PSP-tutorial template - Creative

Paint ShopTutorials
By Maureen Eves-Lavis
Adding and Creating Custom Brushes to Paint Shop Pro X2
One of the problems with software upgrading constantly is that older files become incompatible with the
newer versions. This is the case with Photoshop CS4 and trying to install the .abr brush files into
PaintShop Pro X2.
A way around this is to install the abrViewer program. The downside is, it changes the brush to a .png and
PSPX2 will not recognise a .png in brushes. The files must be named .PspBrush in order to use the brush
in PSP.
Before beginning, go to My Documents\PSP Files and create a folder TempBrushes. (do not put this in the
brushes folder). This is where you will place the exported brushes before changing them to the correct file
extension for PSPX2 and adding them to My Documents\My PSP Files\Brushes\.
Locating and installing abrViewer v2 zip.
abrViewer 2 Download
How to Use abrViewer:
1. Open the program and select a directory that contains Photoshop brushes - usually in
presets\brushes. This will bring up a list of the brushes in that directory or you can opt for Open
brush sets which is what I prefer as it then will show one set of brushes, ie: fauxbrushes.
Lessons, files and content of these classes cannot be reproduced and/or published without the express written consent of the author
Author: Maureen Eves-Lavis © Creative-Designs 2004-2010 Australia
PaintShop Tutorials
Page 2
I chose to open brush sets, located the PS Presets\Brushes folder.
When you click on a brush set, they will show in the pane on the right. If you click on the name of the
brushes in the Previewed Sets, all brushes will be highlighted. Try several out and see which you like.
Lessons, files and content of these classes cannot be reproduced and/or published without the express written consent of the author
Author: Maureen Eves-Lavis © Creative-Designs 2004-2010 Australia
PaintShop Tutorials
Page 3
2. Double click on one of the brushes and it will bring up an original sized brush - click on that for a
chance to try the brush out. The thumbnail size and background/foreground colours I leave as is
as I'm only interested in converting the files.
x
Double click on the original size window and a test
window opens for you to try out the brush
x
Double click on brush in square
to open and see original size.
To opt out, click the X in the top right corner. If you want all
brushes click on the name of the brushes in the previewed sets to
select all.
Click to highlight which in turns
highlights ALL brushes ready
for Export or select one brush
3. I am exporting the whole set so I now click on Export > thumbnails and abrViewer will create
.png files for each brush tip you have open - Install the brushes in the tempbrushes folder with a
folder of the brush's name, ie: My Documents\My PSP Files\TempBrushes\name of brushes
you are installing.
Now they are installed as .png and they need to be changed to .PspBrushes so PSP will recognise
the brush tips.
Close the abrViewer.
Lessons, files and content of these classes cannot be reproduced and/or published without the express written consent of the author
Author: Maureen Eves-Lavis © Creative-Designs 2004-2010 Australia
PaintShop Tutorials
Page 4
Open PSP > Palettes > Organiser. In the left pane, go to the folder with the small + sign, Browse More
Folders. Locate My Documents and open the PSP Files then find the TempBrushes folder.
Click OK. In the left panel you should see the folder TempBrushes open it to reveal the new .png brush
tips. These will open in the Organiser. Now you can select a brush image. I'm opening png 116
Lessons, files and content of these classes cannot be reproduced and/or published without the express written consent of the author
Author: Maureen Eves-Lavis © Creative-Designs 2004-2010 Australia
PaintShop Tutorials
Page 5
Now that the brush tip image is open in the workspace, go to the selection tool,
rectangle and draw around the image, relatively close, but not so close you chop off
bits of the tip.
.png116
Go to File, Export, Custom Brush
When the dialogue box opens, give the brush
tip a name......
I chose to name it blurs-flower and the 116 number will remind me it's the .116.png.
Click OK.
Open a new canvas, select the brush tool, open the brush categories
window and find the new brush.
Lessons, files and content of these classes cannot be reproduced and/or published without the express written consent of the author
Author: Maureen Eves-Lavis © Creative-Designs 2004-2010 Australia
PaintShop Tutorials
Page 6
Try out the new brush..... change colours
and or even gradient or texture. It's up to
your imagination.
Brush tips can be made from just about
anything. If creating your own, you do
not have to go through all the above.
Make
your
own
brush
tip
on
a
transparent background in black. Place a
selection around it then open File,
Export, Custom Brush.
Your brushes can be catalogued into their own folders.
When you save a brush as shown above, it
automatically will save into the brushes folder. Go to My PSP Files\Brushes and make a name for a group of
brush tips - blurs-brushes and then transfer the brushes into that folder by dragging/dropping or right click the
brush tip file, copy or cut then place into the new blurs-brushes folder.
In PSP go to File, Preferences, File Locations. Brushes are shown in Brush file folders and the Save to: My
PSP Files\Brushes.
Lessons, files and content of these classes cannot be reproduced and/or published without the express written consent of the author
Author: Maureen Eves-Lavis © Creative-Designs 2004-2010 Australia
PaintShop Tutorials
Page 7
You do not have to create any special naming folders for brushes, they can all be together in the Brushes
folder. Of course, this depends on how many you intend collecting.
Now back to PSP Organiser and create some more brush tips.
If by any chance some of the information above is incorrect, please let me know.
Lessons, files and content of these classes cannot be reproduced and/or published without the express written consent of the author
Author: Maureen Eves-Lavis © Creative-Designs 2004-2010 Australia