Picture Tubes (PSP) for Paint Shop Pro

How to install picture tubes in PaintShop Pro

The TUB or psptube files are installed in the folder designated for tubes, and are loaded on startup of the tool into the cache.

To find the location for the PSP tubes, go to the file > preferences > file locations (in PSP) and use that folder, you can also add your own user location for the tubes via that panel.

How to access the tubes in PSP ?

Use the designs to paint on images, use as much or as little as required. The brushes are all accessed via picture tubes tool. The picture tubes tool can be accessed via the Paint Shop Pro toolbox. Many different tubes settings are available and these are listed below (such as scaling)

PSP Tubes and Backgrounds

Use the designs as backgrounds, use them to fill selections as well as the entire Paint Shop Pro document. Use the layers and combine the tube filled layers in 1000s of different ways.

Source / tubes for Paint Shop Pro

Use the designs as a source for effects, a number of the filters accept input from various file formats such as TIFF and psptube or TUB format.

The tubes can also be used as a source for many other things such as patterns

Picture tubes frames and Paint Shop Pro

Use them in frames, either as a free flowing edge or use the selection tools to limit the range of the brush stroke

Picture tubes options panel for PSP

Access the designs (embellish, spirals, Christmas etc) files via the PSP tubes tool and picture tubes palette/browser. The tubes panel offers a number of settings such as the step and scaling of the picture tube as well as the selection of all the PSP tubes found in the tubes path for PSP

Scaling picture PSP tubes

PSP Tubes can be scaled and modified in many ways, apply the designs as a sprinkling or re-size above 100% to fill the image with amazing colorful designs

Picture tubes spacing

Change the picture tube's step size to create splatters of designs in Paint Shop Pro or oozing paint.

Jitter PSP tubes

The designs can be applied in a continuous stroke (default setting) or you can apply in a randomized manner. Display the tool options for the Paint Shop Pro tool and set the placement mode to 'randomized'

Photoshop and PSP picture tubes

If you have splat!, a plugin tool from Alien Skin (though I am not sure of the availability of the plugin now, it probably can still be found), the plugin adds a splat plug-in to Photoshop (as well as other software) to apply frames and backgrounds etc in a variety of styles (seamless etc); also it offers a basic import of the tube format into Photoshop and the tube can then be used as a layer or design within that application.

The tube can then be a great source for Photoshop brushes, patterns etc as well as an element of designs. The splat! plugin is available for the PC MAC OSX so you can then use the tubes on the MAC (useful as Paint Shop Pro is not available for the MAC, sadly)

PhotoImpact™ and PSP tubes

You can also import many of the tubes directly into Ulead PhotoImpact ™. The designs can then be re-colored and manipulated in a variety of ways. The TUB files can then be re-colored, pressure to apply opacity, etc

Python and picture tubes scripts

Use the picture tubes and scripts via Python, apply, apply effects, re-apply more tubes and more in zillions of creative ways

PSP Fills / patterns

Use the picture tubes to create fills or patterns. They can be used as a fill either by adding the tubes files to the patterns folder OR by using the tubes to create a design by using either a single dab or multiple dabs of the tube (or varying the tubes). To create a pattern design, avoid the edges of the document.

You might find a third party plugin useful in creating seamless designs (plugins exist on various sites of the web). The Andrew's plugins also include a tile setting which might be of use

Picture frames in PSP

Or use the picture tubes as a source for a picture frame: create a selection, invert, apply tubes, promote, delete original background and export as a picture frame.

Selection / picture tubes

Use selections and the designs to create unique layers and frames for export or use in Paint Shop Pro

How to use the picture tubes as a bump map ?

Simply add the psptube or TUB file to the preset folder for the bump map / environmental maps (to find the installation location go to the preferences section in PSP

Masks / picture tubes

The Paint Shop Pro picture tube file can also be placed in the 'masks' folder and then loaded via the layers->load mask (file) and using different create masks from options, the tube can be applied to an image as a mask / frame.

Colorful tubes and re-coloring picture tubes

All the PSP designs are super colorful however they are created with a basic color. You can change the default color. You can either change the color after it has been applied by using various color settings within PSP (adjust menu); it is perhaps easier to apply the tubes to a layer and then adjust the hue etc as this will not affect any other element of the current document.

If you wish to apply a more permanent change to the picture tube such as changing a blue tube into a red tube, you can always just edit the original picture tubes document and then re-save the tube (you can also duplicate the design and save a new tube file). Some software such as PhotoImpact can change the picture tube color directly via a palette, sadly that feature is not available to PSP

Paint Shop Pro - Custom brush and tubes

Use the designs as a source for a new custom brush. Open the picture tube file and then select the custom brush tool and the options for the brush. Either select part or the entire tube and then click the create new custom brush button. The brush can then be used throughout Paint Shop Pro such as a smear brush or paint brush etc

Layers and picture tubes

Paint on layers and manipulate the picture tubes in many different ways. Transform the layer, apply different effects, duplicate, change the blending mode of the layer (and the picture tube)