

PI Version: X3 (you can use earlier, and newer versions too)
Level: Intermediate
Featured tools: Text Tool, Transform Tool, Crop Tool and Pick Tool (optional: Eraser Tool)
Additional filters: Xenofex 2
Additional files: Tube - You can choose any tube you want. I used a tube from Pat /pannsplace.50megs.com (poser 382), which you can download from her homepage.
Additional material: here

Tutorial: Copyright © Inge Klement

DESCRIPTION: Make an easy, but stylish Sig Tag with PI and the filter Xenofex 2 from Alien Skin.

Remember to save often!

	Open your tube (1) and then a New Image: Canvas color: 188/196/207 (Or choose any color you want the middle part of your taggie to be!) and Size: 400x400 Pixels. Work on the New Image (2), go to Effect/Alien Skin Xenofex2/Shatter and use these settings: 34.16/20/11/14/36/5.75 + Inside Fill: 115/58/13 (= color of my homepage) + Random Seed: 65 Click OK.

	Activate your tube (1), copy (Ctrl+C) the tube, activate the main picture (2) and paste (Ctrl+V) the copy on it. Right click/Properties/Position & Size (3)/and go to Size. Check that you have ticked the box Keep aspect ratio (red arrow) and change the Height to 298 (white hand). Now we can change the position of the tube: Left: 147 and Top: 61 (white arrows). Change to General (4) and set the Transparency to 65%. Click OK.

	Copy the original tube (1) one more time, activate the main picture (2) and paste the tube on it. Right click/Properties/Position & Size (3)/Size. Keep aspect ratio (red arrow) and change the Height to 350 (white hand). Afterwards change the position to: Left: 46 and Top: 40 (white arrows). Click OK, deselect the tube on our main picture and close the original tube (1). The Size, Position and Transparency depend which tube you've chosen - and of course how big your picture will be!
In case you need to freshen up your memory on how to save a mask into the EP - you can take a look at one of my other tutorials, where I explain a little bit more about how to use a mask in PI. You'll find the tut here.
	Open your Easy Palette/Object Libraries and find the mask you've downloaded. (If you want to use another mask be aware that the mask must be black inside, and the border around should be white!) Double-click the mask (1), choose the Transform Tool, deactivate the button Keep aspect ratio (red arrow), click the Selection button (white arrow) and resize the mask as you can see on the screen- shot. Change the background color (white hand) to a color you want your mask to be. (For this example I used the color of my homepage). Click the Delete button on your keyboard, and your mask will be filled with the chosen background color. (Alternatively - go to Edit/Fill/Color and fill the mask with the color of you choice!) Deselect the mask and Merge All.

	To make the name like I did, choose the Line and Arrow Tool (red arrow), Shape: Freehand (white hand), Mode: 2D Object, and draw a line like the one you can see on the screenshot. Make a long line ... you can correct it later on. The color doesn't matter. Leave the line activated, right click/Wrap/Add Text to Active Path (white arrow). Delete the "Demo" text that appears, and you can now type the name you want to use. When you're finished with that, click the Pick Tool and then the Text Tool. (First now you can change the attributes of the text!) Don't worry if you have to many letters, I shall explain how you can get rid of them later on!

	Now change the type of the font (red arrow), the size (1), the color (white hand - I used a color from my tube ... 176/173/170), and I've also given my text a 1 Pixel border in Black (white arrow). When you are satisfied with the text, but still have to many letters left, leave the Text tool, choose the Pick Tool, right click the Text and Convert Object Type and choose From Text/Path to Image. Now you can use the Eraser Tool to remove the letters you don't need. Keep the text activated.

	Right click/Shadow and use these settings: Black + 5.altern (red arrow) + default settings. Click OK and Merge All.
Here's the result in the original size :))


That's it! A stylish, but still very easy Sig Tag ... made with PI and one 3rd party filter. HAVE FUN!!!
If you need any help with this tutorial - or want to make suggestions to improve it - please email me!