Plug-ins/filters are filters that enable Paint Shop Pro's image processing to apply varying effects to an image. Many effects can be obtained in Paint Shop Pro without the use of third party plugins/filters, however there are many good plugins/filters that will save you countless steps to achieve the same effects. Paint Shop Pro can read image file formats if the appropriate import filters are installed on your system. Adobe-compatible is the Windows standard for image processing filters.

There are many plugin/filters that are Adobe compatible and PSP compatible. Cost can be a large factor on which ones you may want to try. There are over 2,000 "Free" plugins/filters available for download on the Internet.

There are many online tutorials that use plugins/filters and though this is not the final word or authority on Plugins/Filters it is a simple introduction to managing, installing/uninstalling and using them.

 

Plugins/Filter Management

There are three basic methods to install your plugins/filters, but, before you start installing any plugins or filters, you need to think about how you want to manage them. There are many good reasons for managing plugins like you would any software that you would install on your hard drive. Management includes factors like the amount of available resources on your system, frequency of use and uninstalling (if and when desired or necessary).

 

Installing Plugins/Filters

  • In Paint Shop Pro

I would not recommend this method unless you are only going to have a couple of plugins that you are not going to uninstall.

  1. Make a new sub folder in your Paint Shop Pro Folder and name it - Plugins.

  2. Create and name a sub folder for each plugin you install.

  3. Unzip the plugin into the Plugins folder for each plug-in you install in Paint Shop Pro.

Example: C:/Paint Shop Pro/Plugins/Eye Candy

Now you must tell Paint Shop Pro where (the path) the plugins are located so that they will load when you start up Paint Shop Pro.

 

Paint Shop Pro 6 Users

Open Paint Shop Pro 6

Select File>Preferences>General Program Preferences>Plug-in Filters.

Make sure that you have the first three boxes checked.

Make sure that Folder 1 shows the correct path of your Paint Shop Pro Plugins folder.

Click OK

 

Paint Shop Pro 7 Users

Open Paint Shop Pro 7

Select File>Preferences>File Locations>Plug-in Filters.

Make sure that you have the first three boxes checked.

Make sure that Folder 1 shows the correct path of your Paint Shop Pro Plugins folder.

Click OK

You will need to open PSP, open an image, select Effects>Plugin Filters to see that plugins you have installed. If you encounter a dll error then you will need to load the .dll's provided in the lesson resources into your c:\windows folder.

  • Outside Paint Shop Pro

I would recommend this method if you are going to have more than a few of plugins. They are much easier to manage, uninstall (if necessary) and will use less Paint Shop Pro resources loading.

  1. Make a new folder on your C: drive and name it - Plugins.

  2. Create and name a sub folder for each plugin you install.

  3. Unzip the plugin into the Plugins folder for each plug-in you install.

  Example: C:/Plugins/Eye Candy

Now you must tell Paint Shop Pro where (the path) the plugins are located so that they will load when you start up Paint Shop Pro.

 

Paint Shop Pro 6 Users

Open Paint Shop Pro 6

Select File>Preferences>General Program Preferences>Plug-in Filters.

Make sure that you have the first three boxes checked.

Make sure that Folder 2 shows the correct path of the plugins Outside Paint Shop Pro.

Click OK

 

Paint Shop Pro 7 Users

Open Paint Shop Pro 7

Select File>Preferences>File Locations>Plug-in Filters.

Make sure that you have the first three boxes checked.

Make sure that Folder 2 shows the correct path of the plugins outside of Paint Shop Pro.

Click OK

You will need to open PSP, open an image, select Effects>Plugin Filters to see that plugins you have installed. If you encounter a dll error then you will need to load the .dll's provided in the lesson resources into your c:\windows folder.

  • Plug in Managers

Plug in managers provide additional options to manage, view and even create some of your own pre-sets. They convert the plugins to their database which has its down and upsides.

Once a plugin manager has converted a plugin into it's database it is no longer necessary to keep the original plugin installed on your hard drive, thus freeing up disk space. So, once the plugin manager has converted a plugin, then go delete the plugin from your hard drive. Now here is the downside, if you were to lose the plugin managers database then you will have to start over from the original zip files. Therefore, it is a real good idea to save all the plugin - zip files in a separate file preferably on a floppy.

There may be some plugins that can not be converted, such as Eye Candy, Blade Pro, Xenofex and about a dozen other plugins.

You want your plugin Manager available as you work in Paint Shop Pro, so install your plugin Manager just as you would a plugin, either in Paint Shop Pro or outside Paint Shop Pro as previously discussed.

 

Lesson Plan

Now that we have covered the basics of plugins/filters you are ready to go have some fun. Here are three (3) online tutorials, each will have the links that you will need to get the plugins. Please submit at least one tutorial result to the group or you can submit one for each tutorial.

You may want to play with a few plugins on y our own, or you can try there (there are a TON Of free filters available - try a google search for free PSP plugins - these are just to get you started)

Simple FIlters

Primus (a simplifed FREE version of Blade Pro - follow directions for registration code)

 

 

You can do anything you like, use any image you like and you can use any plugin or filter. Be creative, but, please use the basics of the tutorials.

PSP 7 

  1. Simple and VM Filters Plaid Tiles - http://www.whisperscorner.com/tuts/dplaid/

  2. Eye Candy Carve Text - http://www.tut.pspug.org/tutfilters/eyecandy3_1.htm

PSP 8

  1. Simple- Country Stitched Tiles - http://www.prestigiousdames.com/ronni/tiles2/index4.html

  2. Eye Candy Frame - http://suzshook.topcities.com/tutorials/swirlyjig/8index.htm

PSP 7&8

  1. Sinedotts II Seamless Background - http://www.cathyscorner2.com/tutorials/sinedots/index.html 

     

Bonus Tutorial

 

IF you have time & IF you want to, these are more plugin tutorials - NOT required!!

 

Lesson Resources

You may find that you download a plugin that does not work properly and you will get an error message about the .dll files. Here are the two .dll's that you will need to unzip:

Make sure you have the Plugin.dll and Msvcrt10.dll in the correct Windows folder. 
 

  • Windows 98 - Unzip into your C:\Windows\System folder

  • Windows ME - Unzip the Plugin.dll into your C:\Windows folder AND into your plugins folder. Unzip the Msvcrt10.dll into your C:\Windows\System folder

  • Windows 2000 - Unzip into your C:\WINNT\System folder

  • Windows XP - Unzip into your C:\Windows\System32 folder

 

About Eye Candy 3

Eye Candy Special Edition was offered by Alien Skin quite a while ago and is now hard to find since Eye Candy 4000 has come out.  It is different from Eye Candy 4000 and lots of great tutorials use it. 

Download Eye Candy 3.0:  http://www.geocities.com/why2kspace/ or  http://www.planetphotoshop.com/showcase_ec3.html

 

There is always more to know and learn about Adobe Compatible Plugins/Filters. Here are a few online resources that you might find helpful:

 

Lesson Submittal

Please remember to resize your final image so that it is no larger than 350 pixels on the largest/longest side. Please name your results as:

 Your name - plugins1 (for tutorial 1)

Your name - plugins2 (for tutorial 2)

Your name - plugins3 (for tutorial 3)

Submit your results to the group at

http://pspimaginarium.com/forum

 

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All rights reserved.

Unless specifically made available for download, no graphics or text may be removed from this site for any reason without express written permission from PSPImaginarium

Paint Shop Pro is a registered trademark of Jasc Software, Inc., 
Super Blade Pro is a registered trademark of Flaming Pear Software, 
Eye Candy and Xenofex are registered trademarks of Alien Skin Software, LLC.