Creating a border

[CameraHappy]

I would like to create a border (simple 1 color) for my photos. Is there someone who would be able to walk me through it... with baby steps. I'm still very new with trying to figure it all out. There's just so much to learn!

Thanks

[jarvis2824]

Once you have the photo (the one you want a border on) open, look up at the menu on the top of the Photoshop window. There should be an option called "Select." Click "Select" and a drop down menu should appear underneath it. Find the option called "All" (should be the first one) and click it. A dashed line should now be moving around the entire picture. Go to the "Select" option again and click it, then find the option in that drop down menu called "Modify" with an arrow next to it pointing to the right. Place your mouse cursor over the "Modify" option and a second drop down menu should appear to the right of the first one. In that menu should be an option called "Border." Click the "Border" menu option and a small window option box will open that will ask how many pixels wide you want the border to be. Enter in the number you want and click "OK." Now a strip x pixels wide is selected along the border of your file.

Choose the color you want and using the paint bucket tool, click inside the selected area of the border. You should now have a single color border x pixels wide around you picture.

A picture is included to illustrate this process.



-Chris

[CameraHappy]

WOW! Thank you so much for the baby steps. That's exactly what I need. I followed your directions, but for the paintbucket, it is only filling in sections within that border. Do I have to go around and fill in each part within the border? Or is there an easier way to click and it all fills in at once?

[Excruciating]

It should just fill it all.. After step 2, try and hit "d" (resets your colors) and then hit alt + blackspace (fills a selection).

[CameraHappy]

Ah. That worked much better! The border isn't very clean in its lines though. Is there a way to make sure it's straight?

Thank you for the additional tip.


[/img]

[Excruciating]

Usually I don't do like jarvis when I make a border (even though it should work just as fine). I usually have problems with anything in the selection menu, it doesn't always conserve that nice round circle when your exspand it or what so ever, what I do:

1. Take out my rectangular marque tool (just beneath the text tool and to the right of the pen tool).

2.Then I use my rulers (you see them around your image in the top and the left side, if not, go to "window" (one of the top menus) and find them there) Make my selection, something like 1x1 cm inside the picture. Depends on how big I want it. Make a selection, just make sure it's even in both sides using the rulers!

3. hit shift + i (inverts the selection, now the border is selected now), hit d (reset your colors), hit alt + backspace (fills the selection).

[CameraHappy]

Thank you, Jarvis and Excruciating. I didn't realize before how it was a different person posting to my reply. Both of you have been so helpful. The inverse of the rectangle marquee did give me a cleaner border. It's amazing what a little border can do for a photo.

Thank you to you both!

[Excruciating]

My pleasure.