Linda
12-18-2003, 03:31 PM
Here is a lovely way to make a custom Christmas signature or image. You will need a white background, an image, a wreath and a bow which are included at the bottom of this tutorial. Just right click and save each one to your computer or you can substitute your own images.
I am going to start with a white background. This is not really necessary, but because my bow went a little beyond the image itself, I added the white background to make sure I have enough room. If you would like to write a message or a name next to your wreath, you might want to make your background wider to accomodate both the image and signature/message.
First go to http://studio.imagemagick.org/MagickStudio...agickStudio.cgi (http://studio.imagemagick.org/MagickStudio/scripts/MagickStudio.cgi) and click on the "browse" box and find your white background. Click on it and then click "open". Now click "view" and wait for the next page.
When your white image appears, click at the top on "composite". Again click on "browse" and this time, find the snow couple image. Click on it and then click "open". Your "gravity" option should already be set to "center". If not, change it. Then press the "composite" button - not the tab up top.
Now you will see your snow couple in the middle of the white background. Again go up to the "composite" tab and click on it. Click on the "browse" button again and find your Christmas wreath. Click on it and then click "open". Leave your gravity at "center". Now press the "composite" button - not the tab up top. You should now see your snow couple surrounded by your wreath.
Again go up and click on the "composite" tab up top. Click on "browse" and find your red bow. Click on it and then click "open". This time we need to change the "gravity". Use the little drop down arrow and choose "south" and we need to change the "offset" numbers to +0+50 Now press the "composite" button - not the composite tab up top.
When your image appears, click on the "output" tab up top. When the next page appears, press the "output" button.
Your image will appear on the next page. When it does, left click on it to bring it up on a page by itself. Then right click on the finished image and save it to your computer.
Now let's take it to Gifworks and do a smart crop and add the transparency. Go to http://www.gifworks.com and click on "file" and then "file open". Find your image, click on it and then click "open". When your image appears, go up to "edit" and then to "resize/crop" and then to "smart crop". Click that and your newly cropped image will appear. Now go up again to "edit" and then to "add transparency". A box will appear and you click the part that you want transparent. In this case, we click on the white background. Your finished image will appear and then just right click and save it to your computer.
Keep in mind when looking for images that you can resize them to make them work. In this tutorial I resized the red bow and the snow couple and also stopped their animation at Irfanview. Some animated images won't work with some other images. I have found when that happens, that it is just best to stop the animation. Another cute idea would be to take a favorite photo and place the wreath over it! And don't forget, you can make wreaths for different times of the year - the possibilities are endless! :rolleyes:
Here is the white background -
<table width="500" align="center" border="1">
<tr><td align="center">http://www.mypcclinic.com/files/Linda/Newwhitebackground.gif</td></tr> </table>
Here is the snow couple -
<table width="500" align="center" border="1">
<tr><td align="center">http://www.mypcclinic.com/files/rb/Linda/snowcouple_still_T.gif</td></tr> </table>
Here is the wreath -
<table width="500" align="center" border="1">
<tr><td align="center">http://www.mypcclinic.com/files/rb/Linda/Christmas_Wreath_T.gif</td></tr> </table>
Here is the bow -
<table width="500" align="center" border="1">
<tr><td align="center">http://www.mypcclinic.com/files/rb/Linda/red_bow_55.gif</td></tr> </table>
And here is the finished image -
<table width="500" align="center" border="1">
<tr><td align="center">http://www.mypcclinic.com/files/rb/Linda/Christmas_wreath_snow_couple_T.gif</td></tr> </table>
I am going to start with a white background. This is not really necessary, but because my bow went a little beyond the image itself, I added the white background to make sure I have enough room. If you would like to write a message or a name next to your wreath, you might want to make your background wider to accomodate both the image and signature/message.
First go to http://studio.imagemagick.org/MagickStudio...agickStudio.cgi (http://studio.imagemagick.org/MagickStudio/scripts/MagickStudio.cgi) and click on the "browse" box and find your white background. Click on it and then click "open". Now click "view" and wait for the next page.
When your white image appears, click at the top on "composite". Again click on "browse" and this time, find the snow couple image. Click on it and then click "open". Your "gravity" option should already be set to "center". If not, change it. Then press the "composite" button - not the tab up top.
Now you will see your snow couple in the middle of the white background. Again go up to the "composite" tab and click on it. Click on the "browse" button again and find your Christmas wreath. Click on it and then click "open". Leave your gravity at "center". Now press the "composite" button - not the tab up top. You should now see your snow couple surrounded by your wreath.
Again go up and click on the "composite" tab up top. Click on "browse" and find your red bow. Click on it and then click "open". This time we need to change the "gravity". Use the little drop down arrow and choose "south" and we need to change the "offset" numbers to +0+50 Now press the "composite" button - not the composite tab up top.
When your image appears, click on the "output" tab up top. When the next page appears, press the "output" button.
Your image will appear on the next page. When it does, left click on it to bring it up on a page by itself. Then right click on the finished image and save it to your computer.
Now let's take it to Gifworks and do a smart crop and add the transparency. Go to http://www.gifworks.com and click on "file" and then "file open". Find your image, click on it and then click "open". When your image appears, go up to "edit" and then to "resize/crop" and then to "smart crop". Click that and your newly cropped image will appear. Now go up again to "edit" and then to "add transparency". A box will appear and you click the part that you want transparent. In this case, we click on the white background. Your finished image will appear and then just right click and save it to your computer.
Keep in mind when looking for images that you can resize them to make them work. In this tutorial I resized the red bow and the snow couple and also stopped their animation at Irfanview. Some animated images won't work with some other images. I have found when that happens, that it is just best to stop the animation. Another cute idea would be to take a favorite photo and place the wreath over it! And don't forget, you can make wreaths for different times of the year - the possibilities are endless! :rolleyes:
Here is the white background -
<table width="500" align="center" border="1">
<tr><td align="center">http://www.mypcclinic.com/files/Linda/Newwhitebackground.gif</td></tr> </table>
Here is the snow couple -
<table width="500" align="center" border="1">
<tr><td align="center">http://www.mypcclinic.com/files/rb/Linda/snowcouple_still_T.gif</td></tr> </table>
Here is the wreath -
<table width="500" align="center" border="1">
<tr><td align="center">http://www.mypcclinic.com/files/rb/Linda/Christmas_Wreath_T.gif</td></tr> </table>
Here is the bow -
<table width="500" align="center" border="1">
<tr><td align="center">http://www.mypcclinic.com/files/rb/Linda/red_bow_55.gif</td></tr> </table>
And here is the finished image -
<table width="500" align="center" border="1">
<tr><td align="center">http://www.mypcclinic.com/files/rb/Linda/Christmas_wreath_snow_couple_T.gif</td></tr> </table>