Making frames/borders?

[ufauxreal]

Is there a tutorial someplace on how to make a frame or border for an image. Right now I'd be happy to just learn how to do a thin line around the image.

Thanks!

Joan

[kevq]

Joan,
to put a line around an image -
Open your photo, make sure the layer is selected. Then go to Edit - Stroke - pick your colour and thickness and click OK.
Kev,

[msbrad]

Just to add to what Kev said, if you make a new blank layer (active) above the picture you wish to 'add' a frame to...then ctrl+click the thumb of the picture layer, and then do the edit > stroke > outline etc..it will keep the new frame on its own layer. Then...you can have lots of fun adding layer styles to it, and it doesn't affect the photo layer.
m

[rmartin]

Like the others have said, stroke/outline works well. You can actually get a lot of variations by doing it several times; each time changing colors and decreasing the border size.

[Ellen]

To add one more thing, if you use the stroke inside option the corners will stay square.

[ufauxreal]

Thanks so much to all of you. That is so cool... and so easy!!!

Am I correct that in order to add a border outside, I need to increase the canvas size? When I tried it without doing that, nothing happened. I see what you mean about square corners. In the image I tried it on, I am very tightly cropped so I had to do an outside border. In the future I will make allowance for adding an inside border.

Joan

[Wendy]

Hi Joan ...

Adding canvas to your image is a good way to make a frame but make sure that you double click on the background layer and rename it. (If you donlt then the extra space will automatically get filled with colour.)

Then create a new layer below what was the background layer and fill it with the colour of your choice ... try adding a layer style to it and experiment a little :)

Wendy

[ufauxreal]

Hi Joan ...

Adding canvas to your image is a good way to make a frame but make sure that you double click on the background layer and rename it. (If you don't then the extra space will automatically get filled with colour.)

Yup... that happened the first time I tried it... filled in the whole space with color. My solution at the time was to just decrease the size of the canvas.

Then create a new layer below what was the background layer and fill it with the colour of your choice ... try adding a layer style to it and experiment a little :)

Wendy

I REALLY need to take that layers course... I am still so shaky on using layers. Thanks for the suggestions... I will try them.

Joan

[Wendy]

Hi Joan ...

The layers course is really good ... layers are the key to using Elements so it really is worth taking the class :)

Wendy

[Aussie Nan]

Thanks for the question Joan. I could add a stroke, but didn't know how to apply styles to it. (Didn't know you could actually) Am thinking of doing the layers course myself, but would have to wait until I am on holidays to take advantage of it. Work is such an interference to my learning curve hehe
Toni

[Wendy]

Toni ...

I guess that we could do with more hours in the day :)

Wendy

[kmarie]

Thanks for the suggestions... I will try them.

[Wendy]

Hi kmarie ..

... and welcome to the Village :)

Do let us know how you go on with it

Wendy

[Siobhan]

Open your photo, make sure the layer is selected. Then go to Edit - Stroke


I must the dimmest person on the planet b/c I can't get this to work. When I open the photo, the background layer is selected. When I open the edit menu, the Stroke (Outline) Selection is grayed out and I can't use it. Ditto with creating a blank layer and trying to create a "frame" on the blank layer.

What am I doing wrong?

[Sepiana]

Hi Siobhan,

- Open your image.
- Go to Select > All (marching ants will be visible around the image edges).
- Create a new layer (this layer will now be the highlighted one).
- Apply the stroke.

[click]

On June 10th of this thread ufauxreal and Wendy mentioned a layers course. Please tell me more....

[mljrbg]

I believe they were talking about the Layers Class from Kelby Training. (http://www.kelbytraining.com/instructors/matt-kloskowski.html) I highly recommend it. I took it and it is well worth the $20. The layers class is taught by Matt Kloskowski. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and the layers class is the second from the bottom. You used to be able to try the first three lessons at no charge. I think you probably still can.

HPH

[click]

Thank you Mary Lou, I'll look into that!

[Bobbie Bluegill]

Just to add to what Kev said, if you make a new blank layer (active) above the picture you wish to 'add' a frame to...then ctrl+click the thumb of the picture layer, and then do the edit > stroke > outline etc..it will keep the new frame on its own layer. Then...you can have lots of fun adding layer styles to it, and it doesn't affect the photo layer.
m
I've never used a quote before so I hope this will work. If you do as above to get a "marching ant" selection on a new layer, then you go to Edit>modify>expand and expand your frame by 3 pixels less than you want your frame to be. Let's say you want a 30 pixel frame, then set expand to 27 pixels. Then do the edit > stroke > outline and check "inside" for the outline style and 30 pixels for the size. Then you will have a frame with a square corner that will overlap your photo just a tad which is a good thing.

I can see now, I should have written the directions in word and then done a copy-paste. I think I spent too much time with an open thread trying to word this correctly.

[cats4jan]

I should have written the directions in word

Yep, it's so much simpler to compose in Word or Notepad and paste. Especially, when one's eyesight is "hinky" and editing is easier if you use a larger font in Word. ;)

The up side to using Word? You can save your mini-tutorials in a folder and when you see the same question posed, you can copy/paste the answer for the new poster.