For teamsalvatore98 and anyone else who wants to make a fanpop banner but doesn't know where to start.


te will need an image editing program. I use Corel Paint negozio Pro but I think most people use Photoshop.




Create your banner template

Open up your program and create a new file.
Size: 800x100
Background: black
File type: JPEG

The dimensions are very important. If the banner is too tall it will get cropped off when te add it. If it's not wide enough it will get stretched. Even 1 pixel's difference can affect the quality.
Save this basic file as your banner template to use successivo time.



Images for the banner

Now open up the immagini te want to use for your banner. I recommend using large, high quality pictures. Most of my banners are related to TV shows so I use really nice screencaps and episode stills. The better quality they are, the better your banner will look.

Resizing immagini to fit

te may have to resize these immagini to fit within the banner.
Never take an image that is too small and try to make it bigger: the quality will suck.
Only resize immagini to make them smaller. There will be some loss of quality but not nearly as much as when you're trying to make something bigger than it is.
[At the bottom of the articolo I will go through some advanced tricks to help with quality but for right now let's get the basics down.]

Choose an image that te want to add to the banner but is too large. Example: 1450x970

Find the Resize tool in your program's options. Mine is located under a menu called 'Image'. Yours could be located somewhere else. Just look through all the menus until te find it.

Open the Resize tool. It should give te the dimensions of the picture you're trying to resize.
Example:
Width: 1450 pixels
Height: 970 pixels

Change the height to 110 pixels. Only change the height and make sure that the 'Maintain aspect ratio' box is checked. Otherwise your image will be totally warped.

The reason te don't resize it to exactly the height of your banner is because you'll want to give yourself some leeway to sposta it around. It's very hard to position it precisely and if it's off even just a little bit it will leave a gap at the superiore, in alto o bottom of the banner.




Adding immagini to the banner

So te have your resized image and are ready to add it to the banner. You're going to copy and paste it to the banner template as a layer.

The Copy tool is in the 'Edit' menu. Just click it and you're done. The image is copied and ready to be pasted. Go back to your banner template.

The Paste tool is also in the 'Edit' menu. It may offer te several options: Paste as New Image, Paste as Selection and Paste as New Layer.

Choose Paste as New Layer.
It will drop the image directly in the center of your banner. Now te can sposta it wherever te like with the Move tool. Just click and drag the image to the position te want.

Repeat this process with all of your images.


Editing your banner

So now all of your immagini are on the banner as separate layers. Some of them might not be as clear and bright as you'd like. Select the one you'd like to change with the sposta tool.

The simplest way to make it look a little better is the Brightness & Contrast tool, which should be in the 'Adjust' menu. Open it and it should have a anteprima of what the effect is going to look like. te don't want it to be too bright because then the dark colori will look washed out and grainy. te don't want too much contrast o the darks will ingoiare, inghiottire the lights. Play around with the levels until te find something te like.

The successivo step is the saturation [how intense the colori are]. Now depending on the effect you're going for te might want to increase o decrease the saturation. Again, te can play around with this until te find something te like. The Hue & Saturation tool should be in the same menu as the Brightness & Contrast tool. I wouldn't recommend changing the hue unless te want to go for a really funky effect.

There are many different tools located in the 'Adjust' menu that te can use to tweak your images. I recommend exploring them, playing around with them and finding what works the best for you. In my program there's a tool called Clarify that just gives the image some extra punch. It may not be available in your program but there's probably something similar to it. Just play around with the program and find out what it can do. Practice on test immagini and have fun. That's how I learned everything.

The other thing to keep in mind is that each layer requires individual editing. It's usually best to try to make each image in a banner look as similar in tone and brightness as possible. Depending on what kind of immagini you're using, the settings for each one might be different. Again, this just requires te to play around until te can make it work. In the advanced section I'll give tips for making the immagini in a banner più cohesive in tone.


Ok now te have a very basic, serviceable banner. But te could make it better....


Advanced

So te have your basic banner. It's pretty good but te want to do più to it, make it better.

The first thing te may have noticed in my sample banner is that some of the immagini I used have a symbol on them. Not very pretty and somewhat distracting aren't they? I see them often on fanmade icone and banners but in truth they aren't that hard to get rid of.

Now we are venturing into più advanced tools and be aware that not every program will call them the same thing.
In my program, it's called the Push tool.
What it does:
Pushes the pixels around the image.

How you're going to use it:
To cover up the ugly symbol.
te can adjust the size of the tool [you'll want it to be small] and the opacity [you'll want it to be in the midrange] te won't want the opacity at 100% because the edges will be too hard [like in the first sample image].
te just want to gently try to push the pixels around until it looks like the symbol was never there. Start in an area where the symbol isn't, then just click and drag the pixels over the symbol. Don't use the same starting point for the whole thing. Choose the pixels that look like they belong in that spot. In this image I used the black shadow to cover the bottom of the symbol. The più gray shadow on his neck to cover the rest, being careful not to get any dark pixels on his chin. Most programs have an 'Undo' option that can erase your last stroke if te make a mistake.


This banner could still be improved though. The arrangement of the immagini is very static and they're quite obviously just pictures copied and pasted. If te want to break that up and make the banner più interesting [and fit più images!] it's not that hard.

You're going to need the Eraser tool. It will look like a pencil eraser. te can change the size and opacity, just like te can with the Push tool. To start with, you'll want it to be fairly big and the opacity at 100% because you're going to be taking the edges off the immagini and getting rid of some negative space.


You'll notice that this has freed up some space. te can now rearrange these immagini and maybe add more. As te sposta them closer together, te can see how some of them might fit together even better da erasing sections of the image. As te erase closer to the subject of the picture, decrease the opacity to soften the edges.

Be aware also that the layers can be either on superiore, in alto o beneath one another. te can see the order of your layers da going to the 'View' menu, scroll down to 'Palettes' and there should be an option that says 'Layers'.
[Note: some programs automatically have the Layer Palette open in your workspace so te may not need to open it.]
It's just a little window that shows the layers [each image te added] one on superiore, in alto of the other. te can sposta them up o down as te need.



In the banner image above you'll notice that I left a blank space. I could have added another image to fill it but I've decided to leave it blank for some text, which we'll get to in a moment. First, we're going to add some effects


Using layers to add effects

So this is the most fun and expressive part of banner making. te can do a lot and create some cool effects and moods for your banners.

You'll want to create a new layer the exact size of your banner template. In my program I simply go to the bottom layer [called the Background Image], right click on it and choose 'Duplicate'.
If te are unable to do that the simplest other way of doing it just to create another image in the exact dimensions te need, then copy and paste it as a new layer like te did your other images.

Once te have your plain black layer, make sure it's on superiore, in alto of all the other layers. Yes, it will cover everything up at first.

You're going to need the Fill tool. It should look just like a paint bucket. Now te get to choose a color. te may have noticed the color palette on the right hand side of your workspace. It will offer te many choices. After you've picked one, just click on the black layer with the Fill tool and there te go.

Now for the fun part! In the Layer Palette te can choose the blend mode and opacity for your layer. There will be a little drop down menu that starts with 'Normal' mode. There should be many modes like 'Color', 'Screen', 'Multiply' and more. Just play around with these options to see what kind of effects they produce. Play with the opacity as well; it will let the image mostra through better and make the effects più subtle, if te want.


In the banner above I went for a simple effect that added a sense of cohesiveness to the banner, making it flow and all seem to belong together.


Then I decided I wanted something a little più creepy, a little più funky. The banner is still cohesive but the mood is different.


Adding text

For the finishing touch, te can add some text. Now I don't always add words because sometimes it just doesn't need it. But in this case I've deliberately left room for some text.

You'll need the Text tool, which will look just like a letter of the alphabet [I've seen it as a T o an A]. When te open it, there will be a box to write in and some options to change the size, font and color. Sometimes these options won't appear in the text window but at the superiore, in alto of your workspace o in the color palette.
When te type usually a anteprima of it will appear on your banner. Make sure that the color you've chosen shows up.

Now the text is going to be added as another layer. Which means that te can use blend mode effects and change the opacity for it too.

I would recommend adding each word as an individual layer rather than typing it all into the text box at once. This way te can sposta each word independently into the position te desire. Which makes it easier to fit the text around the objects in your banner if te need to. In order to add them as separate layers, type one word in the box and add it: then select the superiore, in alto layer of the banner and add another word. Repeat for every word. Otherwise it will group them all together as one layer and when te try to sposta them, it will sposta them all.


Please proofread your text before you're finished. There are online dictionaries that can help te with spelling if te need it. There's nothing più sloppy-looking than a banner with poor spelling and that kind of ruins the point of all the hard work te just put into making it.
If you're interested in downloading some cool fonts to use, I recommend this website: link

Quality/Size

One last thing about quality. Although the standard size for a fanpop banner is 800x100 te can make them larger. They're easier to work with in a larger size and the quality is better. But the dimensions have to be equivalent to the fanpop requirements.
Example sizes: 2400x300, 5200x650

o te can just use these templates! But make sure to download the full sizes da clicking on the image.



I hope this guide has provided te with some useful tips on how to make a banner. If te have any domande o need clarification on anything, just leave a commento and I'll try to help as best I can.