SnagIt Learning Center

SnagIt 9 Tutorial:

Funky 3D Cutout Stamps

Funky looking stamps with (or without) cutouts in them make unusual and interesting accents for your scrapbook pages, screen captures, and more.

About this Project

• Estimated time to complete this tutorial is 15 minutes.
• This tutorial does not demonstrate how to take a screen capture. To learn how to do this, see the Snagit online help.

What you Need to Get Started

You will need the following in order to successfully complete this tutorial.

• Snagit 9.0. If you do not have Snagit 9.0, you can download a copy here.
• An image(s) to use to create the stamp(s). To get started, download and use these free Funky Stamp Patterns. Unzip these to a folder you specify.
• The image(s) you want to use should be open in Snagit Editor’s Open Captures Tray.

Skill Level: Intermediate

This tutorial is suitable for intermediate users of Snagit. Knowledge of downloading and unzipping a file, using the ribbon tabs, copying and pasting, and saving files within Editor is required.

Let's Get Started: Creating Funky Cutout Stamps

The following section takes you through this tutorial step-by-step. To be successful, do not skip any steps.

This is the image used in this tutorial.

Expand the Canvas to Create Work Space

1. Maximize Editor and close the Search Pane if it is open.
2. With the image open that you will use to create your stamps, drag the canvas handle to the right to create plenty of white space. This is the work area.
   Note: As you work, you may need to keep making the canvas work space larger to accommodate all of your stamp images.)
   

Draw and Move the Stamps to the Work Area

1. In the Draw tab > select Drawing Tools group > Selection tool. In the Quick Styles Gallery, choose the selection shape that works best for cutting out the first stamp.
   
   To create free form letters, use the Freehand tool. When creating these, they don’t have to be perfect – it’s the imperfections that make these funky and unique.
   
2. Once the outline is drawn, Press <CTRL> on the keyboard and drag the stamp over to the work space. Click on the canvas to deselect the stamp.
   
3. Repeat this process for each stamp you want to create.
   Note: Leave enough space between the shapes to make a square or rectangular selection.

Add the Cutouts

Note: If you do not want to use cutouts in the stamps, skip this process.

Now you will add the cutout accents to the stamp image. These areas will be transparent in the final stamp.

Use a variety of drawing tools to create the white space. Tools might include the freehand pen, lines, arrows, and shapes.

• The tools you use should have the Shadow turned off:
  In the Draw tab > select Drawing Tools group > (pick a tool) > Effects button > Shadow > No Shadow.
• The tools you use should have Create as Vector option turned off:
  In the Draw tab > select Drawing Tools group > (pick a tool) > Effects button > Create As Vector. Click on the option to turn it off. When off, no checkmark is present.
• Make sure you select white as the color for the tool:
  In the Draw tab > select Drawing Tools group > (pick a tool) > Outline button > White.
• To change the width of the tool you are using:
  In the Draw tab > select Drawing Tools group > (pick a tool) > Outline button > Width option > Select width.

Here is how our stamp images turned out.

Apply Transparency

1. In the Image tab, select Modify group > Color Effects button > Transparent Color.
2. If you are prompted to change to 256 colors, choose Yes. The Transparent Color dialog box appears.
3. Enable the Use Transparent Color option.
4. Click the Eyedropper tool.
5. Click on the image’s white background.
6. Click Close.

Select and Save the Stamps

1. In the Draw tab > select Drawing Tools group > Selection tool.
2. In the Quick Styles Gallery, choose the Rectangle selection tool.
3. Draw a selection around the first image to be saved as a stamp.
   
4. Right-click the selection. From the menu, select Save Selection As.
5. The Save As dialog box appears. Enter a file name, select GIF as the file type, and click Save.
   
6. Repeat steps 2-5 for the remaining images.
7. When you have finished saving the images as GIF files, close the image.

Add to Quick Styles Gallery as a Stamp

1. In the Draw tab, select Drawing Tools group > Stamp tool.
2. In the Draw tab, select Styles group > click the More button.
   
3. At the bottom of the gallery, click Organize Stamps. The Organize Stamps dialog box appears.
4. Click the Add Category button.
   
5. Enter a name for the new stamp category.
   
6. Click the Add button.
   
7. Browse and select all of the GIF images you just saved.
8. Click Close. The transparent stamp images will now be available in the Stamp Quick Styles Gallery in the category you created.

Congratulations! You have just learned how to create artistic stamps from a vintage graphic.

Variations

Here’s a look at more stamps you can create using different shapes, shadow colors, and shadow placement.