Add your own frames to images.

[Codebreaker]

There is a way in LR to add your own frames and borders around an image. In LR 1 you can only do this to Prints as it's done at the print stage but in LR2 which has Print to File you can at least make a JPEG of your image.

This is for LR2 but I think LR would be the same but without Print to File.

1. In Elements make a Frame or Border which has the same pixel dimensions as the image and has a white inner area.

2. Change the Background Layer to a regular layer.

3. With the Magic Want select and delete all the White. Set option to Non-contiguous if you want transparency in the frame itself.

4. Save this as a PNG.

5. Open Lightroom select the image and go to the Print Module.

6. Choose the Overlay panel and turn on the Identity Plate.

7. At the bottom of the Identity Plate thumbnail click on the Down Arrow at the bottom right and select Edit.

8. When the Identity Plate Editor window pops up select the 'Use a graphical identity', then click on Locate File and choose your frame image. Click OK

9. Position and scale accordingly.

10. Print or Print to File.

Here's an example.

[ShaneM]

I've seen this, it's quite good, I don't even think you need to make your frame the same size as the picture as you can morph it in LR to fit, as you mention.

The problem in 1.x though is that you can't get it into a JPG (that I'm aware of), just a PDF. In 2.beta you can print to JPG which I assume leaves you with an image with a lot more data in it.

If all you want is a simple border in 2.beta you can just use the stroke function and you don't even need to mess with the identity plate thingy.

Good tip,
Shane.

[Codebreaker]

It's a bit of a novelty thing and I can't see using it seriously since you can do better in PS.

BTW: The only thing you can do with the Identity Plate is scale it so you need to get the aspect ratio correct - which is why I said use the image pixel dimensions.

Colin