Tutorial: Old Parchment Paper

Written by devvv (15 Jun 2007 10:43 PM)

This tutorial is a bit aimed on fantasy-fans! I will show you how to generate an old parchment paper. You can than add an old map, a photo or just plain text to it!

1. Open a new file: 400x500 px and set the background color to black.
   
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2. Create a new transparent layer, fill it with #bc8b46.
   
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3. Go to Filter / Noise / RGB Noise and use these values as input:
   
   Independent RGB Channels: checked
   RED: 0,20
   GREEN: 0
   BLUE: 0
   ALPHA: 0
   
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4. - Filter / Blur / Gaussian Blur: 10px.
   
   The noise-effect should be still very little visible-
   
   click to enlarge
5. Now, we're going to bring some depth into play. Open the channels tab (Dialogs / Channels). Create a new channel there, name it "knittern" or "crinkle" which is the english word for this.
   
   Opacity to 100%.
   
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6. Click the just created channel to make it active.
   
   Apply Filter / Render / Plastic Noise. Activate "Random".
   
   Values:
   --------
   Random: on
   X: 2,3
   Y: 3,3
   Details 15.
   
   You get this kind of picture:
   
   click to enlarge
7. In the channels tab deactivate the eye-symbol to make it invisible.
   
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8. Change to the layers-tab and click the brown layer to make it active. Now apply Filter / Light and Shadow / Lighting Effect. In the tabs of the filter enter these values
   
   Options:
   (optinal) Distance: 2000
   
   Light:
   ------
   Light1:
   Type: Directional
   Color: White:
   Direction: X: -2,25 Y: 1,75 Z: 1
   
   Material:
   Glow: 0,5
   Bright: 0,75
   Shiny: 0,12
   Polished: 20
   
   Bumpmap:
   use the "crinkle"-Channel
   Max Height: 0,01
   
   click to enlarge
9. - Filter / Enhance / Sharpen: 60.
   
   After that choose the "Free selection"-tool. Draw a selection as seen on the picture.
   
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10. Now choose Selection / Invert. Cut that part or just delete it using DEL (or CTRL+K in GIMP 2.2).
    Deactivate the current selection by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+A or Selection / None
    
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11. The next step is to create some more cuts into the parchment. Use the free selection tool for this again. Cut many small cranks into the parchment. You can also do small very thin ones in the middle.
    
    click to enlarge
12. Now we're adding a darker border to it.
    
    - Right click in the layers dialog. "Alpha to selection". This gives us a perfect selection of the layer.
    - Add a new empty layer
    - Selection / Invert
    - Fill this selection with #7a340d
    - Selection / None
    
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13. Apply Filter / Blur / Gaussian: 75.
    
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14. Activate the parchement layer. Choose "alpha to selection" from the right click context menu of the layers dialog again.
    
    Activate the just blurred layer. Press CTRL+I to invert the selection and the press DEL to delete the unwanted parts. The brown inner shine should be visible now.
    
    The hard part is done ;) Now you can finetune your parchment paper by using Brightness and Contrast. Or you can apply the depth-effect again if you want more crinkle! Feel free to play around with it.
    
    click to enlarge
15. You can the add a photo to it or write some text or you can also add an old map to make your own treasure map! Have fun!
    
    click to enlarge

This work is licensed under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Austria.

Discussion / comment this tutorial

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From: hucane2000 (09 May 2008 09:01 PM) – Send a private message

Very cool, Thanks it was fun learning
how to use the filters to manipulate the different layers.

From: justin (25 Feb 2008 04:52 PM)

same here, after stpe 12 i couldn't get the look right, at all. greta tutorial though, and does anyone know how to work with text, it just runs off the layer, i can't seem to edit it at all.

From: anna (17 Feb 2008 02:09 PM)

You can make that effect using coffee, can't you? Does anyone know the best way to do it?

From: coche (23 Jan 2008 04:28 PM) – Send a private message

Great tutorial thx. I've a lot of fun doing it!

From: elmister (20 Jan 2008 10:29 PM) – Send a private message

Step 6 (Gimp 2.4)
Filters / Render / Clouds / Solid Noise

From: rebaler (05 Jan 2008 11:54 PM)

helllo okay i was wondering... if you were to say put a desk / wood like background in a layer under the paper layer... to make it look like its on a table , how would you go about making wood / desk texture? also in stead of a wood/desk textue what if you were to make everything but the letter invisable... i dont know how to make a area invisable..

From: milliepat (31 Dec 2007 08:11 AM) – Send a private message

This needs some editing, after step 12, I never got the look. Using Gimp 2.4.2 on Win XP.

From: Snugglie (15 Nov 2007 07:33 PM)

Never mind, found it. Great tutorial, thanks!

From: Snugglie (15 Nov 2007 06:42 PM)

I'm stuck at #6 <_< What exactly shall I do?

From: devvv (14 Oct 2007 12:33 PM) – Send a private message

you may use the new gimp 2.4 release candidate - it is found in our downloads section.

From: PhotoMan (14 Oct 2007 12:24 PM)

Does anyone have a GIMP 2.2 version of this tutorial? Options do not match.

From: yht (04 Oct 2007 02:51 AM) – Send a private message

What program are you using to do this? I have windows xp2000 with word perfect. Will that work?

From: rwacles (24 Sep 2007 02:52 PM) – Send a private message

Nice Tutorial! I've been looking for this. Thanks

From: ali (15 Sep 2007 08:55 AM)

selam

From: cemkalyoncu (27 Aug 2007 12:19 PM)

@Chelmite: you can use Ctrl + K or edit -> clear

From: lala (07 Aug 2007 09:06 AM)

wow

From: Chelmite (07 Aug 2007 06:44 AM) – Send a private message

I'm running gimp 2.2.12. DEL doesn't do anything. What's the equivalent function from the menus?

From: James (16 Jul 2007 11:58 AM)

Fantastic tutorial! This has given me the know-how to make the minimaps on my hl2 mod look rustic and old fashioned. Thank you!

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