Welcome to the Odds N Ends Plugin Filter Tutorial
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Create a couple of folders to put the downloaded filters into. Here is an example of how I have mine set up. I use one folder called Plugin Filter Zips to put all of the original downloaded files into. This has come in handy a couple times when I have had computer trouble and such. This would be the folder that you keep backed up.
Now create a second folder called Plugin Filters. This is the one that you will unzip or install the filters into. It will be the directory that PSP recognizes. By the way, if you have Photoshop too, just create this one folder and both programs will share them from the same folder just fine when they know where to look.
Ok, now if you don't have Winzip...get it HERE.
Now you can download some filters. There are a bunch of them out there. Some need to be registered like the Alien Skin and Metatools filters, (that's Eye Candy and KPT3 among others). But, there are free plugins too. On my LINKS page you will find links to some of the filters. The Jasc site has others.
Here is the link to one of the most popular sites... The Filter Factory
Just download one or two of the zips and finish this installation tutorial. You can go back later and download all you want! OH, be sure to get the MSVCRT10.dll file that is near the bottom of the page and save it to the same folder as we will explain next.
When you click on the "Download Now!" link, you will see this window pop up. Click 'Save File'.
The Save As window will pop up and then you need to browse your way to the Plugin Filter Zips folder you created a few minutes ago. When you see the correct folder in the Save In field, click the Save button.
Now open Windows Explorer and go to the Plugin Filter Zips folder you just save the files to. Once you have Winzip installed, it will open automatically when you double click on the zip file. I prefer Winzip Classic and will describe that configuration.
Click on the Extract button and the Extract window will pop up. Browse to the second folder that we created called Plugin Filters, and click on the Extract button.
Follow step 8 for all of the filters you downloaded. I have learned the value of having the original files in their original state in a separate directory! When you get to the MSVCRT10.dll things change a bit. This dll file gets extracted to the Windows and Windows/System folders.
All done? Good! Like the Win95 frog says...Re-Boot!
Now open PSP. Go to File|Preferences|General Program Preferences.
When you get to the Preferences window, click on the Plugin Filters tab. This picture shows my set up, but you will browse to the folder where you have unzipped the filters to. Click OK.
Just for giggles...shut down PSP and open it again. Open a new image window. This makes the Image menu available. Go to Image and you should see a Plug-in Filters option at the bottom. At least a "Loading Plug-in Filters" message. When you click that option your plugin filters should display on a separate menu.
For filters with an installation utility, like Eye Candy and KPT3, when you are given the option to specify a directory to install into, choose the same folder as all of the other plugin filters.
One other note. You may get to the point of having more filters than PSP will accept in one folder. So, in such cases, create another plugin folder... in the same place as the original. Just name this one Plugin Filters 2 or somesuch. Now all you do is go back to the General Program Preferences to designate that folder to use that group of filters.
