Sig-making sticky, [Do you need it?]

[Mai Ikari]

Alright, since we're constantly getting "How do I make a sig"-type threads here, it only makes sense to create a master walkthrough and sticky it. Poll runs for a month, so don't miss your chance to vote.

If you've got any suggestions for inclusions in the walkthrough, post 'em.


Basic idea:
- Description of what's usually in a sig and a couple example images.
- Walkthrough images of the process of making a sig in, say, The GIMP.
- Link to The GIMP download page and install walkthrough.
- Extra stuff... I dunno, post something.

I'll post a draft of this when I get home... Stupid school admins blocking all install programs so I'm short one GIMP here.

 

[Lokkin]

Great idea, Mai, I've been looking to make a sig for ages, I'll probably just use a mini version of my fomor hume drawing,

 

[oraga]

hmmm i would make sigs but i dont have Photoshop and im not sure if what i do will support makeing a sig.

 

[Lokkin]

Actually, I could help if you'd like sketches of your charrys ^^ send some screenshots and I'll try my best

Currently working on:

Fomor Hume
Jender <3

 

[Sabia]

Yeah I'll work on makin a detailed explanation and sticky it

But if Mai Ikari has a good one in mind I"ll sticky that one...less work! :twisted:

 

[Lokkin]

lol Sabs

 

[Mai Ikari]

Normally I'd be posting said draft now, but I kinda got sidetracked on the way home, stopped by Newberry Comics, and picked up Ghost in the Shell: Man-Machine Interface and Innocence, so... Yea, been doing that all this time. I'll have one tomorrow, promise! m(__)m

(Brain still hurts from all that existential stuff, though I regret nothing!)

 

[Amidamaru]

nice idea cause i want 2 make one along time ago

 

[Sabia]

It's okay Mai! Take you're time!!

8)

 

[Mai Ikari]

*glances up at the massive sig of Amidamaru*

Should probably mention... "Please keep Signature images to no larger than 550x200 pixels, and no larger than 50kb in file size." That monster's 652x492 and 61.86kb, you just might wanna do something about that.

 

[Sabia]

I've sent a PM informing him of the probs with his sig....Wow that thing is huge

 

[Lanien]

I'd be willing to put my sig working into use if anyone needs. I have dabbled in Photoshop for a few years now. If anyone needs anything done, feel free to ask, and I'll try to hook you up.

Forgot to put examples of my work: http://www.thecontactlair.com/images/

 

[Mai Ikari]

Alright, basic drafty thing to give you an idea of what I'm talking about for a walkthrough (Remember, we're trying to teach these people how to make their own)

I'm not doing {IMG}, because it'd be a definate 56k warning if I did, and can't change the topic name now.

Avatar and Signature images - please read
Please keep Avatar images to no larger than 100x100 pixels, and no larger than 10kb in file size.
Please keep Signature images to no larger than 550x200 pixels, and no larger than 50kb in file size.

The sig is 400x200 pixels, 18k to give you an idea of what the dimensions mentioned above really mean. This is the sig created in this walkthrough.

Sigs really arn't that hard to make, it's just a lot of copy and paste with some cleaning up of the images you're C&Ping.

Okay, starting off... First, download The GIMP from http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/stable.html , you need the GTK+ 2 runtime environment and GIMP 2.2.3 (or whatever version's listed). GTK installs first, then GIMP. After that, start The GIMP. It'll punt you to a screen that looks something like this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/mainscreen.jpg

File - New, set dimensions to 400x200, landscape view.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/new.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/blank.jpg

Open up an image you want to have in your sig, in this case a fanart. Select the part you want in it, right click, Edit - Copy, right click again, Edit - Paste as New

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part1.jpg

Repeat as needed, in this case for the background.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part2.jpg

This wouldn't look right as a background, so we need to flip it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part3.jpg

Paste, background first.

If you try to paste on top of the background directly, it'll look like this.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part4-a.jpg

And obviously that ain't right. So, hit Z to activate the Select contiguous regions Tool. In english, that means it's a smart select, choosing anything similarly colored to the part you click on, as long as it's in contact with the part you click on. The Select regions by color Tool does roughly the same thing, except it selects everything in the image that color. Ctrl - K will clear your selection, in other words Delete.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part4-b.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part4-c.jpg

Now that's something we can work with, paste away.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part5.jpg

Next, we need a name in this thing. So click the text Tool, click where you want your text, and start typing.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part7.jpg

Now for this sig, off to MS Word. Why? Because The GIMP doesn't support Japanese input for whatever reason.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part8.jpg

Turn IME, and in goes the JP text.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part9.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part10.jpg

Take a PrintScreen, then open it up in The GIMP.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part11.jpg

Look clean? Well, unfortunately it isn't, so we gotta zoom in and clean up all the off-color pixels. Here's where that Select region by color Tool comes in.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part12.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part13.jpg

Much better. Now, copy and paste as new, and use the color Tool to remove any white that might have been missed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part14.jpg

Don't worry, just about done. Next, we needa figure out where to put the text. So use the Select rectangular regions Tool to measure out how much room you have.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part15.jpg

Lastly, scale the image to the size you got. Don't forget to click the chain that says Keep aspect ratio, otherise it'll come out looking pretty strange.
(And of course that's the one screen I forgot to get. >_< )

Paste your text in, and you're done.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/Sig walkthrough/part16.jpg

Just needa save. File - Save as, select the folder you want it in (Browse for other folders), type in the name with extension (Siggy.jpg), then find yourself an image host, upload it, and put it in your sig.


So, how'd I do? Make sense enough? Any suggestions?

 

[asiamise]

/clap


Well done Mai ^^

 

[oraga]

Hey if anyone knows of Metasequoia they know that it can view models from model viewer and export them i tryed exporting so i can view the model on 3ds max but it just didnt let me so question one.

Is there a program for 3ds max 7 i can use so i can use MQO files because this is getting annoying and ill finally beable to make sigs....its incompletle without being able to add what i need.

So if anyone knows how to get a MQO file to work on 3ds max 7 please PM me or EMAIL or aim MSN me ASAP!

 

[Mishaela]

Unfortunately...I'm far, far, far far far too stupid to understand what the hell all of those instructions meant, so I absolutely failed at my attempt to make anything remotely close to that. It'd seem that life is a game that I failed before even putting in the quarter.. ¬¬;

I need one of those computers for dummies books or something..

 

[barlok]

Awesome post Ikari....only thing is maybe you should add an instuction on how to get the images over to QCDN from an application like photobucket.For those of us (like me) who have images ready but are too stupid to figure out how to get them over here! Please forgive my noobness......and help me please.

 

[Mai Ikari]

Sorry Mishaela, not sure I can help you much... Hey, at the very worst, if several hours of monkying around in GIMP doesn't get you anywhere, just ask someone at QCDN to make it for you.


Okay, Photobucket walkthrough... This part's easy.

Head to Photobucket.com, and sign yourself up for an account. Check your e-mail, click the activate account link, and go sign in. Upload your image, then click the box below the image labled Img.

Copy that text into your signature line (Under Profile on the top of the page), the one that says "This is a block of text that can be added to posts you make. There is a 255 character limit".

See these images:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/prof1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/mai_ikari/prof2.jpg
if you're confused about the Profile bit.