Please remember that these images remain the intellectual property of The Docherty Family and may not be used without permission. This tutorial is intended as an instructional piece featuring Photoshop 5.5 techniques that can be used for other graphic efforts and to illustrate the construction of these particular awards.

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All rights reserved.

Using the file created to form the beveled wood base, drag the other completed layers. Set the main plaque first to establish center and allow for adequate spacing below.

Now add the name plate. Link these two layers and align with the upper plate (Layer>Align Linked>Horizontal Center).

We prefer to attach our plates with screws instead of glue. In a separate file, create a 1-square pixel image the same color as the text and emboss the layer. Drag copies of that image to the four corners of the main plate and on each side of the name plate.

Since the plates have a certain thickness, we have to add a shadow to simulate this depth (Layer>Effects>Drop Shadow). The plates are fairly thin, so don't overdo it here. A distance of 2 and a blur of 2 works well. 

The image is now complete and ready for personalization. Choose a readable font when rendered (Verdana works well) and size based on need. Optimize the image and save as a jpeg file (the wood and brushed surface detail may be lost as a gif file.)