Fireworks Tutorial #2 - Grunge Background
In this tutorial I'll show you how to create a grungy background that has a header section and a repeating body section. Of course, you can use any source photo that you think is suitable, but I will start with this one, found at stock.xchng. Tthe specific method I'm using here will need to be modified according whatever image you happen to chose, so you might want to use the same one I'm using.
Final Result
Step 1
Open a new canvas set to any size. Import the image, fit the canvas to the image (Ctrl-Alt-F), and rotate it -90 degrees. Modify the image size (Alt-M, C, I) to have whatever your finished width should be. (Constrain the proportions). Mine is 600px, just because I want to work at a reduced size. Here's what I have now.
Step 2
To make any text legible we'll have to reduce the texture and lighten the color. Add a new layer above the current one. Rename the lower layer to "img", then lock it. Rename the top layer to "blends". Draw out a white rectangle, 465px wide and long enough to reach the botom of the image. This is just to effect the content portion of the image, so move the rectangle to x=70, y=60. Set the edge to Feather=20, and change the blend mode to Lighten=80%. It's a bit too white, so change the fill color to #FFFFEE. Here's what you should have.
Step 3
The transition area between the content area and the margins looks too regular, so we'll adjust that. Using the Pen tool, draw out a shape similar to the one below. Set the edges to Feather=20, Change the fill color to #FFCC99.
Now duplicate this shape, slide it over to the right side, and rotate it 180 degrees. Duplicate it again, rotate it 90 degrees, and place it at the top of the image. Give all three shapes a Blend Mode of Multiply=40%. Here's what we have.
Step 4
That looks okay to me, so we'll start creating the two individual final images. Save your work.
Now we'll define the areas to be the header image and the repeating image. Drag a horizontal guide down to y=120. Drag another one down to y=300. Again, these locations will depend on the image you happen to be using.
Export the images. In the dialog when you define the file location and name, be sure to set it to Slice = Slice along Guides, and Current Frame Only. You should wind up with three new images, but you'll only need the top and middle. The top image is ready for use as your header image, but we still need to work on the middle one to create the repeating image.
Step 5
Open a new document of any size and import the newly created middle image. Fit the canvas to the image (Ctrl-Alt-F). Duplicate the image by dragging in downward while holding Ctrl and Alt. The image is 180px high, so set the y coordinate of the newly cuplicated image to 180. Fit the canvas to the images, again. You should have this now.
Clearly the two images don't match very well in the middle, so flip the lower one vertically (Alt-M, R, V). Now the seam is seamless, as shown below (#1), but the replication is too obvious (#2, #3), so we'll patch up the image at those spots. Did I mention that the top and bottom of this image will match seamlessly when it is repeated?
Step 6
Select both images and flatten them (Alt-M, F). Zoom way in to area #2, and with the Polygon Lasso Tool, create a selection of the area that you want to replace. (Be sure the bitmap is selected, or this won't work).
We are going to graft another portion of the image onto this area, using the same shape. Use the Arrow keys to slide the selection to an area to be used for a graft. In this case, upward about 40px and to the left far enough to cover the edge of the paper slightly. Right-click in the middle of the selection, then click on New Bitmap Via Copy. A new bitmap image should show up in your layers panel. Deselect everything, choose the Pointer Tool and select the new bitmap, then slide the graft section down over the original area. You can see the result below. The original area is improved, but some new replication was created. (Many times it is easier than this).
Select both bitmaps and flatten them. By repeating this grafting process, for example on the little dot in this image and on the area at #3, you can extract some of the repeating characteristics while leaving others. Don't forget, there are numerous ways to create bitmap selections, and before you flatten the graft images, you can rotate or flip them.
Done.
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