Telling PSP to use
filters/plug-ins
I know it seems silly
but you do have to tell it that you want to be
able to use them. Click on file and go down to
preferences to File Locations. Click on this and
you will get a box. Click on the Plug-Ins tab.
You want to check off the first 3 boxes at
minimum. You can check off all four if need be
but I haven't found the 4th necessary. Now the
important part is to tell it where to find the
plugins. Under file one browse to where you made
the plugins folder and choose it. Click ok and
you are done.
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So now PSP knows where to
look for them but you need some to put in
there right? So lets start out with a
nice basic set of filters that I personally
find I use a lot. Simple filters, yes
the name says a lot but they do come in handy.
You can download them
here Unzip the file and place it in
your plugins folder. Now if you have PSP
open close it and reopen. PSP won't
recognize a new plugin while it's open.
So now reopen PSP and then
open up an image, any image doesn't matter
which. Click on effects and down near
the bottom you will see Plug-In Filters 1,
mouse over it and you'll find Simple Listed
there and when you mouse over it there will be
a list of different filters. Now on the
image below Simple Filters is under my listing
of 2 but that is just because of how many
filters I have.
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Try one of them out.
You can always undo :). You'll notice
when you go back to the list the last filter
you used is now listed under User Defined and
before Plug-in Filters 1. As you add
more filters they will be added in
alphabetically.
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Now some filters are just
drag and drop like simple filters is while
others have install programs. Some of
these will default to Adobe Photoshop and
you'll have to change it but occasionally
you'll get one that won't install anywhere
else. Don't panic. If you don't
have Adobe Photoshop you can still use them.
Just set up a series of dummy folders:
the first called Adobe, then one inside of it
called Photoshop and then a final one
inside that called plugins.
Then just tell PSP to look there for it as you
did above.
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One of my favorite filters
is Filters Unlimited. It is a paid for
filter but they do have a trial version.
You can check them out
here and download the trial version.
It has a lot of built in effects that I use
but also one of the reasons I do like it is
many of the drag/drop filters can be imported
into it which helps to keep your plug-ins
directory from bogging down. Trust me
without it I'd have six rows of them.
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There are many, many more
out there but these are a few to get you
started. Remember to always have fun
with it and be ready to just play around. You
can always undo something :) |
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