I find that I use my dingbat fonts more often, if I create shapes out of them and add them to my shape library. I hope that you find you use your dingbats more often too...... : )

These are all my own print screens and my method for creating these dingshapes. Please do not send this page in EMail or upload it to any other site. If you see this tutorial anyplace else, please notify Tish.

This is my first tutorial, and I learned a lot just doing this. LOL I hope my next one will be more professional looking. If you have any problems following this tutorial, please email me so I can learn too. : )

SUPPLIES NEEDED
Jasc Paint Shop Pro 7 +	Trial Version can be downloaded here: Jasc Home Site
Dingbat of your Choice - I used Country Cuties
Country Cuties can be Downloaded here House of Lime There are lots of wonderful Dingbats there, so please come back to finish the tutorial. : )

*** TIP ***

You do NOT have to install the dingbat font in order to use it in PSP or any other program. Just use your Explorer, find the dingbat font of your choice:

• Double click on it so it is open on the window.
• Use the minus key to minimize it in your tray.
• When you go to the text tool in PSP and start scrolling thru your fonts and dingbats, you will find the one you want listed, even though it is not installed.

I used 600 wide and 200 high so I could fit as many dings as I wanted to on one image. Country Cuties has a lot of shapes, but not all the dingbats do, so you might want to adjust accordingly. IF the dingbat you have selected has characters for all the letters of the alphabet, you might want to break it up into two shape libraries rather than creating one HUGE file. : ) Colors - Foreground Null - Background, color of your choice- Foreground and Textures Null - Make sure LOCK is checked. **TIP - Don't use white or light colors. Black or dark grey is best. **

As you can see from the image below, I used size 26 and typed in as many dings across as I could. 8 - 10 is a good guide. Make sure vector and antialias are checked.

DO NOT Convert to raster layer or deselect at this time. DO NOT Convert to raster layer at anytime during this tutorial.

Click on Objects, Convert Text to Curves and select
AS CHARACTER SHAPES.

You could export your shapes at this time, but it would be better to identify your shapes with a name rather than the letters of the alphabet. This is not a necessary step, it is entirely up to you. You will still see the shapes in your shape library if you do not give them a name, they will just have letters of the alphabet instead of a name.

Click on your layer palette - Click on the plus symbol next to your vector layer. This opens up the layer of vectors and you can see all the letters of the alphabet that you used. Click on the first layer and you will see your vector tool move over the letter of the alphabet that you have clicked on. Right click, and rename the layer with a name that means something to you. I have done a few layers for an example. You could also name the layers with the name of the dingbat you are using. Example: countrycutiea

Once you have renamed your layers Click on Selections, Select NONE File, Export, Shape

Name the shape library so you can share it with your friends. : ) It is a good idea to name the file the same as the dingbat name.

Now, you can click on your presets shapes tool, and scroll thru and you will find the new shapes library that you made. If the shapes do not show up in your shape library. Close out your PSP, use Explorer and find your PSP7 folder...... Under that folder, you should have a cache folder. Delete the cache folder for shapes. ( NO, this does not remove your shapes, just the cache file for shapes, and they will rebuild the next time you open up your shape library ) Reopen your PSP, and see if you can find your shapes. It is also a good idea to move the shapes you make into a different folder and have PSP point to it, so that if PSP should crash on you, or you have to re-install it, you will not lose the shapes libraries that you create. : )

If you do NOT check Retain Style, you can use any color, pattern or gradient you want to draw out your shapes. If you DO check retain style, then the shape will be drawn with the color that you made it in. You will want to experiment with using the foreground as a color, background null, and then foreground null, and the background with a color...... Just have fun. : )

"Angels, as friends, come along when you need them."

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created 02/28/02