Embellish / Flourish / Floral / Swirl Preset Shapes for PSP

Pen tool and PSP shapes

You can also modify the actual shape (if a vector) by using the pen tool. The pen tool, like many of the tools in PSP, offers many different settings and features. You can modify the individual points or select a number of points and modify them in one go (such as selecting 5 points and moving all the points).

You can also use the pen tool and select multiple points and then apply a rotation or skew etc to the points. This works also with a single point but instead you will see the anchor points rotate skew or rotate - which can also create some interesting shape designs.

To apply the rotate, skew etc - you must select the transformation type and then set the value for the transformation type and then click the little tick mark on the pen tool options. Drawing mode also offers many interesting features to add additional segments and distortions to a vector shape.

The knife tool can also take away points. The duplicate selected option offers an interesting way to create multiple shapes from the selected paths separated by a uniform distance. The object menu > edit and node etc offers additional ways of manipulating the selected vector PSP shape.

PSP shapes and picture tubes and conversion

You can use the PSP shape file as a source for a picture tube. Apply the design as a vector, add whatever materials you wish to the design, and then use the layer > convert to raster layer command. Delete the background raster layer, leaving you only with the actual shape design. File > export > picture tube, give the tube a name and then go to the PSP picture tube tool and select the PSP shape design from the palette.

Selections > from vector object and Paint Shop Pro shapes

One very useful command is the selections > from vector object. Do this before you convert the design to a raster and merge all as the shape design can keep its selection - allowing for various effects to be applied only to the PSP shape area and not the entire layer as would normally happen.

Vector transformations: PSP shapes

The vector shape can be distorted by the standard PSP transformation tools. Select the shape using the object selection tool and then you can scale the entire shape, rotate the shape design (via the center point); hold the shift key down and you can skew the design (or slant); hold the control down and perspective can be applied; shift and control applies a free transform.