Digi Tips Day 4 | Simple Photo Borders

Hello!  Amy here with another quick digi tip to share with you.

Adding borders and/or frames to your images can help you to draw the viewer into your scrapbook pages and place emphasis on your photo(s).

Below are three simple borders I like to use on my photos and the steps for recreating them in Photoshop.

 

Add A Simple White Border to Your Photo

Adding a simple white border to your photo is a great way to help establish it as the focal point of your page. The contrast that is often created by this type of border attracts the eye and pulls the viewer into your page. 

To add a white border to your photo:

1. Place your photo on its own layer.
2. Select the layer by CTRL-clicking on the image's thumbnail in your layer palette.
3. Create a new layer.
4. Go to Edit>Stroke and enter the following settings:

• Width: 90px (feel free to go larger or smaller depending on your preferences and the size of your photo--I've chosen 90px based off of my photo's size at full resolution.)
• Color: White
• Location: Inside
• Blending Mode: Normal
• Opacity: 100%

NOTE: If you'll be printing your photo out to use on a paper page you might want to stroke the photo one final time with a 1px line in a light grey--this is so you know exactly where your photo's edges lie.

 

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Add a Subtle Inner Border to Your Photo

A subtle inner border can help to add just a touch of visual interest giving your photo a little more pop on the page. 

To add a blended inner border to your photo:

1. Place your photo on its own layer.
2. Select your Rectangular Marquee Tool and drag out a selection inside the edge of your photo. Use the arrow keys to center the selection inside of your photo.  
3. Create a new layer.
4. Go to Edit>Stroke and enter the following settings:

• Width: 20px (feel free to go larger or smaller depending on your preferences and the size of your photo--I've chosen 20px based off of my photo's size at full resolution.)
• Color: Black
• Location: Inside
• Blending Mode: Normal
• Opacity: 100%

Change the stroke layer's blending mode to overlay.

 

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Create a Unique Double-Stroke Border 

Here I've combined the two methods for a one-of-a-kind look that funnels the viewer's focus in towards my photo.

To add a double-stroke border to your photo:

1. Place your photo on its own layer.
2. Select the layer by CTRL-clicking on the image's thumbnail in your layer palette
3. Create a new layer.
4. Go to Edit>Stroke and enter the following settings:

• Width: 250 px (feel free to go larger or smaller depending on your preferences and the size of your photo--I've chosen 250 px based off of my photo's size at full resolution.)
• Color: White
• Location: Inside
• Blending Mode: Normal
• Opacity: 100% 

5. Select your Rectangular Marquee Tool and drag out a selection that divides your white stroke in half.

6. Use the arrow keys to center the marching ants right inside of the stroked area of your photo.  

7. Create a new layer.

8. Go to Edit>Stroke and enter the following settings:

• Width: 20px (feel free to go larger or smaller depending on your preferences and the size of your photo--I've chosen 20px based off of my photo's size at full resolution.)
• Color: Black
• Location: Inside
• Blending Mode: Normal
• Opacity: 100%

9. Dial back the opacity of your white stoke's layer to 50%.

10.Change the blending mode of your smaller stroke's layer to overlay.

 

I hope you'll enjoy trying out a few of these simple techniques on your own photos!