Recessed Frame & Marquee Tool

[rdeihl]

Help!

I have just 'upgraded' to 5...one thing I do with almost all my portraits is place the portrait on a larger canvas. (5x7 pic / 8x10 can)

Then I take the rect marquee tool and make a box around the picture (varying sizes depending on what effect I'm after).

With 5 the tool 'snap' to a preset cut when I apply the Recessed Frame tool!?

That is: If I put a 5x7 pic on the 8x10 canvas, no matter how I place the rectangel...it automatically creates it to the size of the canvas at a 'normal' setting...like...one inch on all sides.

If I create a 4x7 canvas...it snaps to fit that in a standard placement for that size!

I have tried every trick I know...HELP!

Thanks in advance,

R~

[kevq]

R,
I'm not to clear about what you are saying.
I you mean that you just have a photo on the screen and apply a frame well that is what happens. If you have a background and try to insert a frame it will put a frame around the background. I create a new layer before I insert the first frame, this puts the frame on the background and the then I trash the empty layer.
Hope this helps.
Kev.

[rdeihl]

Hey there...well...my pal that uses this all the time said Someone would respond...Nice!

Thought my overview might not be clear...

Lets say I create a new canvas at 8x10. Then I drag a portrait onto the layer.

I center the picture (or off-center it) then...

I put the marquee tool around the picture, just enough larger so drop shadow soft isn't cut off...then...

I go to Effects and select Reccessed Frame and double clik. In E4 it would create a matt bevel effect exaclty where I place the box around the portrait...now with E5...the effect is 'snapped' to a standard distance, based upon the size of the original...like you would find in a frame store if you bought an 8x10 Matt with a 5x7 opening? I have never had to create new layers, you have to flatten at each step...so no tossing of any layers either?

Better? Thanks so much, R~

[TonyW]

I didn't realise that there was a recessed frame (selection) in PSE5 (where exactly do you see it?). Maybe it was there and I over-wrote it as I moved the frames from PSE4 over to PSE5 (after a little modification to make them work right). If you want to send me a PM with an email address I'll send you the set of frames from PSE4 with instructions on where to put them in PSE5.

Tony

[TonyW]

I found it! and yes it does work differently - the one in PSE4 puts the frame around the selection (there's the word selection in the frame name) - the one in PSE5 doesn't. But my offer stands - send me a PM.

Tony

[rdeihl]

Tony,

Thanks so much...maybe it has just simply changed its functionality? Dang it!

Sorry, new to all this, what's PM? Would if I could!?

Thanks again,

Robert

[TonyW]

Sorry - abbreviation - Private Message - click on my name and you'll see an option to send one to me (include an email address I can send a zip file to).

Tony

[billz]

Tony & Kev -

I talked to R~ in person earlier today. It seems really strange that 5.0 would restrict the size/shape of the effect, but not having 5.0 I was of less help than usual. I thought perhaps his marquee tool was set to 'fixed aspect ratio', but that doesn't seem to be the case. Thanks to both of you for your help.

Here's my example of the effect he's trying to acheive.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1I0LhJOapXM5zBiw7GGw0t2s26i99_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1I0LhJOapXM5zBiw7GGw0t2s26i99)



Bill

[GaryK]

I just messed around a bit and although I couldn't quite get the effect or change the width of the effect. I tried putting the recessed frame (photo effect) on a blank layer.. then I could move/resize or whatever I wanted to.

Not sure it this helps.:)

[TonyW]

Gary: That would do it. What the PSE4 one does is use a selection you've made to make a frame edge. In PSE5 they left that step out of the action and it just selects all and makes the frame edge. Like you say you can work around it - another would be to copy the selection to a new layer and then it will put the frame just round the selection (which is the way the PSE4 one works). It's actually a pretty simple action and you can do it do it manually in a couple of steps which would give you more control - it's basically a stroked selection with a Gaussian blur.

Tony

[GaryK]

Tony

To be honest, I had never looked at it before now, in either version. I wasn't even sure I had the right effect.
It did seem kind of pointless in 5?? Like you said, a stoke with a blur.