Back when I first started using a computer, I had a copy of Paint Shop Pro that I used simply for editing photos. When I had updated to using Windows, I also used Paint Shop Pro for Windows. I think it was version 4 or something. I had no idea what the program did other than resize photos!
I met a woman on-line in a non-graphic Yahoo group who had really cute graphics in her emails. I asked her about them and she told me she made them with Paint Shop Pro. That was in 2001. I already had Paint Shop Pro version 7 on my computer, I found some free lessons at PSP Imaginarium (I don't know if it exists any more) but even those basic lessons were Greek to me. I bought a book that was entitled something like "24 hours to learn Paint Shop Pro". This gave me the very basics and I was able to try the tutorials I found online. From there, I was hooked. I joined a Paint Shop Pro Yahoo group called PSP Made EZ and several others.
I am still a member of PSP Made EZ and I also took lessons on how to tube graphics. I own a few Yahoo groups myself now and I am hooked on anything to do with graphics. The current rage is scrapbooking. Although I don't want a "real" scrapbook, my goal is to create a digital scrapbook of my family tree for my kids and grandkids. All of this is great fun and a way for me to be creative.
The best part about joining Paint Shop Pro groups is the wonderful friends I have met online. I now have friends all over the U.S. and all over the world. Unless you experience this, it is difficult to understand how important these friends are and that they are just like "real-life" friends. For the most part, members of the graphics community love to share and to help you. There is nothing I like better than to share something I have made or learned with others. Nearly all of those I interact with in the groups are the same way. Pretty wonderful, if you ask me!
I have a few tutorials that I have redone for you using the version I have. I have stayed with version 9 of Paint Shop Pro since the newer versions seem to be geared more and more to photography and not creating. Click here to get to the tutorial index.
I have removed the Tubes page due to the fact that some people believe it is their duty in life to police others. I also have been informed that there are others who like to take other people's work, put them on a DVD for sale as a collection. I think both of these examples are wrong. We must respect copyright art absolutely but those who make it their mission in life to harass others who unknowingly (or knowingly!) share graphics or tubes in groups or upload the same to their website need to find an another outlet for their frustrations. I have seen personal attacks on people who freely give of their knowledge by writing tutorials and that is just not right. At the same time, it isn't right to take someone's tutorials, graphics, stationery, etc. and sell it either. Vicious personal attacks and harassment don't solve the problems, however. I have found that a polite request is the best approach. In any event, I want to avoid the whole problem if I can so I do not share my tubes on my website. If you are interested in joining a group that shares tubes, please email me for further information.
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Created by Stephanie; Digital Art by Steph on April 3, 2003. Last updated on October 26, 2007