This is what we will be making
Ever since I first discovered Paint Shop Pro, I've been wanting to make a Black Frame with some beveling on it, but since those types of effects don't work on very dark colors I wasn't able to do it. Finally, the other day, it occurred to me that the solution was to add some "light" to the "dark", and this is the result. I hope you like it.
The only thing you will need to do this tutorial is Paint Shop Pro, which you can get here: www.jasc.com.
This tutorial was written in PSP 8. It can be done in PSP 7, but you will have to change the settings for the Mat texture. Presets are not the same in both versions.
Let´s begin!
1. Open the image you're going to frame and add a border of 8 to 12 pixels (Image>Add Borders) using a color you've chosen from the image, or White (since the frame will be black). This is going to be the Mat for the frame.
Note: The Mat is optional, but I think a frame with a Mat always looks nice.
2. Select the border with the Magic Wand, then add a texture to the Mat (Effects>Texture Effects>Texture). This is what I used.
3. Go to Selections>Invert and apply the following cutout:
4. Repeat Step 3 but change your settings to -4 (minus 4).
De-select. (Ctrl+D)
5. Add a 12 pixel BLACK border to the image. Select the border with the Magic Wand, and invert your selection. Apply the same cutout you used in Step # 3.
6. Repeat the cutout, but change your settings to -4 (minus 4).
7. Go to Selections>Modify>Expand and expand the selection by 8 pixels.
8. Go to Effects>3D Effects>Cutout and use these settings:
9. Repeat the Cutout, but change the Horizontal and Vertical to 1.
De-select.
Save your work!
10. Add another 12 pixel border, this time use WHITE. Select the border with your Magic Wand, and flood fill it with BLACK.
11. Invert your selection. Go to Selections>Modify>Expand and expand the selection by 8 pixels.
12. Go to Effects>3D Effects>Cutout and use the same settings as in Step # 8.
13. Repeat the Cutout, but change your Horizontal and Vertical to 1.
De-select
14. Repeat Steps #10 through 13.
De-select! Save Your Work!
15. Select All. Go to Selections>Modify>Contract and contract the selection by 33 pixels. This will change depending on the size of the borders you used. (For the sizes I used, 33 pixels works.) The objective is to have the selection completely surround the White Mat and the cutout.
To check, be sure the Proof button is pressed down so you can see the result on the image before you click "O.K."
16. Invert your selection. Go to Adjust>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Use a Radius of 1.00 pixel.
De-select.
Nearing the finish line.....Whew!
Let's get rid of the extra black around the outside of the frame.
17. Touch the outer Black area of the frame with your Magic Wand in one of the corners like this:
Go to your Layer Palette. Right click on your Background and choose Promote Background Layer.
Now hit your Delete key, and the excess black will disappear.
18. Add a new layer, then drag the one with the image on it above the new layer.
Make sure the new layer is highlighted, then floodfill it with the background color you want.
De-select.
Note: This step is only necessary if you want your background color to be anything other than White.
Sign your image, and you're finished.
Variation: If you drag a selection rectangle around the outer edge of your Mat, invert your selection and then go to Adjust>Hue and Saturation>Colorize you can get a very dramatic look to your frame because of all the black shading.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.
*~Nightshadow~*
This tutorial is my own creation, any similarity to any other tutorial on the Internet is unintentional. It is copyrighted by me, Nightshadow, on January 11, 2004 and is not to be copied or reproduced in any way under penalty of law. Graphics lists, please e-mail me for permission to post my tutorials, especially because I would love to see the results :O)
NOTE: Any image you make using this tutorial is completely your own property.
