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PHO•211 Photographic Imaging 2

Exercise: Creative Frames

Black Border

1. Open an image.
2. Set the background color to black.
3. Choose Image > Canvas Size
4. Expand the canvas to accommodate the border (try 4–10px).
5. That should do it. However, if your image is on a transparent layer, you will need to add a new layer below the image. Fill it black.

Black Border with a Drop Shadow

1. Open an image.
2. Follow the steps for making a black border above.
3. Make sure the image has a transparent background (if the bottom layer is called background, double-click on it to turn it into a transparent layer).
4. Expand the canvas again to accommodate the drop shadow. How much you add depends on the size of the shadow you plan to add. Try adding about 1/4 to 1/2 inch to the right and bottom sides only (unless you want to have the shadow on the left and/or top).
5. Select the layer with the black border. In the layers palette, add a drop shadow effect. Adjust the shadow position according to your image.

Pinstripes

1. Open an image.Make sure your image is on a transparent layer (double-click on the background layer).
2. Expand the canvas by 2-10 pixels (depending on image size and desired effect).
3. Add a new layer at the bottom and fill it with black (or white).
4. Expand the canvas again by a few pixels.
5. Add another layer at the bottom. Fill it with the opposite color to what you used in step 3 (so if started with black, choose white).
6. Keep exanding and adding layers, alternating the colors until you feel you've achieved your desired effect.
7. Hint: white lines usually look better if they are thinner than the black ones.
8. You can also experiment with colors. Sample a major color in the image and use that as a stripe.

Picture Border

1. Open an image in Photoshop
2. Add a white border using the methods described above in 'Black Border.' Make sure the border is a good size—between 1/4 to 2 inches wide depending on the size of the image.
3. To see the border against a white background (like on this page) expand the canvas (make sure the layer is transparent) and add a drop shadow. Expand the canvas on all four sides.
4. Enlarge the size of the shadow enough to see it on all four sides.

Double Matte frame

1. Open an image in Photoshop. Make sure your image is on a transparent layer (double-click on the background layer).
2. Increase the canvas size slightly (about 1/2 to 1 inch).
3. Add a new layer at the bottom. Fill it with white.
4. In the Effects pop-up window, add a thin black stroke (1-2pts) and an inner shadow to the layer.
5. Expand the canvas again by about 4 inches horizontally and 5-6 inches vertically.
6. Add a new layer at the bottom. Fill it with a gray or cream color (whaterver matte color looks best with your image).
7. Add another thin stroke to the bottom layer.
8. Move the image and the inner matte layer up a bit (hint: put the image and inner matte in a group in the layers palette, then move them as a group).
9. Use the text tool to add a title at the bottom of the matte.

Art Poster

1. Open an image in Photoshop. Make sure your image is on a transparent layer (double-click on the background layer).
2. Select All (cmd-A).
3. Choose Select > Modify > Contract. Enter enough pixels to contract the selection area by 1/4 – 1/2" or so.
4. Invert the selection (so you have a thin border around the edge of the image selected).
5. Add an adjustment layer—levels, and darken the outside edge slightly.
6. Add a white stroke to the adjustment layer, but reduce the opacity to about 50-75% (or add a light colored stroke—preferably a color sampled from the photo).
7. Expand the canvas size by about 1-2 inches.
8. Expand the canvas size again, but this time press the top-center box in the anchor grid, and add about 2-3 inches to the height only. This will enlarge the bottom portion of the frame.
9. Add a new layer and fill it with gray or cream or some other color that compliments your image.
10. Add your name to the bottom of the frame.

Rough Edge Frame

1. Open an image in Photoshop.
2. Select All.
3. Choose Select > Modify > Border. Enter about 60 pixels.
4. Feather the selection about 10 pixels.
5. Create a new empty layer.
6. Reset the foreground & background colors to black and white. Choose Filter > Render > Clouds.
7. Create another new layer. With the selection still active, fill the selection on the new layer with black.
8. Change the blending mode of the new layer to multiply. Deselect.
9. Merge the two frame layers and change the blending mode of that merged layer to multiply.
10. With the frame layer selected, opens the levels window. Move the right input slider to the left until you hit the edge of the histogram (and perhaps a little farther); this will increase the contrast in the frame, defining the edge.

Exercise

Choose five of these techniques (excluding #1, black border) and apply them to five different images (or five versions of the same image). You may choose from:

Keep these images smallish—less than 2000px a side, and flatten them.

Specifications

• Size: Less than 2000px on the longest side.
• Orientation: any
• Color Space: RGB, North American Prepress 2.
• Due Date: Week 8 (Nov 26)
• Deliverables: Flattened Photoshop or tiff files.

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