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


Du will need an image editing program. I use Corel Paint Shop 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 Du 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 Weiter time.



Images for the banner

Now open up the Bilder Du 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 Bilder to fit

Du may have to resize these Bilder 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 Bilder 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 Artikel 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 Du 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 Du find it.

Open the Resize tool. It should give Du 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 Du don't resize it to exactly the height of your banner is because you'll want to give yourself some leeway to Bewegen 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 oben, nach oben oder bottom of the banner.




Adding Bilder to the banner

So Du 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 Du 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 Du can Bewegen it wherever Du like with the Move tool. Just click and drag the image to the position Du want.

Repeat this process with all of your images.


Editing your banner

So now all of your Bilder 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 Bewegen 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 Vorschau of what the effect is going to look like. Du don't want it to be too bright because then the dark Farben will look washed out and grainy. Du don't want too much contrast oder the darks will schlucken the lights. Play around with the levels until Du find something Du like.

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

There are many different tools located in the 'Adjust' menu that Du 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 Bilder 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 Bilder you're using, the settings for each one might be different. Again, this just requires Du to play around until Du can make it work. In the advanced section I'll give tips for making the Bilder in a banner Mehr cohesive in tone.


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


Advanced

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

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

Now we are venturing into Mehr 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.
Du 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] Du won't want the opacity at 100% because the edges will be too hard [like in the first sample image].
Du 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 Mehr 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 Du make a mistake.


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

You're going to need the Eraser tool. It will look like a pencil eraser. Du can change the size and opacity, just like Du 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 Bilder and getting rid of some negative space.


You'll notice that this has freed up some space. Du can now rearrange these Bilder and maybe add more. As Du Bewegen them closer together, Du can see how some of them might fit together even better Von erasing sections of the image. As Du 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 oben, nach oben oder beneath one another. Du can see the order of your layers Von 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 Du may not need to open it.]
It's just a little window that shows the layers [each image Du added] one on oben, nach oben of the other. Du can Bewegen them up oder down as Du 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. Du 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 Du are unable to do that the simplest other way of doing it just to create another image in the exact dimensions Du need, then copy and paste it as a new layer like Du did your other images.

Once Du have your plain black layer, make sure it's on oben, nach oben 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 Du get to choose a color. Du may have noticed the color palette on the right hand side of your workspace. It will offer Du many choices. After you've picked one, just click on the black layer with the Fill tool and there Du go.

Now for the fun part! In the Layer Palette Du 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 Zeigen through better and make the effects Mehr subtle, if Du 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 Mehr creepy, a little Mehr funky. The banner is still cohesive but the mood is different.


Adding text

For the finishing touch, Du 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 oder an A]. When Du 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 oben, nach oben of your workspace oder in the color palette.
When Du type usually a Vorschau 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 Du 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 Du can Bewegen each word independently into the position Du desire. Which makes it easier to fit the text around the objects in your banner if Du need to. In order to add them as separate layers, type one word in the box and add it: then select the oben, nach oben layer of the banner and add another word. Repeat for every word. Otherwise it will group them all together as one layer and when Du try to Bewegen them, it will Bewegen them all.


Please proofread your text before you're finished. There are online dictionaries that can help Du with spelling if Du need it. There's nothing Mehr sloppy-looking than a banner with poor spelling and that kind of ruins the point of all the hard work Du 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 Du 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

oder Du can just use these templates! But make sure to download the full sizes Von clicking on the image.



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