PSP X9 Drop Shadow For One Edge

[photodrawken]

Just to finish off this shadow thing, here's the shadow cast on an "invisible" horizontal surface below the box:

cereal box drop shadow 03.jpg (82.09 KiB) Viewed 4860 times

Because the shadow is so extremely foreshortened, you don't have to worry about it having the precise number of edges -- the shadow in this case will look like a flattened rectangle for all intents and purposes....

[JustinPBrown]

Thank you everybody for your replies. Here is the website of images which show the type of 'simple' shadow I would like to create.

http://www.artiservei.com/packaging-cardboard-eng

I am very bad at drawing, so free-hand for me is not an option.

Are there more parameter functions for the Drop Shadow effect beyond the ones in the window?

I have 24 of these shadows to create so making them from scratch would surely take an age not having used this software before. Having spent the last 7 days getting nowhere farther than cutting out the subjects from the photos I now have only 2 days left to finish the project.

Is there any shadow-specific graphics software available?

[JoeB]

I'm assuming the examples you wanted us to see were the graphics at the top of the page which kept switching to different boxes. So I've attached the following, which is just the same image as my first one but with the box lowered onto the shadow.

[photodrawken]

OK, for a simple generalized "shadow" effect like those,

1. Make an accurate marquee along the edges of your box.
2. Copy that selection to the Clipboard.
3. Create a new image.
4. Add a transparent layer to that new image.
5. Paste the box image into that transparent layer.
6. Duplicate the box layer.
7. On the bottom box layer, select the box and fill it with black.
8. Scrunch the height of that black box layer waaaaay down.
9. Apply a Gaussian blur to that scrunched black box layer to create the "shadow" effect.
10. Move that "shadow" layer to the position you want.

cereal box drop shadow 04.jpg (73.35 KiB) Viewed 4835 times

In PhotoLine, the layers look like this (the layers will be similar in other image editors):

As a side note, the sample images you provided all exhibit the "3-sided shadow" problem you do not want....

[JoeB]

I think there is actually an easier method just using the Drop Shadow effect in PSP. For the attached these are the steps in PSP:

1) Make an accurate selection around the box.
2) Promote Selection to Layer.
3) For a white background, highlight the bottom (original) layer and flood fill with white (or whatever color you want for background).
4) Highlight the top (box) layer, Effects>3D Effects>Drop Shadow, black color, Selection on New Layer, and set the parameters until you get the opacity, blur and offset you want at the bottom and bottom side edge of the box. For this small box I had Vertical = 5, Horizontal = 1, Opacity = 60, and Blur = 20. The offsets will vary according to the size of your image, and blur and opacity according to taste.
5) Take the Selection tool and select the edge of the drop shadow showing at left (in my box example) starting from the bottom edge of the box and upward and hit Delete. Make a similar selection on the right of the box, starting from the bottom back corner of the box and upward and hit Delete. This will remove the blur showing at the edges.
Result again attached.

[photodrawken]

Interesting, Joe, but if you look at the upper right and upper left corners of your shadow you'll see that the blur is sharply cut off.

[JoeB]

Interesting, Joe, but if you look at the upper right and upper left corners of your shadow you'll see that the blur is sharply cut off.

That's' because I did it fast. If I was trying for absolute accuracy with the blur there I would have set my selection tool to a large feather.

[brucet]

Sorry guys but I think you are over thinking it !!!!!!!
New raster layer below the layer containing box. Make the layer with the box semi transparent for the time being. Back to the raster layer. Using the spray gun and the correct brush size spray in a shadow/grey. Back to the box layer and using the eraser or selection tool, erase around the box to reveal the required shadow.

Smile. There's a thousand ways. Not all of them have to be 'technical'!!

regards

[photodrawken]

Bruce,
There's an even simpler way which does not require any skill in drawing, or painting, or erasing.

Just create a black vector shape by clicking on the visible corners of the bottom of the object and fake the invisible corners. Apply a Gaussian Blur to the vector shape, and you've got it:

I don't know what vector capabilities PSP has, but the layers in PhotoLine look like this:

No drawing skill necessary -- just click...click...click....

[JustinPBrown]

Sorry all for my tardy response, I have been very busy.

Someone made a short video for me of them creating the shadow I required for my project. It took less than 5 mins.

The method is to duplicate the original cut out image at 50% opacity. Then create a colour overlay in black adding Gaussian blur to preference. This creates a shadow exactly the same shape as the subject. Drag the shadow to the desired position in relation to the original subject & erase any excess unwanted shadow that might show from behind the subject. For my requirements I needed a small 'under-shadow' that gives an impression of the subject hovering a few millimetres above the 'surface'.

Examples are on the following website: http://www.artiservei.com/packaging-cardboard-eng

Many thanks to everyone who contributed efforts towards helping solve my problem, I am very grateful.