Framing using Adobe Photoshop Elements
Depending on how your photographs are going to be used, you can add framing to complement the design or enhance the composition.
If you were going to be using traditional frames you'd probably not need these extra effects as the frame would hide them. However, if you're creating postcards or greetings cards, or planning on framing pictures for use on a poster, or even using a large piece of perspex or glass to cover the entire photograph, then you can really use your creativity to add a little extra elegance.
We'll start off with a simple frame and take it from there. When you look at the following photograph, imagine that each edge or line you see on the picture is simply stacked up on the one below, rather like a pile of plates sitting on top of one another
Fig 1 - SUCCULENTS
- Using the dropper, pick a colour from the main photograph and then switch it to be the background at the bottom of your tools bar.
- Go to 'image' in the top menu bar, scroll down to 'resize' and then on to 'canvas size'. (If you select 'image size' you're going to increase the size of the photograph, whereas what's needed is a wider base for it to sit on which is why the selected colour is now waiting to be used as the background.)
- You'll see the 'canvas size' come up, and you then need to increase the width and height values in those boxes by 2 pixels each (i.e. one on each side of the photograph) and then save it.
- You now have a thin border of 1 pixel on each side of the photograph. Now you need to extend the canvas further to give it more emphasis - but in this particular I've chosen black as it complements the main subject.
- Select black as the background colour and then simply repeat paras. 2 and 3, but this time use something like 50 pixels each side so that you're increasing the canvas size by 100 pixels on the width and height.
Using black as a background for this type of picture really brings out the rich red of the succulents and focuses the viewer's eye on the composition of the photograph, and black also isn't going to distract from what's going on. Simple is best. The thin red one pixel line holds the whole thing together and contains the subject, without drawing attention to itself.
Now let's try a variation on that. Again, the idea is to keep it simple and not to draw too much attention to itself, whilst at the same time highlighting the subject of the photograph.
Fig. 2 BLUE AND GREEN
A very simple photograph showing the nice effect of the glaze on the cup and a nice contrast with the green at the base. You can use any colour you like but I've chosen black again.
Firstly use white as the background colour and give the photograph a 1 pixel border as above.
However, this time, instead of the increasing the canvas size by an equal amount on each side, we're only going to increase it by 2 pixels on the width, but about 60 pixels on the height, using black as the background. This will give you the 'letter box' effect and you can play around with the pixel ratios to find the shape that suits you.
Now we'll go for a spot of cut and paste and a text caption.
Fig 3 - PONT DES BEAUX ARTS
This photograph is full of subtle evening colour and my idea was to use a neutral colour for the background so as to enhance that overall mood. Black would have been too harsh, white would have been too bright, and any other pastel colour would have drawn attention to itself. So I've chosen a neutral grey.
Repeat steps 1-3 above, but this time using black as the one pixel inner border. However, this time we're going to copy the picture and place it on a new background - simply changing the pixel ratios on the canvas won't give us the wider space at the bottom.
First you need to know the dimensions of your photograph in pixels, so go to 'image' and 'resize', and just check the pixel sizes. I'd write them down!
Now go to 'select' and click all. Copy it to your clipboard.
Find a nice neutral grey and keep that as the background. Go to 'new', and create a new 'image' - using about 60 pixels extra to the original width measurements on each side and 80 pixels extra in depth. All you have to do now is 'paste' and the image you selected will appear in the middle. Now click on 'move' in your tools palette, and rather than physically move it up use your up button. This will keep it dead central whilst moving the top edge to fit it square on to the border. Now flatten all layers.
What you should have is the photograph with a grey border, with the bottom edge wider than the top edge.
Now to add text. Choose a text colour and make it the foreground colour rather than the background. Click on 'A' in your tools bar (the text facility), choose a font and size, and click on the photograph to activate the text. Type away. Be creative! I've put an extra space between each letter to space it out a bit.
Now go to 'layers' in the top right menu, and adjust the slider for the text layer if you want to so that you adjust the opacity of the text layer. Whizz it up and down to see the effect. When you're happy, just flatten the layers.
Fig 4 - OIGNON
The final photograph is simply a combination of all the above methods. The inner framing lines are simply 1 pixel borders, then a wider border of about 20 pixels, then another single line. Remember what I said about them being like plates in a pile, one on top of the other. I've used white as the background throughout, and used the dropper to find a soft colour from the photograph to keep the whole thing cohesive.
Once you've cut and pasted the image on to a much longer background, and given it enough space for text, then use your design skills to make this part of the whole image. I've chosen to use a fancy font in a large size and reduced the opacity to suit the overall look of the photograph.
Perfect as a postcard, a restaurant illustration, a logo, anything you like, creating a design idea rather than simply a photograph.
And that's it! Easy when you know how.
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Framing Photographs
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