Creativity is essential to create unique and appealing business cards, logos, and other communication methods that would be used for business matters or usage. By using Paint Shop's preset tools and a semi-transparent technique, it can add an extraordinary touch to professional work. This tutorial uses the flower preset shape to create semi-transparent flowers.

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[edit] Steps

Create a 300 x 300 new image with a white background. Think of two colors that you wish to use for the flowers. For this article, the foreground color is #f17400 and the background color is #fffd69.
Create a new raster layer by choosing "Layers" > "New Raster Layer" > "Ok"
Choose the "Preset Shape Tool" and then choose "Flower 2" from the shape list that can be found in the tool options palette.
Drag your cursor from the left hand corner towards the bottom right corner. Try to get your flower's center into an elliptical shape.
Click on the little "+" next to the "Vector 1" in your Layers box. Select and double click on the "Flower 2". Click on the black fill box and you'll be brought to the "Material Properties" window.
Select the "Gradient" tab and use the following settings: "Foreground-Background" for the gradient, "Angle 145", "Repeat 0", "Style Number 1", and "Invert Checked".
Check the box next to the "Stroke". Click on the color and then the "Gradient" tab for it also.Use the following settings: "Foreground-background" for the gradient, "Angle 147", "Repeat 0", "Style Number 1", and "Invert Unchecked". Go back to the Vector Property box and change the stroke width to 4.00.
Follow these in the exact order.
- "Layers" > "Convert to Raster Layer"
- "Selections" > "Select All"
- "Selections" > "Float"
- "Selections" > "Defloat"
- "Selections" > "Modify" > "Contrast" > "Number of Pixels": 5 > Okay.
Create a new Raster Layer. Then go to the Materials section/palette and get to the "Gradient" tab on the Foreground color. Choose the following settings: "Fading White" for the gradient, "Angle 147", "Repeat 0", "Style Number 1", and Invert Unchecked".
Click on the "Flood Fill Tool" and click on your flower. Use the "Move" tool to move the flower a little up, so that you get that "deep" edge on the bottom. Now click on "Selections" > "Invert", then hit the on your keyboard. Go to "Selections" > "Select None" and finally, "Layers" > "Merge" > "Merge Down". Lower the opacity on the Raster 1's layer to about 76.
Create a new raster layer by choosing "Layers" > "New Raster Layer" > "Ok". Click on both the "Selection Tool" and the "Ellipse" shape in the selection type. Draw an ellipse inside the bud of the flower's rim. Go to your Materials palette and click on the Foreground color again. Switch the settings to these: "Foreground-background" as the gradient, "Angle 147", "Repeat 0", "Style Number 3", and "Invert Checked". Click on the "Flood Fill" tool and then click on your ellipse.
Create a new raster layer by choosing "Layers" > "New Raster Layer" > "Ok". Select the "Selection Tool" again and move the flower bud just slightly down. Change your foreground color to white (#FFFFFF) and use your "Flood Fill" tool to color the bud that you just moved. Move your flower bud again a little more down with the "Selection Tool" and hit . Click on "Select None" in your "Selections" toolbar and then go to "Adjust" > "Blur" > "Gaussian Blur" > "Radius: 3.00" > Ok.
Be sure that Raster Layer 3 is still highlighted (your current layer). Turn off your background layer's visibility in the Layers palette. Click on "Layers" > "Merge" > "Merge Visible". Turn the visibility on your background layer on again.

Enhance this flower into a design

Continue with the image and click on the "Raster Deform Tool". Modify your image to become smaller if you made it too large.
Click on "Layers" > "Duplicate". Move the duplicate image to anywhere you wish and resize the image with your "Raster Deform Tool". Give it another color by going into the "Adjust" > "Hue and Saturation" > "Colorize". The example used 131 Hue and 255 Saturation.
Add a drop shadow to the duplicate image. Use these settings for it: Vertical & Horizontal = 15; Opacity = 30; Blur = 20. Click on "Layers" > "Merge" > "Merge Down". Repeat the drop shadow for the first flower you made so both of them have the effects.
Duplicate the current layer and it will appear as "Copy of Merged". Click on the "Merged" layer in the Layer palette. Twirl it by going into the "Effects" > "Distortion Effects" > "Twirl" > "Degrees: 475" > Ok.
Give it color by going into "Adjust" > "Hue and Saturation" > "Colorize". The example used 66 Hue and 255 Saturation. Click on your "Move" tool to move around both the twist and the flower set to anywhere you wish.

[edit] Tips

Save your original images as .psp so it's easy to move and work with if you want to use it in a future project. If you save it as a normal image (.gif, .jpg, etc), the background will save with it and you won't be able to use the actual flower by itself.