Quick and easy border action/tutorial for PS

[Bobster]

there are too many steps in that..

start recording
1. The first border --- Image>Canvas Size -- click the Relative box and put 2px in for height and width, you'll see at the bottom of the dialogue box there's a box at the bottom for Canvas Extension Color, Select Black, hit ok

2. The second border --- Image>Canvas Size -- put 6px in both boxes and choose White for the Canvas Extension Colour, hit ok

3. The third border --- Image>Canvas Size -- put 50px in both boxes and choose Black for the Canvas Extension Colour, hit ok


Additional - before you do the above

1. resize image from high res -- File>Automate>Fit Image.. put 742 in both height and width (742, as alot of sites prefer 800px as the largest pixel size, if you choose 800, then the time you've added the border you'll be @ 850px)

2. Sharpening -- Filter>Sharpen>Sharpen, then

3. Edit>Fade Sharpen (60%, mode luminosity)

[coalcliff]

Thanks Bob... much easier for me but where is your music? lol.

[barosborough]

Bob, I agree that your way is quicker if you are just using black and white. But if you want full control over color then the op is nice. Canvas Size only allows you to use Black, White, or Grey. Just something to think about if you are going to record more actions in different colors.

Originally Posted by Bobster

there are too many steps in that..

start recording
1. The first border --- Image>Canvas Size -- click the Relative box and put 2px in for height and width, you'll see at the bottom of the dialogue box there's a box at the bottom for Canvas Extension Color, Select Black, hit ok

2. The second border --- Image>Canvas Size -- put 6px in both boxes and choose White for the Canvas Extension Colour, hit ok

3. The third border --- Image>Canvas Size -- put 50px in both boxes and choose Black for the Canvas Extension Colour, hit ok


Additional - before you do the above

1. resize image from high res -- File>Automate>Fit Image.. put 742 in both height and width (742, as alot of sites prefer 800px as the largest pixel size, if you choose 800, then the time you've added the border you'll be @ 850px)

2. Sharpening -- Filter>Sharpen>Sharpen, then

3. Edit>Fade Sharpen (60%, mode luminosity)

[Bobster]

Originally Posted by barosborough

Bob, I agree that your way is quicker if you are just using black and white. But if you want full control over color then the op is nice. Canvas Size only allows you to use Black, White, or Grey. Just something to think about if you are going to record more actions in different colors.

i guess you're using a different version of Photoshop to me then, because i can select any colour i like

[coalcliff]

I made this using Bobster's "borders for dummies" technique it is very easy.

[TheReal7]

Awesome Bobster. Another quick easy way to make borders. Although limited if you wanted to add beveled edges and stuff like that but still great. Thanks for adding.

[Bobster]

Originally Posted by TheReal7

Although limited if you wanted to add beveled edges and stuff like that but still great. Thanks for adding.

hey, the title says Quick and Easy

[offtheroad]

Very nice image.
I'm looking for a nice action for white museum quality beveled mats. Nothing colored They could have a black trim but of the quality you would see in a museum as opposed to arts & crafts.I'm using a Mac pro Intel, 5GB RAM Leopard 10.5.4 Photoshop CS3. Photographing with a Canon 5D and saving into Apple Aperture 2.1 Thank You.
jbechdel@comcast.net

[barosborough]

Originally Posted by Bobster

i guess you're using a different version of Photoshop to me then, because i can select any colour i like

I guess your right . Thanks for setting me straight.

[Bobster]

we learn something new every day

[newatthis]

Thanks for sharing!! So much easier when you say it then when I try to figure it out alone! lol Okay, heres my go. New to PS (CS2) and was playing with this pic before I ran into this!!...

[shilophoto]

wow ! that was easy ,, thank's

[flaneur]

Thanks for this tutorial. I am officially an action junkie now.

[flaneur]

Originally Posted by cvt01

Probably this is an easy to answer question but I just don't get how do you keep the proportions of an image with this border. I mean if I have a 6x4 image and I add the border to it with the technique described it will throw the proportions out since you adding the same amount of pixels to both the height and the width of the image. It wont be a 6x4 image anymore so it wont print nicely on a 6x4 paper...

Depends on whether you want the border to print on the 6x4. If you do, then for a border 25px on each side, subtract 50px from each dimension in image resize, then add 50px to each dimension (from the center) in canvas resize.

If you don't want the border on the 6x4, then you'd need to save multiple copies with and without the border. The action I set up (based off this thread) saves my original size as a PSD, a borderless copy as a JPG, and a framed copy as another JPG. All with a single button press

[flaneur]

Originally Posted by MG30D

^how is this done....does any one know? I understand it's probably just a simple white layer over the photo, but how do you create the cut outs?

(I'm referring to the attached image from above)

Forgive the delayed response, but nobody else has answered this. It is probably indeed a white layer above the photo. To create the cut outs, use the selection tool at a fixed ratio. Then hit the delete key or edit > cut to show part of the layer beneath. It helps to reduce transparency of the white layer on the layers palette, so you can see the layer underneath as you cut.

Incidentally, this is the same way you matte pictures to oval shapes, etc, but that would probably be a topic for another thread.