NQ Designs - Your Graphic Resource

NQDESIGNS.X-TENSHI.COM

PORTFOLIO

RESOURCES

DESIGNS

TUTORIALS

GOODIES

How do I make a Soft Focus?

The Soft Focus effect is such a neat trick, I love using it. It's an effect that I commonly use when I'm not in the mood to spend so-and-so hours making a particular graphic or I've made a graphic or layout but I feel that it's missing something. The soft focus creates a softened picture of the original but with a nice glow. The great thing about it is it doesn't make the image look blurry like most softening effects. Here's how you go about creating a soft focus.

Required Programs:
1.Paint Shop Pro (any other program that has layers may work)
2.Scanner

Step #1: Create a new blank Raster Image

Start out with a blank Image in your Paint Shop Pro. For this demonstration I will be using the picture below.

Step #2: Experiment, if you like

Now just go crazy! Add some brushes, some text. Give it a border. Make it into a layout for your website, guild, shop, userlookup, whatever. Or just leave it as it is. Do whatever you want to it. It's your graphic. Just experiment because no matter what funky elements you use, it'll all balance out with the Soft Focus... most of the time. Look at mine.

Not bad. However, it does look like something's amiss, no? Time to add the Soft Focus.

Step #3: Choose the Soft Focus Effect

If you used layers to make your graphic like I did, you must merge all your layers into one single layer. To merge all your layers go to Layers > Merge > Merge All (Flatten). Once everything is all on one layer, go to Adjust > Softness > Soft Focus... A dialog box will pop up. Change the Softness [%], Edge importance [%], Amount [%], Halo size [%], and Halo visibility [%] so that it resembles the information in the picture below. Click ok when you're done. It may take a few seconds for the Soft Focus to take effect.