This installment of the Resource guide covers the Filter Ribbon and the various Effects available in Artisan 5. Artisan contains several filters and effects that will allow you to apply decorative detail to elements on your pages or alter elements on your pages for creative effect.
Most of the offerings featured in this section of the Resource Guide are Bright Ideas or videos and are considered Creative Know How. They are broken up into several categories. Some of the offerings will be listed in more than one category, as people search for things in different ways. We have tried to cross-reference as much as possible.
Note: Offerings that are available to the public are marked accordingly. Most of the offerings featured below require a pixels2Pages Membership. Members should log in to their membership before clicking any membership links. CLICK HERE to become a pixels2Pages member and gain access to all of the offerings featured below. Clicking on the links without being logged in to a valid membership will result in an error message.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Click any subject in the table of contents below to go directly to that section.
FUNDAMENTALS
Core Training | Technical use of tools and functions in the software.
APPLICATIONS
Creative Know How | Creative Design and Practical Applications
Focus Section of Filters Ribbon
Filters Section of Filters Ribbon
Effects
User Frequently Asked Questions
Fundamentals
- Pixie Power Minute Video Applying Surfaces (Filter)
- Pixie Power Minute Video Applying Mats to Photos (Mat Effect)
- Artisan Tip: Matting Shaped Photos (Mat Effect)
- Video Tidbit:Building Mats in Artisan 5 – Basic and Shaped Layers (Mat Effect)
- Pixie Power Minute Video: Applying a Mask (Mask Effect)
Focus Section
The Focus section of the site features the Blur, Soft Focus, Sharpen and Cleanup buttons. Over time, we will add offerings to the site which cover each of these buttons.
Applications/Creative Know-How
Artistic Button
The Artistic button features the Diffuse Glow, Rough Painting, Oil Painting, Angled Spray, and Fractal Map buttons. These buttons create stunning looks on photos, papers and embellishments.
- Bright Idea 11:Twice As Nice (Oil/Rough Painting)
- Bright Idea 64: Release Your Inner Glow (Diffuse Glow)
- Pixie Power Minute Video: Chalk Lines (Angled Spray)
- Pixie Power Minute Video: Fractal Filter – Photos and Backgrounds (Fractal Map)
- Artisan Tip: Finding Your Way using Fractal Map (Fractal Map)
- Video Tidbit: Create a Masterpiece (Oil/Rough Painting)
Applications/Creative Know-How
Edge Button
Give the elements on your pages an edge with these decorative edge actions. The Edge button contains the Alpha Gradient, Soften Edges, Draw Edge, and 3D Edge tool.
- Challenge 282: Emboss It (3D Edge)
- Pixie Power Minute Video: Custom Framing – Making a Polaroid (3D Edge)
- Video Tidbit: Quick Borders Lines and Shapes – The Power of Three (3D Edge)
- Challenge 33: Single Photo Collage (3D Edge)
- Video Tidbit: Painted Carved Letters (3D Edge)
- Pixie Power Minute Video: Corrugated Cardboard (3D Edge)
- Pixie Power Minute Video: Pressed Tin Backgrounds (3D Edge)
- Video Tidbit: Let’s Make It Transparent (Soften Edge)
- Challenge 304: Ghost Frames (3D Edge)
- Challenge 305: Digital Embossing (3D Edge)
- Bright Idea 83: Dimensional Backgrounds (3D Edge)
- Bright Idea 33: Glitter Frames (3D Edge)
Applications/Creative Know-How
Distortion Button
Who knew that deliberately distorting an element on your page could look so good. pixels2Pages’ signature technique – The Globe, relies on one of the tools on the Distortion button. The Distortion Button contains the Vibrations, Rippled Glass, Ocean Waves, Old Glass, Water Drop, Sphereize, and Swirl tools.
- Start2Finish Video: Going Global (Sphereize)
- Worksheets (Templates): Going Global Variations (Sphereize)
- Pixie Power Minute Video: Word Wrap (Sphereize)
- Bright Idea 13: Reflected Text (Vibrations)
Applications/Creative Know-How
Surface Button
The tools on this button allow you to add visual interest to elements on your pages. These tools are particularly helpful when you are working with elements filled with solid color or gradients. The Surface button contains the Texture, Frosted Glass, Film Grain, and Mosaic Tile tools.
- Getting Started Bright Idea: Mosaic Magic (Mosaic) (PUBLIC)
- Pixie Power Minute Video: Resurfacing – Adding A Surface with Texture (Texture)
- Bright Idea 33: Glitter Frames (Texture)
- Video Tidbit: Make It your Own – Colors and Textures (Texture)
- Bright Idea 78: Filtered Twice (Texture)
- Pixie Power Minute Video: Torn Frames (Texture)
- Start2Finish Video: Textured (Texture)
Applications/Creative Know-How
Stylize Button
The tools on this button contain several tools that manipulate the color in your elements to create unique effects. The Stylize button contains the Emboss, Posterize, Palettize, Threshold, Single Color, Invert, and Show Edges tools.
- Video Tidbit: Take It To The Edge (Show Edges)
- Bright Idea 96: Edgy Title Strips (Show Edges)
- Video Tidbit: Quick Page Layout Picture in Picture (Threshold)
- Challenge 267: Threshold Focus (Threshold)
- Start2Finish Video: Baltic City Cruise (Threshold)
- Bright Idea 41: Embossing the Mask (Emboss)
- Challenge 334: Colored Emboss (Emboss)
- Pixie Power Minute Video: Resurfacing – Adding a Surface with Texture (Emboss)
Applications/Creative Know-How
Mat Effects
Mats can be applied to any element on your page. These offerings show you practical applications of the Mat effect.
- Video Tidbit: Building Mats in Artisan 5 – Basic and Shaped Layers (Mat Effect)
- Start2Finish Video: Make Way For Papa (Mat Effect)
- Video Tidbit: Photo Splits & Photo Mats (Mat Effect)
Applications/Creative Know-How
Shadow Effects
In addition to regular shadow that you can find on the Format Ribbon, you can also take advantage of Shadow Effects for an a truly custom look.
- Challenge 326: Inner Shadows (Inner Shadow)
Applications/Creative Know-How
Blend Layers
Blend Layers allow you to seamlessly blend two or more elements together. In addition, you can use Blend Layers to strategically target areas of an element that will be blended.
- Pixie Power Minute Video: Greyscale to Rainbow Blend Layers (Blend Layers)
- Video Tidbit: Blend Layers Darken Mode (Blend Layers)
- Video Tidbit: Blend Mode Vignettes (Blend Layers)
- Artisan Tip: Blend Effect Normal Mode (Blend Layers)
- Challenge 332: Masks and Rainbows (Blend Layers)
Applications/Creative Know-How
Mask Effects
The Mask Effect is one of the most versatile and commonly used effects. It uses a clipping effect so you can apply decorative detail to elements on your pages by applying various levels of opacity.
- Pixie Power Minute Video: Applying A Mask (Mask Effect)
- Pixie Power Minute Video: Grayscale to Rainbows – Mask (Mask Effect)
- Artisan Tip: Text and Masks (Mask Effect)
- Tutorials: Masks (Mask Effect)
- Video Tidbit: Mask Effects Unleashed (Mask Effect)
- Challenge 311: Mix and Mask (Mask Effect)
- Challenge 332: Masks and Rainbows (Mask Effect)
- Bright Idea 41: Embossing the Mask (Mask Effect)
- Video Tidbit: Frames and Masks (Mask Effect)
- Challenge 324: Frame and a Mask (Mask Effect)
- Bright Idea 91: Mask Overlap (Mask Effect)
- Video Tidbit: Mirroring Masked Elements (Mask Effect)
- Video Tidbit: Cluster Masks (Mask Effect)
Applications/Creative Know-How
Miscellaneous Effects
There are two other miscellaneous effects available in Artisan: “Insert an old-fashioned effect” and “Insert effects from an art kit”. We hope to share an offering using these techniques in the future.
Applications/Creative Know-How
User Frequently Asked Questions
Over the upcoming weeks, we will be watching our social media pages and emails for your frequently asked questions as they relate to filters and effects. We will then add those questions here along with a link to the corresponding answer.
