Tutorial: Beginner Collages in Paint Shop Pro

(from April 3, 2004 collage chat. Click here for the chat transcript)

This is a beginner tutorial for creating a collage in Paint Shop Pro. This tutorial is a very basic overview and only covers the beginning stages of building a collage. There are many ways to complete the steps outlined below, but I have tried to provide what I feel are the easiest methods,
Also, the settings I have provided below are what worked on the photos I used for this tutorial, but because photographs are so different, you may need to adjust these settings to find a look you are happy with. Collage design is totally unique, and doesn’t have a “set” way of doing things. I am giving you this tutorial as a starting base, but you will want to play with the various settings
To find a look that is right for you! Be creative and have fun!

Open a new image, your new layout.

Copy and paste each photo onto a new layer. Place them in the approximate location you’d like them to be. You can move them around and place them later.

Choose a layer and work on that photo.

Select lasso tool. Set feather to about 25, anti-aliased checked.

With lasso, select area of photo to keep. Then hit select > invert.

Apply Gaussian Blur: adjust > blur > gaussion blur. Be sure the preview box is checked so you can see how the blur will apply. Find a nice blur you like, about 50 or so. Hit okay.

Hit delete then okay.

Select another layer and repeat until all photos have soft edged.

When you’ve got a look you are happy with, you can merge all visible layers (layers > merge > merge visible).

To give a softer look, duplicate your layer.

Working with the top layer, change the blend mode to Overlay.

Move to the bottom layer. Apply a Gaussain blur at about 20.

Go back to top layer and reduce transparency so the softness shows through.

Merge visible layers again.

Finished!

For a printable version of this Quick Class, click here