Draw Your Own Bubble Letters

Before starting, please read this popup preface...notes about tutorial format, etc.

With this 'Creative Lettering' tutorial we'll be drawing our own alphabet letters instead of using a font. The 'bubble letters' we'll be creating are all pretty simple to create using the vector tools in Paint Shop Pro. There are many fun uses for these fat, stylized letter shapes and it's also very good node editing practice!

Because these letter shapes are much larger and much simpler in construction than a font would normally be, they are well suited for use as scrapbook cutouts and photo frames or mats, as patterns for wooden wall letters or hand-painted murals, for ABC quilt patterns, for making an alphabet teaching book from fabric, or as a pattern for wood or polymer clay picture frames. You can also get creative with your image editing and make a scenic composition by placing a panoramic photo inside a word made with the bubble letters. Steps for creating such a framed photo will be described near end of tutorial.

Use letters alone or as collage, photo frame or photo mat.

This project is suitable for an advanced beginner, which I define as someone who is familiar enough with Paint Shop Pro to know where to find the basic commands and tools but still feel a need to have a tutorial to guide them through a project. If you are very new to using vectors, you might want to try doing an introductory tutorial such as 'Bug with Boots' before trying this tutorial.

The following steps describe the tools found in Paint Shop Pro version X. You can get a demo of PSP X from Corel.com. Nearly any version of PSP that has vector tools could be used, however, name and location of tools/commands will be slightly different.

Step 2. Create These Large, Chubby Letters

Let's get started! Open new image, 400x400 pixels (or larger). If you want to make very large letters to use for wall mural or something similar, first practice making them the size we're using here! Warning! If you want to make the entire alphabet, plan on doing this tutorial in 2 or more sessions. You can get very tired trying to make all 26 letters at one sitting! Optionally, you could follow the basic steps to start with...then continue with only those letters you need for a specific name/word.

Use either colored raster background or transparent vector. Your choice. Having a transparent background for your finished image is useful, however I find the checkerboard pattern distracting during creation, so I often start with a white raster background. When drawing is complete, I simply delete (or hide) the raster layer. The result is a vector drawing with a transparent background.

Generally, we'll only be using 3 tools with this tutorial, the Preset Shapes too, the Pen tool and the Pick tool.

Select shapes with the Pick tool or Pen tool.
The Pick tool can select a shape to move or deform. It cannot select nodes.
The Pen tool can select objects, nodes and draw new shapes. To select more than one node at a time, hold down Shift key while selecting nodes.

The Preset Shape tool can draw closed shapes. All letters will be based on the ellipse shape, which has 4 'symmetric' nodes. Some letters will need additional nodes added in order to shape the letter.

Node Types:
Symmetric nodes create smooth, flowing curves. Adjustments to a control arm will create the same amount of curve on each side of node.
Asymmetric nodes also create smooth curves, but adjustments to control arm will create a different amount of curve on each side of the node.

Outline: All 'bubble' letters will have a black outline. Because these letters are intended to be quite large, I have used a wide outline (3 pixel width). If you are making your letters smaller, you might want to also reduce the width of the outline.

Colors: Select any color you like for the fill color. Make every letter the same or make them all different. You could also use a pattern fill or gradient fill, but I recommend creating with a solid color first and then change fill type later by changing Vector Properties.

Step 3. Changing Properties & Naming Layers

Vector Property dialog box

We'll be creating each letter of alphabet on a new layer, so let's take the time now to re-name the vector layer just created. Just like anything else in PSP, there's a number of different ways you can rename a layer. Four options are listed below....choose your favorite.

1. Double-click the layer button on the Layer Palette and the 'Layer Properties' dialog box will pop up allowing you to rename layer and change other properties. Note: If you double-click a sub-layer, the 'Vector Property' dialog box will appear instead of 'Layer Properties'. The 'Vector Property' dialog is shown above. This is the dialog we'll use to change the fill colors and other properties for each letter.
2. Click directly on the text of the existing layer name and it will be highlighted, allowing you to typeover and enter 'A; for layer name.
3. Right click the layer button and select 'Rename'. Layer name will be highlighted, allowing you to typeover and enter 'A; for layer name.
4. From the main menu select Layers»Properties and the 'Layer Properties' dialog box will pop up allowing you to rename primary layer (and change other properties).

To rename a sub-layer: Use method 1, 2 or 3 above, plus this additional method.
With the Pick tool active, select the 'Properties' icon from the Tool Options palette. The 'Vector Property' dialog box will appear with the layer name highlighted, allowing you to typeover and enter 'A' for layer name.

Now that we have that out of the way, let's get back to creating the first letter.

Step 4. The Letter A Starts with Ellipse Preset Shape

To create the letter A, we start by drawing an ellipse. Select Ellipse from the Preset Shapes tool and draw a large oval in center of canvas.

Colors: Black outline, fill color of your choice. I will use red for this first letter.

Tool options: Ellipse, Show Nodes, Create on Vector, Line Style Solid, Width 3, Anti-Alias checked.

Letter size is optional. I am making a shape that fills less than half the canvas area...this will leave plenty of 'elbow room'.

Select ellipse, right click, select 'convert to path'.

Select center bottom node and move it UP to create sort of a boomerang shape.

Select node on left side and rotate the control arm (node handle) until it is horizontal. Drag this node down and to the right a little until it creates the left leg of the letter A (refer to node locations in above image). Select node on right side of ellipse, rotate control arm until it is horizontal and drag it to bottom to create the right leg of the A. Fine tune placement of nodes until you have a nice, fat A shape.

For nice smooth curves, keep all node handles perfectly horizontal and centered on it's part of the letter. We'll put the 'hole' in it next.

Step 5. Add center hole to A by subtracting shape

To create the center 'hole' of the A, we need to create a circle shape and subtract that circle from the A shape. First, de-select the A shape. Create new vector shape as follows.

Ellipse Tool
Colors: Black outline. no fill.
Tool options: Circle, Show Nodes, Create on Vector, Line Style Solid, Width 3, Anti-Alias checked.

Note: If your A-shape changed when you changed color palette....you forgot to deselect that shape first!

The 2 shapes are now combined and the circle 'hole' has been subtracted from the A.

On the A layer of your Layer Palette, there is a sub-layer named 'new ellipse' that is blank. This is a leftover from the circle shape that was cut. For sake of neatness, you can remove this sub-layer by right-clicking the layer on Layer Palette and selecting 'Clear'. (Click the + next to button for A layer to reveal the sub-layers. Click again to hide sub-layers.)

Step 6. Use Grid to Make All Letters Same Size

Create letter B the same size as letter A.

Create a new layer by clicking the tiny arrow next to the new layer icon on the Layer Palette and select 'New Vector Layer'. The 'New Vector Layer' dialog box will pop up...enter B for layer name.

On B layer, we'll draw ellipse in middle of canvas that is about same size as letter A.

You can make your bubble letters very freeform and approximate the size or you can make each letter fit into a specific dimension.

Hide A layer. Now that we have a size guide, we can hide visibility of A layer. Click the 'eye' icon on Layer Palette to hide layer. As we create each new layer for each new letter, we will hide visibility for previous letter. Keeping previous layer hidden is not only less distracting, it will also keep the tools from accidentally selecting part of the previous letter.

Step 7. B starts with ellipse...then we add a node.

B shape requires 5 nodes

In previous step we created a new vector layer named B. On that layer draw a new ellipse preset shape.

Edit the ellipse to create the shape of letter B.

Pen Tool-Edit Mode: Select ellipse, right click, convert to path.

The B is made very similar to the A, except for a couple of added steps. The ellipse preset shape has 4 symmetric nodes. Use the Pen tool to drag 2 of the existing nodes so they are positioned on the left side of the ellipse. These will become the top left and bottom left corners of the B. Then drag the 2 remaining nodes so they are on the right side of the ellipse. We end up with a mis-shapen rounded-corner box shape as shown above.

To shape a B however, we'll need 5 nodes, not 4. So next step is to add a node. We also need to change the Node Type so we have 3 asymmetric nodes and 2 symmetric.

Add a node between the 2 right-side nodes by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking the line segment when +ADD appears next to cursor. This new node should be asymmetric. Right click the node and select Node Type to verify. The current node type will be the one that is grayed out.

Change Node Type for the 2 nodes on the left.
Pen Tool-Edit Mode: Drag a selection around the 2 nodes, right click, select Node Type»Asymmetric.

Adjust the control arms for these left-side nodes to make fat, rounded corners at top-left and bottom-left.
Turn the control arms on the 2 right-side nodes so they are vertical and point up/down.
Turn and adjust the control arms to create the middle indentation in the B letter. This may take a little tweaking because, for this asymmetric node type, you can adjust the length of each control arm, but the not the direction. The shorter the control arm, the smaller the curve will be. Normally we would use a 'Cusp' node to create corner turns, but a 'Cusp' node will create a sharp angle instead of the rounded curve we're looking for. So just fiddle with it a bit until the shape looks similar to the B above.

Step 8. Add 'holes' to B by 'subtracting' 2 circles

Next step is to create the 'holes' in the B. This will be a review of the procedure used to subtract a shape from letter A, but this time we need to make 2 holes!

Draw 2 circles in the of B for the 'holes'. Make the bottom 'hole' slightly larger than the top one.

On the B layer of your Layer Palette, there are now 2 sub-layers named 'new ellipse' that are blank. Again, for sake of neatness, remove these sub-layers by right-clicking the layer on Layer Palette and selecting 'Clear'.

Now the shape looks more like a B, but it probably needs a little fine-tuning. Use the Pen tool to select nodes and adjust control arms to smooth the curves until B looks more like finished shape above. I think the B looks better if bottom half ('belly') is larger than top and holes are aligned.

Tip: Don't make the 'holes' too big or B won't look like a chubby bubble!

To move or resize the 'holes' in the B without distorting the circle shape, select all 4 nodes of the circle first. Either drag a selection around the circle with the Pen tool or hold down the Shift key while selecting each node with cursor.

Deselect B. You can also hide visibility for B layer now. Click the 'eye' icon on Layer Palette to hide.

Step 9. The Letter C is shaped in 3 easy steps

Draw ellipse, push in one node, turn handles vertical

The letter C is one of the easiest letters to create.
First step is to create a new vector layer named C.

On C layer, draw ellipse in middle of canvas. Size it similar to A & B by using grid.

Because the ellipse preset shape already has the 4 symmetric nodes we need to create a C, we just need to push the right side node toward the left until shape looks like a C. Except the C will need a bit of fine tuning. Move the top and bottom nodes further to the right and turn the control arms until they point vertical. Now lengthen the control arms for all 3 nodes to fatten up the letter.

Adjusting the nodes may have distorted the size of the C somewhat. To resize, use Pick tool to select C and drag edge of bounding box to desired height and width.

Deselect C and hide visibility for C layer before creating D layer.

Step 10. The Letter D...Merging Nodes

The letter D is made very similar to the letter B, except it can be shaped with only 3 nodes and there's only 1 hole! Create a new vector layer...enter D for layer name.

On D layer, draw ellipse in middle of canvas, sized the same as other letters.

Merge Node: The ellipse preset shape has 4 nodes but we only need 3. If we 'delete' the node, it will also delete the line segment on each side of the node...we DON'T want that. Instead we will 'merge' the node, which combines the line segment on each side into one line segment.

Pen Tool-Edit Mode: Select the bottom node, right click, select Edit»Merge.

Pen Tool-Edit Mode: Drag a selection around the 2 nodes on the left, right click, select Node Type»Asymmetric. Then move the nodes into position at the top-left and bottom-left corners of the D. Shorten control arm to create rounded corners.

Adjust position of the 3rd node toward center of right side to create the belly of letter D. Extend the length of the control arm turn until it points vertical.

Next step is to create the 'hole' in the D. Repeat the 7 steps for subtracting 'holes' used for letters A and B. First, De-select the D shape.

1. Color Palette: Select none for fill color.
2. Ellipse Tool: Draw a circle in the middle of D for the 'hole'.
3. Ellipse Tool: Right click, Convert to Path.
4. Pen Tool-Edit mode: Right click, Edit»Select all
5. Pen Tool-Edit mode: Right click, Edit»Reverse Contour
6. Pen Tool-Edit mode: Right click, Edit»Cut
7. Pen Tool-Edit mode: Select D shape, right click, Edit»Paste.

Remember, if you want to re-position the 'hole', drag a selection completely around to enclose all 4 nodes. You can then move the selected shape without distorting the circle shape.

Deselect & hide D layer.

Step 11. Letters E and F

Add 3 nodes to ellipse for an E and 2 nodes for an F

Create new layer for letter E.

The letter E is made very similar to the B. Start with an ellipse, then move 2 nodes to the left and 2 to the right until you have a mis-shapen rounded-corner box. Select the 2 nodes on left and change node type to asymmetric. Adjust the nodes for smooth corners at top-left & bottom-left.

Add 3 nodes to the right side as shown in E image (refer back to letter B for how to add nodes). Select all 5 nodes on right side and change node type to symmetric. Drag 2 nodes (2nd node from top & 4th from top) to the left to create 'arms' for the E. Refer to image above. Rotate control arms for these 5 nodes until they all point vertical. Also shorten or lengthen control arms, as needed, for a nice chubby bubble E shape.

De-select E and hide E layer. Create new layer for F.
The letter F is made exactly like the E, with one less node. Refer to F image for placement of nodes.

I don't think it will be necessary to describe detailed steps for every single letter of the alphabet. You should be able to figure out the rest of the letters. It'll be good practice! ;-) All the remaining letters are created in the same way as A thru F. Placement of nodes and angle of control arms may be a little different for each letter, but they all start with an ellipse. The next section recaps the steps used to create each letter.

Step 12. The Remaining Alphabet

Click image to view larger

The entire alphabet is created using the same steps we used for letters A thru F. In this section we'll review those steps so you can continue creating the rest of the alphabet on your own.

Bubble letters have no straight lines or sharp corners...everything is very rounded. Every letter is started with the Ellipse Preset Shape. The Ellipse has 4 nodes. Many letters will require adding nodes to the ellipse. In the above image, placement of nodes for the remaining alphabet is indicated by red and blue 'node dots'. Letters with blue dots are the easiest because they are shaped with just 4 nodes and need nothing added (except O will need center subtracted). Letters with red dots will need a little more manipulation and some nodes added. See below for the basic steps and some node editing tips.

Create new vector layer: I suggest that every letter be created on it's own vector layer. This is not a necessity when working with all vectors, however, having each letter on its own layer is helpful if you plan to later convert to raster (to add filters and effects).

1. Hide previous layer.
2. Colors: Black outline, fill color of your choice.
3. Tool options: Same for all letters...Show Nodes, Create on Vector, Line Style Solid, Width 3 (optional), Anti-Alias checked.
4. Pen Tool-Edit Mode: Convert to path.
5. Pen Tool-Edit Mode: Add any necessary nodes.
6. Pen Tool-Edit Mode: Lengthen, shorten or rotate control arms to shape the letter.
7. Pen Tool-Edit Mode: Change node type where needed.

Node editing tips:

• Only 2 node types are used to shape bubble letters. 'Symmetric' for smooth curves & 'Asymmetric' for corners and curvy turns. (One exception...the Q may require a Cusp node to make the sharp turn of the cross stroke.)
• For nearly every letter, start with ellipse shaped into rounded box (except I,O,Q).
• Create the N first, then duplicate the N to create the M by adding a couple more nodes.
• Duplicate the M layer to make the W. Use the Pen tool to drag a selection around all nodes, right click, select Transform Selected Nodes>Flip.
• Duplicate the N layer to create the Z. Drag a selection around entire shape and rotate clockwise.
• Many other letters can be duplicated to save time: P can be transformed into R, O into Q, K into X.

Step 13. Bubble Letter Photo Frame

Photo of Marilyn Monroe cropped to fit M frame

To use frame a photo with one of your vector drawn bubble letters, first duplicate your original photo and create a new image. Add a vector layer named 'frame'. Promote background to a layer.

Open the PSP file containing your bubble letters. Select the letter you want to use as a frame and 'copy'. Select the 'frame' layer in your new image and 'paste' in the bubble letter as a 'new vector selection'.

Use the Pick tool to select the letter and change the Properties. The Properties icon is in the Tool Options palette or you can right click the image for the context menu. The command is also in the main menu (Objects»Properties).

Change the fill color to none/transparent by un-checking the 'Fill' box in the Vector Property dialog. Change the color and width of the outline, if you wish. You could also fill outline with a pattern or gradient. For this great photo of Marilyn Monroe, I used the eyedropper tool to pick a blue from her eyes and enlarged the outline stroke to 10 pixels.

Position the letter over your photo and use the Pick tool to enlarge or reduce the size of the letter to fit the photo. Drag one of the corner handles of the bounding box to change size without changing proportion.

At this point there's lots of options for embellishing your frame. You can still make changes in the Vector Property dialog for color and width of the outline. I decided to change the fill color to a blue/white gradient. I then converted the vector layer to raster in order to add an inner bevel. Next I merged the 2 layers and added a drop shadow. As I was looking thru my tubes and considering adding some sparkles, I came across these pretty pink flowers. I think they look nice with Marilyn's pretty picture!

Use framed photo on webpage or blog or print it & cut it out to place onto scrapbook page.

You could also use this method to mat a photo. Your photo layer would be the top layer instead of below the frame.

Step 14. Panoramic photo/word collage

Bubble letters combined into word to frame scenic photo

Duplicate the photo you wish to frame and create new image. Promote background to a layer. Add a vector layer named 'frame'.

Open the PSP file containing your bubble letters. One by one, select each letter you need to create the word for your scenic collage, copy it and paste it into the 'frame' layer as a 'new vector selection'.

Resize letters to fit the photo by dragging one of the corner handles with the Pick tool. Align each letter to spell your word. I like to overlap the letters slightly so the final image will have a continuous unbroken scene, but that is not necessary.

With Pick tool, right click, Select All. Open the Properties dialog to change the fill color to none. Also change color and size of the outline stroke, if you wish. For the above image, I changed color to match blue in photo and widened the stroke.

Now that you can see your scene thru the letters, you can reposition the word to frame the best parts of the photo.

Next we want to create a raster selection in order to cut away the parts of the photo we won't be using. There's a few ways to do this. You can temporarily fill each letter with color and use the context menu to 'Create Raster Selection'. (If there is no fill color, only the outline will be selected.) Another way is to use the Magic Wand. That seems the simplest for this step.

Hold the Shift key down and use the Magic Wand to select the interior of each vector letter. Make sure you get all the pieces, including the overlapped areas. To give ourselves a little room for error, let's make this selection a little larger by at least 3 pixels. Selections»Modify»Expand 3

Now you can Select None and Merge Visible unless you want to apply some filters and embellishments before merging layers. In the above image I converted the vector layer to raster, erased some parts of the overlapping letters, added a cutout and added a drop shadow. For a little added embellishment I also copied the palm trees from the original photo, enlarged them, and pasted trees on a new layer between the letters and the photo, letting parts of the tree extend beyond the frame.

What other things can you think of making with these bubble letters? ........Happy Trails!

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