**Program Tutorials** : Photo Impact : *Technique

One of the neatest things about digital scrapbooking is the ability to create your own background papers.  This tutorial will show you how you can get the look of  paper that’s been stamped over and over with an inked rubber stamp.

First, open up a new image in the size paper you prefer (8x10, 8.5x11, or 12x12), and fill with your color of choice.  I also like to add a little noise to the paper as well to give it a bit of a textured look, choose Effect/Noise/Add Noise and select the amount of noise you want to add in the command box.  I’ve included my settings in the example graphic below.

Then you’ll need to choose the shape you want to stamp onto your paper.  I use the shape tool, and with the settings as shown in the sample below, chose a custom shape from your collection.  You can chose one of the shapes that comes with the program, or a shape that you have altered and added to the gallery.  I’m going to chose this star.

Now zoom up on your paper so that you can see what you’re doing, and add the shape

Now you want to make your shape appear broken, as if it was stamped on.  To achieve this, you open the Easy Palette, choose the Gallery Icon, and scroll down to Type Gallery as shown below.

In the Type Gallery, scroll down until you get to the Seal option.  Then right click your mouse on one of the settings and choose Modify Properties and Apply.

It doesn’t really matter which of the seals you choose, as it will open up a window in which you can adjust the color and pressure to where you want them.

As you can see in the graphic above, you will be able to set your color, and using the slider on the pressure setting, add as much “ink” as you want.  The higher the pressure, the more “solid” the stamp will be.  When you get the effect you want, select OK.

I like to adjust the transparency as well, to fade out the ink look a little.  To do this, make sure the stamp is selected with the pick tool, and add some transparency.

Add more stamps by either repeating the steps above, or using Edit/Copy, Edit/Paste under pointer, and then flipping, resizing, or rotating until you have the desired result. 

And here is the finished paper!