Making ClipArt Look Good
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Many years ago, I bought some ClipArt to use in a newsletter that I was publishing at the time and never could figure out why it looked so good on the box and so cra**y when I tried to use it. Of course this was before I knew anything about vectors or PSP so I just ended up drawing my own images and putting the ClipArt away. I ran across it several weeks ago and decided to give it a try in PSP and I figured it out...I LOVE PSP! 
So dig out your old ClipArt and give it a try again...but, I have to warn you that some of the images will take a lot of patience to complete as there are many many objects in most images. You will see what I mean later, but for now just know that I have chosen an image that shouldn't take too long and will give you a good understanding of how to use a .wmf file.
If you want to learn how to make your own preset shape from the image used in this tutorial then go to Making Preset Shapes.
Resources- PSP 8 or 9. You can download a demo of version 9HERE.
- Any clipart .wmf (Windows Meta File) image. You can download the one I used in this tutorial HERE. Unzip it to your harddrive. Opening the image will be explained in the first step below.
Let's get started
- Bring up your browser and browse to the folder you unzipped the image into. Double click on the image and the first thing you will see is this:
Change the dimensions to 363w x 251h. Maintain aspect ratio checked (always best). Shift+D to duplicate and close the original. You must make a duplicate because any changes you make to the .wmf file will NOT be saved..
- Click on the plus sign on the layers palette as shown below:
and you will see this:
Each of these "polygons", called objects, contain parts of the image and each one needs to be changed in some way, whether it's for smoothing or for a color change. Some .wmf images can have hundreds of these objects and is why I said patience is needed (a definite consideration when choosing an image!).
- Double click on the first polygon (object) at the top of the list and this is what you will see:
Obviously, this is going to be a grape, since there are only two colors in the image (in some images you won't be able to tell and will have to use the object selector tool to determine what object you are manipulating).
- Check the Anti-alias box and watch your image. Notice the smoothing that was done to the grape? In other images you may not wish to change anything else but you will always want to check anti-alias.
- Now double click on the fill color to bring up the color picker and choose #FF0000 (or any other color you wish). If you want to outline the grape check mark the stroke then choose a color, but for the purpose of this tutorial just leave it unchecked. Click ok
- Repeat for the remaining objects (polygons). When you come to the leaves (greenish color) change the color to #079B07.
- Once you have all of the objects changed, convert the layer to a raster layer (layers->convert to raster layer).
Adding Character
- Select all. Float. Defloat. Contract the selection by 1 (All under the Selections Menu).
- Add a new raster layer
- Change the foreground color to #880404 for the grapes then to #054F05 for the leaves (or a darker shade of your chosen grape and leaves color). Get the airbrush tool size 11, hardness density and opacity all set to 100 and paint around the outside as shown below. When you paint the veins on the big leaf change the brush size to 3
- Give it a gaussian blur radius 3.50. (Effects->Blur->Gaussian Blur)
- Select none. Merge the layer down (or merge visible).
I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial and found it useful and easy to follow. If you have any comments or questions please feel free to .
