putting a halo on a grey scale photo on a black background

[SAEngraver]

Hail the reader,
As a newby to paint shop pro I meet and solve various challenges via some truly great stuff in this forum, and some good tut vids on the net, however there is one solution I can not find.
Here is my need.
I have a black person in grey scale photo and have removed the background, I now want to place this photo on a black background using a halo around the pic to set it off against the black background - can some one please advice this dummy.
I thank the person who will assist.
regards



Http://www.granitephotoengravers.com

[Kathy_9]

With the layer of the person active click on the Layers menu and go to Properties. Next click on the Layer Style tab. You will see a list of options. Choose Outer Glow and you can adjust the size, opacity and color of the glow. Hope this helps.

Note: If your layers palette is open you can also just double click on the layer with the person on it in the layers palette and that will open the Layers Properties dialog box too. It's just another way to get to the same place.

[SAEngraver]

With the layer of the person active click on the Layers menu and go to Properties. Next click on the Layer Style tab. You will see a list of options. Choose Outer Glow and you can adjust the size, opacity and color of the glow. Hope this helps.

Note: If your layers palette is open you can also just double click on the layer with the person on it in the layers palette and that will open the Layers Properties dialog box too. It's just another way to get to the same place.

Hello Kathie - anyone ever told you you're a star?
Well you are... thank you so much.
Regards

[SAEngraver]

With the layer of the person active click on the Layers menu and go to Properties. Next click on the Layer Style tab. You will see a list of options. Choose Outer Glow and you can adjust the size, opacity and color of the glow. Hope this helps.

Note: If your layers palette is open you can also just double click on the layer with the person on it in the layers palette and that will open the Layers Properties dialog box too. It's just another way to get to the same place.

Hello Kathie - anyone ever told you you're a star?
Well you are... thank you so much.
Regards

Hi /kathie,
I have done as per instruction, do get the right pop up menu and do select the right button, I see both images in the double window having set it to show both images in full. I have tried it on a colour pic and a grey scale. Nothing happens - I see the round circle in the square which I am sure should change to show
the colour changes as one selects these, but it does not move at all stays on neutral grey... please advice.
thank you

[LeviFiction]

So...I wasn't quite sure what you were saying you were seeing. So I made a video showing what I think you should be seeing. Hopefully this helps. If not I do apologize.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vclZlU641VI

[hartpaul]

You have not mentioned which version of PSP you are running.
The Layer styles were only introduced in PSPX2 so if you have an earlier version then you will have to use another way.
This works in earlier versions :
eg start with a black background and a second layer (Object 1)with a black area on transparent canvas eg a circle .
1. Duplicate the object layer and call that layer the top layer.
2. Hide the top layer by turning the visibility off.
3. Make the middle layer (Object 1) active and then invert / make the layer negative (in PSP8) this was under Adjust.
4. Make the top layer visible and with that middle layer still active do Adjust > Blur > Gaussian Blur and adjust the amount of blur to give you the size of the halo you want.
You can also adjust the opacity of that layer to reduce the strength of the effect.

Many ways of getting the same effect.

[Kathy_9]

I see the round circle in the square which I am sure should change to show
the colour changes as one selects these, but it does not move at all stays on neutral grey... please advice.
thank you

Hopefully you have watched Levi's video which nicely explains the method I mentioned. I know I'm a visual learner and seeing is so much easier than reading and putting into practice.

The round circle in the square that you mention is not used for the outer glow effect. It is used with the bevel, emboss and drop shadow effects, so as you noted it will do nothing with outer glow. If you have the layer with the person on it active and tick the preview on image button you should see the results.

Let us know if you get it to work.

[SAEngraver]

Thanks to all who took the time to help me.Going to settle into doing some today.
When I get to the office I am going to post a pic of an engraving I have done showing the result of the glow in my final work.
However this was outsourced to another, as my knowledge was limited in this respect,... but learning fast.
This will what I am after.
Thank you to all who replied.

[SAEngraver]

Herewith a photo showing the effect I am looking to obtain, notably the white halo behind the pic of the couple.

[LeviFiction]

Aw, in that case what you want is a drop shadow. You can either use the old effect "Effects -> 3D Effects -> Drop Shadow" or you can use the layer style.

When using the layer style just select a white color, and move the light source (the sphere inside the gray box at the bottom of the layer properites dialog is the light-source) this box has two spheres. One is the object, the other is the light source. You move the smaller circle around by dragging it or adjusting the X and Y sliders (assuming you have them).

The drop shadow will let you get that outer glow effect while keeping it to one side of the layer. And since you can make the drop shadow any color you want it should work perfectly when set to a white color.

[SAEngraver]

Thank you for the further input, however you have lost me.
I get to the pop up showing no spheres - don't see any pop up with that sort of facility.
The pop up I have opened has a square the dual window - it has a central dot with a string attachment which can be moved and shortened at will.
I have moved this every which way, but it makes no difference to the head and shoulders I want to have the back shadow.
Helpless.

Thank you

[Kathy_9]

Okay, sounds like you are in the Effects menu. Instead try using the layer properties. But first let's make sure your layers palette is visible. Go to View -> Palettes and make sure Layers is checked. Alternatively you can press the F8 key to enable the layers palette.

Next open your image with the two layers; bride & groom layer and background layer.

Double click on the bride & groom layer in the layers palette to open the layers properties dialog box. (This is the same place you went to use Outer Glow).

The following picture should help you understand how to apply the drop shadow. You will need to click on the picture for a larger view. Hope this helps.

Click for larger view

[SAEngraver]

Okay, sounds like you are in the Effects menu. Instead try using the layer properties. But first let's make sure your layers palette is visible. Go to View -> Palettes and make sure Layers is checked. Alternatively you can press the F8 key to enable the layers palette.

Next open your image with the two layers; bride & groom layer and background layer.

Double click on the bride & groom layer in the layers palette to open the layers properties dialog box. (This is the same place you went to use Outer Glow).

The following picture should help you understand how to apply the drop shadow. You will need to click on the picture for a larger view. Hope this helps.

Image2.jpg

Thank you Kathie, you have spent a lot of you time teaching me what is very important to me. I am very grateful, and the beauty is that I am learning fast. The best thing i ever did was to join this forum... One can watch videos all day , but to get an answer for a specific question beats videos all day long.
Again grateful thanks,

[Kathy_9]

Happy to help.

Regards,
Kathy

[SAEngraver]

Happy to help.

Regards,
Kathy

Hi Kathy, thought I had it - however your configuration in the palette section seems quite different to what I get.

I bring in the photo and it displays in the palette section on the right of the screen - named - background.
To get a second layer (pic) I make a duplicate and name it couple. Now I am showing two identical pics
having named the duplicate "couple" So the original palette pic is background and the duplicate now named couple.
My palette section on the right shows 2 identical pics each named differently.

On your pic you have something totally different - name raster 1 and raster 2.
Also one is a pure black tile. - I do not get that.

You say to open the image with 2 layers - I though I had done just that, but
whilst I get the required dialogue box when selecting properties, no matter
what I do or in which layer I select to work - nothing moves on my picture.
I move the small globe around the large one every which way, but no change at all.
Neither does it seem to vary the size of the drop shadow, no matter what I fill into the size field
If you tell me how I can print screen my laptop to paste the pic for me to send you you may understand
where I go wrong.
The problem has to be that I don't get the black square raster as you do.
""next open your image with 2 layers: couple and background layer - did I do as I should have or is a background layer
a black rectangle or what ever shape?
Thank you

Thank you