Digital Tutorials - Page 15

Frames

There are several ways to make or use frames in Paint Shop Pro, and the tutorials below will show you how to create your own frame from a shape, how to apply pre-made PSP frames to images, and how to create a metallic heart cut-out frame.

In the tutorial on page pebbles, I showed how to use a premade element as a frame for the design. But suppose you want to create your own?

Frame from a Shape:

(Image 1)
1. Open a transparent image
2. Click your Ellipse Tool on the ToolBar
3. Set your Foreground color to any one you choose and your Background color to null
4. Set your line width to a large number, like 20
5. Draw your oval
6. Click the oval with the Magic Wand to select it
7. Fill the oval with a gold color or pattern, or even a gradient
8. Click the Effects Menu, 3D, Inner Bevel, and choose a bevel style

On Image 2 I used Bevel #1 at the default settings.









On Image 3 I used Bevel #12 and played around with the settings a little.









And of course you're not limited to ovals - choose any of your shapes. On Image 4 , I used a heart, filled with a pastel gradient, and applied Bevel #1.






Here's another frame idea. (Image 5)

1. Create a transparent image, any size
2. Fill with the gold-foil pattern (or any color)
3. Using your Preset Shape Tool, draw a heart in the center of the image in any color
4. Click the heart with the Magic Wand to select it
5. Choose Selections Menu, Modify, Expand, and enter 1 (this will make sure that none of the heart color is left on your image)
6. Delete, and you will be left with a heart-shaped hole in the center
7. Choose Selections Menu, Invert (now your frame image is selected)
8. Choose Effects Menu, 3D, Inner Bevel and OK, using the default settings
9. Ctl + D will Deselect your image and you now have your gold frame

To add a picture, just drag the photo onto the frame, and in your Layer Pallette, drag the photo under the frame.

I followed steps 1-7 for the Silver frame (Image 6) , filling the frame with white instead of the gold foil pattern. I then applied Flaming Pear's Silver filter, playing with the sliders until I found an image I liked.

These can be printed on photo paper, cut out and attached to your card or layout. Attach with foam tape if you want more dimension.

Now for the easy stuff. To add a premade frame to your photo in Paint Shop Pro, just open your photo, click the Image Menu, Picture Frame, and your Frame Dialog box opens.(Image 7) Click the small arrow next to the visible frame and you can see all the choices available. I chose the gold frame and clicked OK. (Image 8)

I opened a clip art image, surrounded it with a burgundy oval frame and printed on heavyweight cardstock. (For directions on making the card, click here

The background of this image was a dark blue which didn't go with my selected paper. Following are the steps for deleting the background and adding a gradient background:

1. Select background with Magic Wand (you may have to play with the tolerance, and hold down the Shift key while clicking to add areas).
2. Expand selection by 2 or 3
3. Invert (this will now select your image)
4. Contract by 2 and Feather by 3 (this will ensure a smoother blend between image and background)
5. Invert again so your background is selected
6. Use the Eyedropper to choose a beige and burgundy color from the paper as foreground and background, and set your gradient to Foreground-background
7. Fill the background with the gradient.
8. Deselect and save

Published in SSReflections On-Line Ezine