This tutorial was written by me on April 11, 2021. The results are of my own imagination.  Any resemblance to another tutorial is purely coincidental.  

Please DO NOT claim this tutorial as your own.

This was written assuming you have a working knowledge of PS.

Please keep in mind that I write the tutorial as I am creating it.

Sometimes I may not explain properly where to place things so please see my example if you are ever in doubt :)

Supplies needed

I am using Adobe Photoshop 2021 but this tutorial should work with any version.

You can download the 7 day trial of PS here.

PTU Tube:  I am using Barbara Jensen's beautiful new layered tube "Fluff" from package 124.  Please do not use this tube without a proper license. 

You can purchase this beauty at Barbara's store here.

PTU Kit:  I am using a gorgeous kit called "Softly Steaming" created by Pink Paradox Productions.  This kit is available for purchase at Barbara's store here.

PTU Animation:  I am using Kiya Designs awesome animation 320 from pack 104 and animation 2 from pack 1.  You can purchase her awesome animations at Barbara Jensen's store here and here.

Mask: 81 and 85 by Vivienne's Painbox. Thank you for your awesome masks.  You can download it from her blog here. I am using the png version for this tutorial.  

Please see Rene's Animation How-to for PS here.  

Font of choice for your name. 

Plug in: None

Drop shadow of choice.

Please read all the Artist's/Designer's TOU.

To open an image, I click on the element or paper in the file folder and drag it into PS.

To transfer an element or paper in PS to my tag, I left click and drag it into my working canvas.  

The other way is to left click and drag the element from the folder right onto your tag. 

Either way you will get the same results :).  I will be using the both method for this tutorial.

For resizing and rotating I use the Ctrl+T command.

To mirror or Flip go to Edit, Transform, Flip Horizontal (mirror) or Flip vertical (Flip).

Remember to save your tag often in case PS crashes.  I always save my tags as a psd image.  It keeps all the layers and if you make tags for others you will always have the template.

Let's get started.

Open a new 800x800 transparent image.  We will resize later.

Go to layers, New fill layer, solid color.  When the pop up window appears type in FFFFFF and click ok.

Drag Vivienne's mask 81 into the tag.  Resize 31% and move to the upper right of the canvas.

Drag paper 37 into the tag.  Holding down the shift key, drag the corners of the paper up and down until it fits the canvas.  Click the check mark.

Standing on the paper layer, right click the layer and select create a clipping mask.

Drag Vivienne's mask 85 into the tag.  Resize 40% and move to the bottom left of mask 81.

Drag paper 26 into the tag.  Click the check mark and move over the mask so no part of the mask is showing.

Standing on the paper layer, right click the layer and select create a clipping mask.

Drag element 154 into the tag. Click the check mark, mirror and move to the top right of the mask.

Drag frame 22 into the tag. Resize 56% and move to the top right of the mask.

Drag element 90 into the tag. Resize 28% and move to the top right of the mask.

Drag element 5 into the tag. Click the check mark and move to the lower right of element 90.

Drag element 74 into the tag. Resize 66% and move to the top left of the mask.

Drag element 123 into the tag. Resize 34% and move to the top left of the mask.

Drag element 96 into the tag. Resize 70% and move to the top right of the mask.

Drag element 63 into the tag. Resize 56% and move to the lower left side of the shutters.

Drag element 136 into the tag. Click the check mark, mirror and move to the right side of the shutters.

Drag element 29 into the tag. Resize 62% and move to the bottom of the shutters.

Drag element 135 into the tag. Click the check mark and leave it where it is.

Drag element 81 into the tag. Resize 56% and move to the lower left of the mask.

Drag element 66 into the tag. Resize 26% and move to the top left of the caffe sign.

Drag element 56 into the tag. Resize 42%, rotate -20 degrees and move to the bottom right of element 81.s

Drag element 56 into the tag. Resize 44% and move to the top left of mask 85.

Drag element 4 into the tag. Resize 27% and move to the bottom left of the books.

Drag element 155 into the tag. Resize 57% and move to the bottom center of the shutters.

Drag element 113 into the tag. Resize 31%, mirror and move to the bottom right of element 155.

Drag element 42 into the tag. Resize 73%, mirror and move to the bottom left of the shutters.

Drag element 22 into the tag. Resize 35% and move to the bottom right of the record player.

Drag element 30 into the tag. Resize 19% and move to the bottom right of the coffee bean bag.

Drag element 20 into the tag. Resize 45% and move to the bottom right of the record player.

Select the layers you would like to use on your tube by clicking on the eyeball to make the layers visible.  

Click on the eyeball of a visible layer to hide it.  Holding down the Ctrl key, Select each visible layer. 

Once all layers are selected hit Ctrl+G on your keyboard to group the layer.  Select your move tool and select group 1.  

Drag this into your tag.  You can close the original and do not save the changes.  

Standing on group 1 in the layer pallet, right click and convert to smart object.  Your group layers are now one single layer.  

Hit Ctrl+T on the keyboard and click on the link between the H & W.  Resize 60% and move to the bottom of the mask.  See mine for placement.

Drag element 2 into the tag. Resize 33% and move to the bottom right knee of the tube.

Drag element 16 into the tag. Resize 22% and move to the bottom left knee of the tube.

Drag element 17 into the tag. Resize 24% and move to the bottom center of the tube's hands.

Drag element 14 into the tag. Resize 29% and move to the bottom center of the cupcake.

Add any other elements you like and make any adjustments to the layers.

Crop away any extra space.  

Image, Image Size and resize 650 on the longest side.  

Oh almost forgot we need to drop shadow all of our elements.

Select the element on the bottom of your tag in the layer pallet and double click it.

A layer style window will pop up.  Click on Drop shadow. and use the following settings.

Now right click on the layer you just applied the drop shadow.  Click copy layer style.

Now click on the layer above and hold down the shift key, click on the top layer.  Right click and paste layer style.    Drop shadow complete :)

Add your copyright and name.

If you do not want to animate.  Hide the white background layer Save your tag and export as png.

Might want to grab a coffee :)

Select the tube layer.  Right click and duplicate.  On the duplicate, right click and clear layer style.  Go to Filter, Blur, Gaussian blur set to 3 and click ok.  Change the blend mode to soft light.

Open Kiya Designs 320 psd file in PS.  You will notice that there is 25 layers in this animation and it does not have the group layer.  That is ok as we are going to learn how to do this so it matches the animation layers of the tube.

We need to group all the layers.  Starting from layer 25, hold down your control key and select each odd layer so the next one will be 23 then 21 etc.  Once all the odd layers are selected (the layers will be highlighted in blue) we need to group them.  

Go to Layers, Group layers or Ctrl+G on the keyboard.  You will see group 1 folder at the top. Make sure Group 1 is selected.

Select the layer you would like the animation to be placed.  I selected element 63.

Back to the animation.  Click on Group 1 and drag it into your tag.  Ctrl+T and resize 30%.  Move to a spot you like best.  I moved it to the top center of the shutters.  Rename group 1 Coffee animation.

Close the original animation and don't save changes.

Click on the little white arrow beside Coffee animation to expand it.  Click on the eyeball of each layer to hide it but leave frame layer 1 visible.  Click on the arrow beside group one to hide it as we do not want to accidentally make any changes.

Next...Open Kiya's animation 2 psd file in PS.  This animation has 8 layers.  Select Frame 8 then hold down the shift key and select frame 1.  This will select all the layers.

On your keyboard, hit Ctrl + G to group the ani.  

Select element 42 layer on your tag.

Back to the heart animation.  Click and drag it into your tag.  Resize 15% and move to the left of the record player.  Rename this group Heart animation.  Right click and paste layer style on the group folder.

Click on the little white arrow beside heart animation to expand it.  Click on the eyeball of each layer to hide it but leave frame layer 1 visible.  Click on the arrow beside group one to hide it as we do not want to accidentally make any changes.

Next make sure your Timeline viewer is open on the bottom of PS.  I you do not see a row that has Timeline on the bottom, go to Windows, Timeline.

Next is animating.

Click on the little icon (four lines) at the right end of the animation screen then select make frames from layers.

You are going to see a big mess in the Timeline viewer but we are going to fix this.

Click on the first frame and click on the trash can in the Timeline window.  Repeat this until you reach the first frame of the animation.  

Now you should be at the first frame of the animation.  Click on frame 14 and hit the trash can.  Repeat for all the remaining frames.  You should be left with 13 frames in the animation window.  This is the amount of frames for our coffee animation.

This next step is very important.  Any changes you do from here you must be on frame 1 in the animation window. Unless otherwise stated.

Go to the bottom of your tag in the layers pallet.  Make sure animation frame 1 is selected in your timeline.

Click on the eyeball beside each layer to make it visible.  For the white base layer you may have to click on it a couple of times to make it visible in all the animation frames.  It's a Photoshop thing.  

Do not touch the group layer.

All your layer in the layer pallet should be visible except the Heart animation as we did not touch it Right?  Ok good.

Select frame one in the Timeline window.  Click on the box with the + sign next to the trashcan to duplicate this frame.  You should have 14 frames.

You should have frame 2 selected in the timeline window.  This is what we want.  You will need to pay close attention to the next steps.

With frame 2 selected, expand your heart ani and unhide the group and frame 1.

Now select frame 1 in the timeline and delete it by hitting the trashcan.  You should have 13 frames again.

Here is where the fun begins.  We have 13 animation frames but only 8 heart animation frames.  We are going to start selecting each animation frame in the timeline.

Select the following frames and unhide the heart animation frames as follows:

Timeline frame 2 - Heart animation frame 1

Timeline frame 3 - Heart animation frame 1

Timeline frame 4 - Heart animation frame 2

Timeline frame 5 - Heart animation frame 3

Timeline frame 6 - Heart animation frame 4

Timeline frame 7 - Heart animation frame 5

Timeline frame 8 - Heart animation frame 6

Timeline frame 9 - Heart animation frame 7

Timeline frame 10 - Heart animation frame 8

Timeline frame 11 - Heart animation frame 1

Timeline frame 12 - Heart animation frame 1

Timeline frame 13 - Heart animation frame 1

Select frame 1 in the Timeline so we don't accidently make any changes.

Next, I want to slow down the animation.  With the first frame selected in the animation window, hold down the shift key and click on frame 13.  This will select all the frames.

Next, click on the little black arrow beside the 0 sec as we want to change the speed.  A pop up window will appear.  

I selected 0.2 Sec.  Now click on the play button to view the animation.  Click on it again to stop it.

Click frame 1 again so we don't accidentally make any changes.

Now to save our tag as a gif.

Go to File>Export>Save for Web(Legacy).

A new pop up window will appear.  Change the settings to my screen shot below.  Click on the image to enlarge it if needed.  Click save.  My screen shot will look different but the settings are the same for animating.

I hope you have enjoyed my tutorial.  I would love to see your results.