{"id":10866,"date":"2025-07-01T00:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T04:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yourscrappingcafe.com\/home\/d19521157\/public_blog\/?p=10866"},"modified":"2025-09-05T12:50:53","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T16:50:53","slug":"cut-out-twist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yourscrappingcafe.com\/home\/d19521157\/public_blog\/cut-out-twist\/","title":{"rendered":"Cut-Out Twist"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Last week I showed you how you to create a whimsical title using letter cut outs<\/a><\/strong>. That post made me a bit nostalgic for some old-time typography. While this post is not so much about a title as it is about typography, I am going to reintroduce you to another fun approach to a title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By looking at the featured image at the top of this post you may already be guessing what old<\/em> typography I\u2019ll be discussing today \ud83d\ude09 But first I want to give you a brief backstory behind what drove this particular post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Way back in the last century I grew up watching detective shows on television. Whether at my grandparents\u2019 or my house\u2026they seemed to be a staple. Shows like Adam 12, Dragnet, Mannix, Mission Impossible, Hawaii Five-O, The Fugitive. Ahhh…the good old days!<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"The<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

But one of my all-time favorites was The F.B.I. And I\u2019m talking about the original! Most Sunday\u2019s we\u2019d have dinner at my paternal grandparents\u2019 house and Grandpa ALWAYS<\/em> had to watch The F.B.I. And if we were at home my father had to have it on! I have very fond memories of watching Efrem Zimbalist Jr. trying to defend the American government from unidentified threats. To this day I still gravitate toward these types of shows. Admittedly, I am a self-proclaimed crime scene junkie!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From those nostalgic crime drama shows, to today\u2019s chilling chapters of true crime sagas and suspenseful scenes of Hollywood thrillers, there’s a unique and intriguing form of communication that has captivated us over the decades \u2014 the ransom note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working on all those letter cut outs last week made me reminiscent of that particular typography. Ergo, this post!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ransom Note<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"Ransom<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

While ransom notes have been used for centuries, the ransom letter typography \u2013 a unique style crafted from cut-out magazine and newspaper letters, made its mark a little later. This form of message was used by criminals to communicate anonymously, effectively avoiding handwriting analysis that could lead to their identification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The magazine cut-out letters, often varying in typefaces, lent a peculiar disjointed aesthetic to these notes. This was not only striking visually but also served a practical purpose: it rendered the author untraceable, adding an additional layer of mystery and fear to the crime at hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward to today, and the unique visual aesthetic of vintage magazine letters is readily accessible to anyone with a digital device. The emergence of ransom note generators has made it easier than ever for artists, designers, and enthusiasts to tap into this history-rich style.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Ransomizer\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

One such generator is available at Ransomizer<\/a><\/strong>, a digital platform that provides a quick and easy way to generate your own ransom-style notes digitally. In just a few clicks, you can create authentic looking ransom notes, fusing the old-world charm of vintage typography with modern technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Years ago (too many to mention), there used to be a lot of digital ransom alphabets available. Today there are only a few that can be found at some digital scrapbooking shops like Oscraps<\/a><\/strong> and Katie Pertiet Designs<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today I thought it would be fun to take what I demonstrated for you last week and show you how to create the ransom look yourself\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating Ransom Letters<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With this technique I won\u2019t actually be cutting letters out of a paper strip. But I will be cutting different shaped letter bases from a paper strip. Hopefully, this will be fun and a little easier than everything I did last week \ud83d\ude09 And I will apologize in advance for the length of this post. But just as last week\u2026it\u2019s due largely to the number of illustrative images!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And once again, I highly recommend that you don\u2019t attempt this technique on an actual layout. I just think it\u2019s a good idea to start with a separate 12×12 file. It gives me plenty of room and I can make my title fairly large and move things around if I need more space. I can always re-size things if it\u2019s too large when I move it to my layout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another little reminder, I use Photoshop Elements (PSE) 2024. If you use a different version, some of my screen shots may not look the same as what you see on your screen.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

There aren\u2019t too many ready-made ransom alphas available anymore. Thankfully, as you can see by the image directly above, there are more than a few free fonts that would be good candidates for this technique. While that image above may be hard to read, each of those fonts is listed (in the same order) below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

BlackCasper<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CS Anika Drawn Demo<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CS Yoshiro Demo<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DJB Ransom Note<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freakshow<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Got Heroin?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hit Me Punk<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kingthings Extortion<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

Liima, paperi, sakset 2<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mustasurma<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phorssa<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Persona Non Grata<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ransom<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ransom Note<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shoplifter<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senza cuore<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

All but two of these (DJB Ransom Note and Ransom Note) are available at 1001Fonts<\/a><\/strong>. But you can just click on any of the font names above and go to the font\u2019s download site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m particularly fond of \u201cKingthings Extortion<\/a><\/strong>\u201d (already active on my system) so I\u2019ll be using that font for my examples. If you\u2019re going to be following along, you can use any font that you like. And it doesn’t have to be a ransom font \ud83d\ude09 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve created a 12×12 file with a white base layer (Layer 1). And I\u2019m going to ensure that my Foreground and Background color chips are set to the default of Black and White (press D):<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"White<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Then I select the Horizontal Type tool:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Type<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In the Tool Options, I\u2019ve selected the Kingthings Extortion<\/a><\/strong> font, set the Size to 100, the Leading to Auto and the Tracking to 600. I set the Tracking extremely high this time so I\u2019m certain to have plenty of space between each letter. Then I set the alignment to Left Align Text and ensure that the Anti-aliasing box is checked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, I place my cursor about a third of the way down the page and a little bit left of the edge. The I type my word using all lowercase letters:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Lowercase<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Then I place my cursor about a third of the way up from the bottom of the page and a little bit left of the edge and I type the same word, this time using all uppercase letters:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Uppercase<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

And no, I\u2019m not confused. The top word was typed using all lowercase letters and the bottom word was in fact typed using all uppercase letters. I know it doesn\u2019t appear to be the case but it\u2019s true!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most, if not all of the \u201cransom\u201d type fonts, will have different representations of the letter depending on whether you type in upper vs. lower case letters. This is true even if the font\u2019s letters are all uppercase. I just wanted you to see how this particular font looks in both upper and lower case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note<\/strong>: Most often I am creating a word or words for a title. So, I leave my text on a single layer. Just as I did for the examples above. In general, I won\u2019t do anything more than recolor a letter or two for a project. That\u2019s easy enough to do by selecting a given letter and recoloring only that letter. And If I want to do something more than recolor a letter (add a layer style or clip paper) it\u2019s simple enough to put the letter(s) on its own layer later. If you want to start out by keeping each of your letters on their own layer for more flexibility, that\u2019s fine. Just be sure to leave a lot of space between the letters as you put them on the base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create The Paper Strip<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Now it\u2019s time to create the paper strip that I\u2019ll use as the base behind the letters. First, I\u2019m going to change my Foreground color chip to a very bright red (#ff0000).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I grab the Rectangular Shape tool:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Rectangle<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I\u2019ve set the \u201cgeometry option\u201d to Unconstrained because I want that paper strip to be fairly large (top to bottom). I also ensure that From Center and Snap are both unchecked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the white layer (Layer 1) active, I just click and drag the rectangle to the desired size under my topmost word:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Red<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Since I know I\u2019m going to be editing this rectangle later, I immediately simplify the layer and rename it to Lowercase Strip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, I\u2019m going to change my Foreground color chip to a very bright yellow (#fff600). I bet you think I\u2019m going to drag out another rectangle, right? Actually, at this point it\u2019s just easier to duplicate the Lowercase strip, reposition it and recolor it:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Yellow<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I renamed the duplicate to Uppercase Strip. Within the Layers Panel I have positioned the Lowercase Strip directly beneath the all-lowercase text (top word) and the Uppercase Strip directly beneath the all-uppercase text (bottom word).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving forward, there are two options that can be taken.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"1<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

#1 \u2013 I can leave the words exactly as they are or #2 \u2013 I can use only the actual letter \u201cshapes\u201d, similar to how I created the Solid Letter Shapes in last week\u2019s post<\/a><\/strong>. Either option will work but I generally use the actual letter shapes since I\u2019m going to create my own background pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re following along, it’s perfectly fine for you to choose either option. Just know that if you choose option 1, your results in the next step could be dramatically different than mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create Letter Shapes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"Magic<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The first thing I need to do is reset my Foreground\/Background color chips to the defaults (press D). Now, I\u2019m going to activate the lowercase word text layer in the Layers Panel. Then, just as last week\u2026I select the Magic Wand tool:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Tool Options, I click on the New Selection icon, set the Tolerance to 32, uncheck Sample All Layers, then check Contiguous and Anti-aliasing:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Wand<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Then I click anywhere inside each one of the letters to make my selections. Then I activate the uppercase word text layer in the Layers Panel and do the same:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Letters<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

You should be able to see the marching ants. But did you notice that there are no marching ants around the lowercase \u201cr\u201d (which was actually typed as an uppercase letter) over the yellow strip? Yeah, there\u2019s a little issue with that letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you look closely, you should be able to see that the left edge of that letter is not completely outlined with black. Without that closed outline, I can\u2019t use the Magic Wand. But I\u2019ll show you a work around just as soon as I finish the selected letters.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Attention<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Pay very close attention to what I\u2019m about to do now. In the Layers Panel, I ensure that the uppercase text layer is still the active layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I click the Create a New Layer<\/strong> icon. I do this because at this point, there is nothing within that selection from which I can make a copy. And I want my letter shapes on their own layer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PSE creates a blank layer (Layer 2 for me). Right now, that new layer should be the active layer. The marching ants should still be active.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, I\u2019m going to flip my Foreground\/Background color chips so that white is on top (press X). I can now press Alt+Backspace to fill the selection with the foreground color (white):<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Selected<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

And all the letters (except that pesky lowercase \u201cr\u201d) are filled with white. Now I need to cancel the selection (Ctrl+D or ESC) so I can work around that lowercase \u201cr\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may be thinking I can just use the Magic Wand tool to select the black area around that letter and then just invert the selection. I wish it were that easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, because the left side of that letter is not completely \u201coutlined\u201d I would end up with a selection around everything except the black surrounding the letters. So that\u2019s not going to work.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Simple<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

There\u2019s truly a fairly easy fix whenever I run into this issue. The first thing I do is duplicate the \u201coffending\u201d text layer, simplify the new layer and hide the original text layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the text simplified I can treat it like any other image. I need to flip my Foreground\/Background color chips so that black is back on top (press X). Next, I grab the Brush Tool and a hard round brush set to about 4px with the Opacity set to 100%. Then I just brush along that left edge to close the gap so it looks something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"R<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Now, with that duplicate of the text layer active, I can use the Magic Wand Tool (with the same settings shown earlier) and make a good selection inside that letter:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"R<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The duplicate text layer should still be the active layer. Then I once again click the Create a New Layer<\/strong> icon. PSE creates a blank layer (Layer 3 for me). Right now, that new layer is blank and should be the active layer. The marching ants around the letter should still be active.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, I\u2019m going to flip my Foreground\/Background color chips again so that white is on top (press X). I can now press Alt+Backspace to fill the selection with the foreground color (white):<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"All<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Now, to make my life a little easier in the next step, in the layers Panel, I\u2019m going to move Layer 3 (the white r) directly below Layer 2 (all other white letters) and merge them together so all the letters are on one layer. I rename this merged layer to White Letters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cut Paper Shapes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I no longer need the original text layers so I hide those:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Original<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Look at all that space I have around each letter. This next part is going to be a breeze!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the beginning of the \u201cCreating Ransom Letters\u201d section above I said I wasn\u2019t going to be cutting out any letters. So, you may be wondering why I haven\u2019t just merged the white letters with the paper strips.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Method<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Believe it or not, there is a method to my madness. I want to leave them separate because I don\u2019t plan to leave them all white! More on that in a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I am going to do now is cut rectangles out of the paper strips around each of the letters, just as I did last week. I won\u2019t bore you with all of the steps (and images). You can check last week\u2019s post<\/a><\/strong> if you need a refresher on how to cut those out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what I ended up with:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Rectangles<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Now each rectangle is on its own layer which is exactly where I want them right now. Why? You may be asking. It\u2019s simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to be making each of those rectangles into an irregular shape by cutting pieces away. If I had them merged together, I\u2019d need to be very careful working around the other rectangles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With them each on their own layer I don\u2019t need to worry about cutting into one of the other rectangles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, let\u2019s get irregular\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Irregular Cutting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"Cool<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

If you think about the old \u201cclassic\u201d ransom notes, the letters were cut out of magazines; often times in a haphazard manner. Therefore, the cut outs were seldom perfect rectangles. So, this next step is just an attempt to mimic that haphazard cutting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note<\/strong>: During this process it\u2019s very important that I do NOT move the rectangle shapes from their current position. Well, maybe not critical, but it will cause an issue with how the white letters line up if they do get moved! Just keep that in mind if you\u2019re following along!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to hide all of the paper pieces except for the first red one with the letter \u201cR\u201d. The first thing I\u2019m going to do is make this huge rectangle smaller simply by making a few rectangular selections and deleting pieces until I\u2019m happier with the size:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Smaller<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Then I zoom in as close as I can so I can get a better view of that new rectangle before I do any more cutting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are probably a lot of ways I could make this rectangle more irregular. For me, the easiest way I\u2019ve found is to use a standard PSE square brush and delete sections in an irregular manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I select the Eraser Tool. In the Eraser tool options, I click the down arrow next to the current brush. PSE opens the list of brushes I have installed on my system. I just scroll down until I see Square Brushes and I select that set:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"sELECT<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In most cases, I start out using a medium-sized brush when I\u2019m making these erasures. I don\u2019t want the new edges to look too jagged. So, I set the brush Size to 18px, the Opacity to 100% and ensure that the Type is set to Brush:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Square<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Note<\/strong>: If the original rectangles you created are significantly smaller than the ones I’ve created (roughly 1.75″ wide x 4.5″ high), you may need to use a smaller brush size. You’ll be able to tell when your brush size is too large if the edges start to look jagged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the settings I use for cursors in PSE, when I go to position my cursor over the red rectangle, I see a square box with cross-hairs in the middle:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Square<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This cursor comes in very handy when trying to start\/end on the corner of an image. So, I position the cursor so that the center of that square is directly over the top left corner of the red rectangle like this:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Cursor<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I click once. Then holding the Shift key down, I position the cursor at some random point on the right edge of the rectangle, ensuring that the bottom left corner of the cursor is outside the red rectangle like this:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Cursor<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Note<\/strong>: For the three images directly above, I made the cursor bigger than the actual brush size I\u2019m using so you could hopefully see it a little better. For the rest of the images working on this rectangle, if a cursor is visible, it will be shown at the normal size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I just click again and here\u2019s the diagonal erasure:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Erasure<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I just repeat this process in a few other locations until I\u2019m happy with the shape I\u2019ve \u201coutlined:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Other<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Now it\u2019s just a simple matter of using the Magic Wand Tool to select and delete the three extraneous shapes so I end up with this:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Irregular<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

That should seem fairly straightforward and easy\u2026at least, I hope it was. I\u2019m going to go on and \u201ccut\u201d the rest of the rectangles and just show you one final image:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"All<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

There is absolutely no rhyme or reason for how I made these cuts\u2026all just totally random. And that\u2019s the fun part of it! And I could have left some of those more rectangular than I did. Nothing says all the letters have to be on irregular shapes \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And here\u2019s what it looks like if I recolor the white letters to black:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"LEtters<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Time to \u201cdress up\u201d those irregular shapes a bit\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enhancing Shapes & Letters<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With the shapes cut out I can now go about dressing them up. I can do this a multitude of ways; from simply recoloring or clipping papers all the way to using filters. Don\u2019t worry, I\u2019m not going to give you a multitude of examples. Just some highlights. At some point, you just need to experiment on your own \ud83d\ude09 and for this last step I\u2019m only going to be working with the red shapes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you choose to do this, just look at the featured image at the top of this post, it can be a good starting point. It certainly should help you get even more creative ideas!<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Creativity<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

To start I thought I\u2019d give a halftone effect to the shape for the letter \u201cR\u201d. I\u2019m going to start by creating a gradient layer above that shape. To do this I create a new layer above the shape layer and name the new layer Gradient Layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I set my Foreground color chip to the same color of red as the shape (#ff0000) and leave the Background color chip set to white. Then I select the Gradient Tool:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Gradient<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I click the down arrow along the right side of the area marked Gradient and PSE opens the Gradient Picker. I select the Simple gradient option and the red gradient:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Gradient<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

With the Red Simple Gradient selected, I leave Mode at Normal, Opacity at 100%, Reverse unchecked, Transparency and Dither both checked and I select Radial as the gradient style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I click edit so I can ensure that the gradient will start with red and end with white. PSE then opens the Gradient Editor:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Set<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The only thing I change here is to set the left Color Stop to the same red as my Foreground color chip and the right Color Stop to white. Then I click OK to confirm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ensuring that the Gradient Layer is active, I just position my cursor above the top of the shape that is underneath the letter \u201cR\u201d and drag a line straight down to below the bottom of the shape. PSE then creates the red gradient:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Gradient<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I then clip that Gradient Layer to the shape:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Gradient<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

With the Gradient Layer still active I go to the top tool bar and select Filter->Pixelate->Color Halftone:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Select<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

PSE opens the Color Halftone settings Dialog box:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Halftone<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I make no changes to what I believe may be default settings and click OK to confirm. And here is my gradient halftone:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Halftone<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Note<\/strong>: If I was going to change any of the Color Halftone settings, it would be only to the Max. Radius setting (in my case it was set to 8px – presumed the default). I could make that a bit larger. But for this small of an image, I would recommend nothing much higher than perhaps 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to keep the letter itself colored black. Now I\u2019m just going to apply a shadow (on its own layer) and warp it so it appears the shape is lifted off the paper:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Shape<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Note<\/strong>: If you need pointers on placing a shadow on its own layer and warping it, please refer back to my \u201cStitching Realism<\/a><\/strong>\u201d post from August of 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to keep the rest of this super simple\u2026I promise!<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Finished<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

For the letter \u201cA\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Enhanced<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I re-sized and clipped a paper from \u201cColorful Grunge Backgrounds<\/a><\/strong>\u201d by mfreem at Creative Fabrica to the shape under the letter. I also recolored the letter to a medium yellow color (#f5c906). I then added a simple drop shadow to the shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the letter \u201cn\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Enhanced<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I re-sized and clipped a paper from \u201cGrunge Yellow Fabric Texture<\/a><\/strong>\u201d by Pattern Universe at Creative Fabrica to the shape under the letter. I also recolored the letter to the same red color I used for the original rectangles (#ff0000). I then added a simple drop shadow to the shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the letter \u201cS\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Enhanced<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I simply recolored the shape under the letter to a pale olive color (#8d9c7d) and added a grunge overlay from my stash. I also added a torn edge to the shape. I re-sized and clipped a burlap scrap from \u201c36 Burlap Backgrounds<\/a><\/strong>\u201d by oldmarketdesigns at Creative Fabrica to the letter itself. I then added a simple drop shadow to the shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the letter \u201co\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Enhanced<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I re-sized and clipped a paper from \u201cColorful Grunge Backgrounds<\/a><\/strong>\u201d by Digital Paper Packs at Creative Fabrica to the shape under the letter. I left the letter itself colored black. I then added a simple drop shadow to the shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the letter \u201cM\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Enhanced<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I re-sized and clipped a paper from \u201cNewspaper Patchwork Collage<\/a><\/strong>\u201d by giraffecreativestudio at Creative Fabrica to the shape under the letter. I also recolored the letter to a medium blue color (#086486) and added a mustard yellow outer glow (#fbbb01) to help it stand out a bit. I then added a simple drop shadow to the shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note<\/strong>: For the letter \u201cS\u201d above I mentioned that I added a torn edge. If you need any pointers on how to add a torn edge please refer back to my \u201cTorn Paper<\/a><\/strong>\u201d post from October 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you have your word\/letters created you can do the same thing I did last week. In the layers Panel, just activate all the pertinent layers and click on the Create a new group icon at the top of the Layers Pane (looks like a stack of papers). Then name the group based on the word. With your actual layout file open, just \u201cdrag\u201d that group (which should look like a single layer at this point) into the layout file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could just as easily save the completed word as a PNG file if that would be easier. I would recommend that you not apply shadows if you\u2019re going to save your work as a PNG. I\u2019m a big proponent of not shadowing something unless I know what lighting angle will be used in a layout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extra Tips<\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"Extra<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

First and foremost, this technique is not exclusive to a \u201cransom note\u201d effect. You can take what you\u2019ve learned about creating irregular shapes and make titles similar to those I showed you last week<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And you don\u2019t have to be creating a title. You could just create a ransom alphabet of your own. If you should decide to do that, I would highly recommend that you keep the alphabet as both a PSD and a PNG file. With the PSD file you would have the flexibility to create alternate versions of the alphabet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This technique is more about thinking outside the box than creating a ransom note look! Just let your creative juices flow. You\u2019ll be amazed at what you can come up with \ud83d\ude0a<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You certainly don\u2019t have to use any of the \u201cransom\u201d fonts I listed above. It is entirely possible to use a mix of whatever fonts (upper and lowercase) that you have on hand. The ransom fonts just add some extra grunge to the letters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do use one of the \u201cransom\u201d fonts listed above, it is not a requirement to isolate only the letter the way I demonstrated. It certainly can be equally as much fun to use the text letters \u201cas is\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you think you\u2019ll want to recolor or clip papers to text letters, just be sure to type each letter individually (on its own layer). Otherwise, you\u2019d have to simplify the \u201cword\u201d and separate the letters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can and should experiment on your own with other ways to enhance the look of the irregular shapes. Try different filters, coloring techniques (like a gradient), layer styles\u2026even glitter if you like. It\u2019s your project so you can do whatever you like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you save words or letters as PNG files, I would highly recommend that you not apply any shadows at that point. I\u2019m a firm believer in not applying shadows until an element is on the actual layout!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever you decide to do with your fonts and shapes\u2026just have fun with them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for reading this week\u2019s Tuesday Tip. Remember, if you have any suggestions or questions please don\u2019t hesitate to “Message Me<\/a><\/strong>“. Check back next week for another interesting title option. Click \u201cFollow Me<\/a><\/strong>\u201d to stay in touch. I hope you have a wonderful week!<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Stay<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week I showed you how you to create a whimsical title using letter cut outs. That post made me a bit nostalgic for some old-time typography. While this post is not so much about a title as it is about typography, I am going to reintroduce you to another fun approach to a title. By looking at the featured image at the top of this post you may already be guessing what old typography I\u2019ll be discussing today \ud83d\ude09…<\/p>\n

Read More Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10864,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"0","landing_page":"","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tuesday-tip-day"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t