Vector CD – Create Your Own Preset Shape

The regular CD or

the CD with transparent center.

Written by Jo Dee

You are not allowed to copy or print this tutorial, nor to place it on a web site.

You may print one copy for your use and your family’s use.

You may link to this tutorial.

You may use your results as you see fit as long as it is not used in an inappropriate manner (such as pornography, hate, etc.)

This lesson is copyrighted to GreensAndPinks.com.

While this tutorial may take quite some time, it is really quite easy to do. I wrote this tutorial to help you understand the use of gradients in vectors. Gradients help make objects look more realistic. This tutorial will also help you learn to save a vector shape you make as a Preset Shape, so you can use it over and over again at different sizes without loss in quality.

I used Paint Shop Pro 9 for this tutorial, however, you should be able to use version 8 and above as well.

This tutorial assumes you have some knowledge of Paint Shop Pro and will not go into things like how to select a layer in your layer palette, how to create a new layer, how to duplicate a layer, etc. We will be using vectors for this tutorial and will save your result as a Preset Shape for later use.

1. Open a new transparent image, 400 x 400.
I like to work with the larger size as it is easier to see what you are making. You can always resize later, without losing any clarity, since we are using vectors.

NOTE: All steps should have the foreground set as null, retain style (for the shape) should NOT be checked, and anti-alias should be checked. We will use only the circle (ellipse) preset shape. It is best if you use the actual preset shape, not the “quick” shape. Either will work in this tutorial, unless you choose to do the transparent hole feature. If you are in PSP 8, you will have to check the “create as vector” box. SAVE often.

2. Create the base of the CD.
Select your ellipse preset shape, in PSP 9 you can specifically select the circle. You will need to create a new gradient. Click on the Background Color. In the Material Properties window that pops up, click on the “Gradient” tab. Below the current gradient, click on the Edit button. In the Gradient Editor window, select “New” to create a new gradient. Choose any name you would like for this (CD_base or whatever.)

You will have two little “pens” showing in the “Gradient” section of the window. Click on the pen at the left. Check to make sure the location is 0%. You need to change this color. You can do this by clicking on the rectangle below the Location box and to the right of the Custom box. Select color: #c0c0c0 and choose OK.

You will now need to add another pen. Click to the right of the pen you just changed. Either move this pen to location 20% or type 20 in the Location box. Change this pen’s color to white (#ffffff) by choosing the color rectangle like you did for the previous pen.

Continue adding pens and the colors as above for the following locations:

40% – #c0c0c0

63% – white (#ffffff)

Move the pen on the right to location 89% and make this pen’s color #c0c0c0. Select the Close button and when it asks if you want to save the changes, select Yes.

Back in the Material Properties box, you should have your new gradient shown. Select the Radial style, make sure Invert is NOT selected, angle 0, repeats 0, Horizontal and Vertical 50, no texture.

Draw a circle, starting near the upper left corner, 340 x 340. Then center it in the canvas (Objects, Align, Center in Canvas – we will be using this quite a bit in this tutorial.)

Name your vector layer (probably says New Ellipse.)

Select None (Ctrl-D) and SAVE.
You need to do the Select None, otherwise your selected shape will be changed to the new background you select. If you forget to Select None, just undo and then Select None.

Optional: If you want to have a transparent “hole” in the center, you will need to do these optional items in each step.

Change your background color to white (it doesn’t matter if you change it or not, nor does it matter what color, changing it just makes it easier to see.) Draw a circle 100 x 100. Change to the pen tool. Right click on your small circle. In the menu that pops up, click on “Convert to path”. In PSP 8, I believe you can skip the “Convert to path” thing. Then right click, Edit/Reverse Path. Right click, Edit/Select All. Right click, Edit/Cut.

Select your large circle. Right click and “Convert to Path.” Then right click, Edit/Paste. You’ll see a “hole” in your large circle. Move this “circle/hole” to the center (the Center in Canvas doesn’t work.)

Select None (Ctrl-D) and SAVE.

3. Create the “rainbow” that reflects off the CD.
If you are doing the “transparent center”, go to the Optional section in this step first. *Again we will be creating a new gradient. Click on the background, gradient tab, Edit, and New as we did for the CD base. Name it. Just as we added pens and colors, do so again with pens and colors for these locations:

0% – #c0c0c0

8% – white (#ffffff)

15% – #c0ffff (light blue)

22% – #c0c0c0

30% – white (#ffffff)

37% – #c0c0ff (light purple)

43% – #ffc0ff (pink)

53% – #c0c0c0

60% – white (#ffffff)

64% – #ffc0c0 (light peach)

71% – #c0c0c0

80% – #ffffc0 (light yellow)

84% – white (#ffffff)

88% – #c0ffc0 (light green)

100% – #c0c0c0

Now we will set the opacity for all to 25%.

Below your colored “pens” is the transparency section. Click on the first pen. It should be at location 0%. To the left of the location, enter 25 in the Opacity box. Now click on the pen on the right, which should be at location 100%. Change the opacity for this pen to 25, also.

Select Close and then Yes to save the changes to your gradient.

Choose the same settings as for your base in the Material Properties:
Radial style, make sure Invert is NOT selected, angle 0, repeats 0, Horizontal and Vertical 50,
no texture.
If you are doing the transparent hole option, click on OK in your Vector Property window.
Name your layer, Select None (Ctrl-D), SAVE, and continue to Step 4.

Draw another circle the same size (340 x 340) and then center it in the canvas. This will place it right on top of your base (Objects, Align, Center in Canvas.)

Name your layer.

Select None (Ctrl-D) and SAVE.

Optional: Click on your CD base in the Layer Palette. Make sure it is in the Layer Palette, not your work area. Right click, in the Layer Palette, on your CD base layer. Select “Copy” from the menu that pops up. Right click in the Layer Palette again, select, “Paste New Vector Selection.” Center the object in the canvas (Objects, Align, Center in Canvas.) Double click on this new layer in your Layer Palette. Click on the “Fill” box in the Vector Property window that pops up. Return to the instructions for this step at the * to continue.

4. Make that shiny band near the center.
I have no idea what it’s called, but it’s always there, so we’ll make it, and we’ll make another gradient. Click on the background, gradient tab, Edit, and New as we did for the CD base. Name it.
Just as we added pens and colors, do so again with pens and colors for these locations:

0% – #b3b4b7 (a gray)

6% – white (#ffffff)

16% – #b3b4b7

28% – #b3b4b7

48% – white (#ffffff)

69% – #b3b4b7

79% – #b3b4b7

94% – white (#ffffff)

100% – #b3b4b7

Leave the transparency at 100%. Close and save the changes.

In the Material Properties, change the style to Linear. Keep the angle and repeats set at 0.

Draw another circle 110 x 110 and again center it in the canvas.

Name your layer.

Select None (Ctrl-D) and SAVE.

Optional: for the transparent “hole” in the center.

Change your background color to white. Draw a circle 95 x 95. Change to the pen tool. Right click on your small circle. In the menu that pops up, click on “Convert to path”. Then right click, Edit/Reverse Path. Right click, Edit/Select All. Right click, Edit/Cut.

Select your “shiny” circle you just made in this step. Right click and “Convert to Path.” Then right click, Edit/Paste. You’ll see a “hole”. Move this “circle/hole” to the center (the Center in Canvas doesn’t work.)

Select None (Ctrl-D) and SAVE.

5. Make another embellishment on the CD. I don’t know what to call this.
It is normally transparent on CDs. If you are doing the “transparent center”, go to the Optional section in this step. This one is easy as you don’t have to make a gradient! Make your background color white (#ffffff) and draw a circle 95 x 95.
Center it in the canvas.

Name your layer.

Select None (Ctrl-D) and SAVE.

Optional: for the transparent part just outside the center.

You need to make a gradient, but it’s an easy one. Click on the background, gradient tab, Edit, and New as we did for the CD base. Name it. Just as we changed pen colors, do so again. Both pens should be changed to white.

Change the transparency at Location 0% and Location 100% to 30. Close and save the changes.

Draw a circle 95 x 95. Center it in the canvas.

Name your layer.

Select None (Ctrl-D) and SAVE.

6. Make the hole in the center of the CD.
If you are doing the optional transparency, skip to the optional instructions. Another easy one. Make the background color black (#000000) and draw a circle 50 x 50.
Center it in the canvas.

Name your layer.

Select None (Ctrl-D) and SAVE.

Optional: for the hole in the center. Change your background color to white. Draw a circle 50 x 50. Select the pen tool, right click, Convert to path, right click, Edit/Reverse Path, right click, Edit/Select All, right click, Edit/Cut.

Select your white semi-transparent layer. Right click, Edit/Paste. Center the “hole” in the CD.

Select None (Ctrl-D) and SAVE.

7. Save it as a preset shape. You may resize if you wish.

You need to group all your vector shape layers together. Select them all by clicking on one of the vector shape layers, then Select All by either right clicking on it and choose Select All, or using Ctrl-A. You can also hold your shift key down and select each one individually. Once they are all selected, you can right click on one of the layers and choose Group. They will now be all grouped together, probably with the name Group 1.

NOTE: When naming your preset shapes and file, you may want to use your initials or name with the description, so you and others are able to readily identify it as your own. For example, I may call mine jodee_CD.

Rename the group to however you want it shown in your preset shapes.

Now export your shape (File, Export, Shape.)
You will be asked to name your file. Do so and hit OK.

You are all done! I hope you enjoyed doing this and learning how to use gradients with your
vectors.

When you use your preset shape, be sure the “Retain Style” box is checked. To keep the roundness, hold down the shift key when you are drawing your preset shape. Make them in any size and see how well the quality is maintained.