Making Frames transparent

[docrob]

Hi and Merry Christmas,

Just trying to use a basic frame (to put around a picture) which i have downloaded off internet. When i use layers (i have a very very basic understanding, but learning fast!) unfortunately the middle of the frame is white and not transparent so i can't see the picture through it. I can select the white middle with magic wand and then hit delete which looks like it becomes transparent but still can't see picture through it. Do i have to save it as Tiff file first??

Some of the frames have blurred borders so i don't know if the magic wand tool is the correct tool (see attached file). What i really need is to layer the frame on a picture and then do something that converts all white pixels (inside the frame) to transparent, but also converts the off white/grey pixels to semi-transparent (if you see what i mean :-) )
i may be wrong but i don't think the magic wand will select it all correctly. I have attached a frame which will hopefully show what i mean.

one last thing, if you print a picture package and use the frames there seems to be quite nice ones (eg. the antique ones).
I can't seem to find these when i'm creating a new blank collage. Are they available when you edit pictures or just when printing?? I have looked in effect-frames but can't see a very good selection particularly.

thanks alot,

rob

[Mjausson]

Docrob, the attached frame is a jpeg. You're going to need the frame in another format, such as gif, that allows transparency. Were the frames not supplied in another format?

[jo]

Rob, is the frame the top layer? and is the photo right below it in the layer palette? If you delete the white from the center of the frame you should see what's just under it.

You can change the transparency of the frame layer by lowering the opacity (move the slider).

For framed pics inside a collage/montage/whateveryoucallit, you have to frame each pic separately, flatten it, select all and copy, then paste it to your new collage file. Just don't save the flattened individual pics in case you want to go back and change something else in a layer.

[docrob]

hi jo,

thanks so much for info. a little bit of direction and i'm getting there!!

i can now make frame transparent using magic wand and deleting the center but. the slight problem is with the frame i've attached, when you select white area (i appreciate you can add to selection/grow/similar) the cutoff is then abrupt. what i'd like to do is to blend the photo and frame .obviously some frames have a definate edge and so would be fine with this method, but i'd like the image to blend in with the frame. i found an image which i've attached which gives some idea of what i mean (couldn't find anything better, but i think it gives the idea).

is this easy??? i'm sure it's possible!

i know there's a blend tool but can you not select to make the pure white transparent and any off white/grey colours it will make them slightly less transparent (and black will be not transparent - can't think what the opposite oif transparent is :-) ), and therefore the edges should blend a bit.

merry christmas,

rob

[Wendy]

Hi there ...

I think that you missed the instruction page

Here it is :

http://www.graphicxtras.com/products/frames.htm

The instructions are down near the bottom ....

Wendy

[docrob]

hi wendy,

thanks for quick reply. i did look at the instructions but got lost! i'll have a good look again. is there not a setting for the magic wand which blends the edge accordingly??
wishful thinking probably

rob

[Wendy]

Rob ...

You can't use the magic wand on it ..

Try this ..

Open up the image you want to add it to and open up the frame
Drag the frame onto the image
andd size it to fit using the move tool
then set the blend mode for the frame layer to Multiply

That gives you a black border

If you want a white one then
after sizing it to fit the image
Do Image>Adjustment>Invert
and change the screen blending mode of the frame layer to screen


That should do it

Wendy

[docrob]

thanks alot wendy, i'm getting there. rob

[Wendy]

Rob ...

Took me a while to work it out .... frames are not something I use a lot

Where the frames are just in B&W with no semi transparent areas the using the magic wand will will work. If you then want to soften the edge a little then keep the selection active and do Select>Feather (just a small amount) before you do Edit>Clear


Wendy

[docrob]

Thanks Wendy (again!). Can I ask two more things please (i have been trying quite unsuccessfully to do these things for a while now!)

1. When printing a picture package, you get a choice of many frames. Can i access these frames when i'm doing a standard edit (eg. brushed antique rectangle is quite nice). I have tried to look in effects-frames but can't find the same ones that are in picture package.

2. When creating layers and making a collage can you save the changes you have made so far in a file, so you can return to it later. Rather than save the image as a jpeg (which will reduce quality if you have to open and edit again). I've been trying to do this for a while but haven't found how to.

Sorry if it's off topic but i thought you'd probably know.

Thanks,
Rob