User Tips
“One that
I really used a lot is also very simple.
Once you're done with all the normal steps...adding the border layer,
adjusting the size to fit, flattening. Then add some extra canvas as a
border. Some of the borders will blend in with the canvas. This really
comes in handy when you have a funky crop size on a picture but you want
as standard size print. In one of my examples I have a crop that was
10x5, but I wanted a print that would fit in a standard size frame so I
added a border of 14x11.”
~Nicholette :)
“For the longest time, I
thought the borders can only be black or white...
then I discovered that I can
color the layer with the border in any color that I like and
created a great diversity of
borders, always fitting my image perfectly.
Lots of times, the black or
white is just perfect, but there are occasions when I need or want more color.
I color the borders using
the layer styles, in my German PS it`s
called Farueberlagerung, the
4th style from the bottom, I also play around sometimes
and apply other layer
styles, change the opacity and voila a whole new border...
I really love the different
looks you can achieve playing around
with your borders and layer
styles, but when I discovered
the coloring option, I was
sooooo happy!”
--Solveig in Japan
[NOTE FROM BLAIR:
Here are my directions for colorizing borders in PS7
1. Drag the border onto the image you are working with.
Resize it. You will now have two layers.
2. With the border layer active (blue) in your layers pallette, look down at
the bottom of your layers pallette for the litte "f" icon (next to
the camera for snapshots). Click on it.
3. You will see a drop down menu. Click Color overlay.
4. A box called "layer style" will pop up. There is a red rectangle.
Click on it.
5. A new box called Color picker will open. There is a large box for selecting
shadow color and a skinny column for getting to the color family. Move the
sliders on the skinny column to get you close and then move your cursor in the
big box to get the exact shade you want. Select OK. Select OK again to get out
of the color overlay box. This will color only the border.]
“For
small images (like to share on the web), I resized the original psd
file to about 600 pixels on the longest side. Now I can open that file
quickly and drop a border on my web-ready images. Saves a bunch of time
since I don't need to wait for PS to open the huge original file.”
--Karen
Echols
“Say I want to use a certain
border on all my 5x7 proofs. Dragging from the original and transforming on
every one takes a lot of time. But instead I drag and move it to one and
transform but I don't flatten quite yet. I then use my resized border layer
to drag onto my other 5x7s. It saves me tons of time at transforming. Easy
but time saving tip.”
--Angie Kalthoff
“I have
gone through and saved all the borders on different
files and
given them names (like what you have done with your
borders
this time [with Vol. 2]). That way I can pull up just
one
border at a time.I have also taken some of the borders I use most often
(like
border #10 [from Vol. 1]) and resized it the size I
use it
most (like a 3x3 square for my trio collages) and
saved
them that way and put in the name the size of the
border.
That way I can just open it, select it all, copy
and just
paste on the pictures I'm using for my collages--super fast! “
--Jessica
Sandberg
“I make a copy of a resized
set for
squares and save it. I
also just turn off all the layers
I don't want and then move
the layer I do want onto my photo and resize it to fit.
Very simple. I use them A LOT! For standard prints,
collages, looks great with
9 image baby parts collages
and for proof books!!”
-- Janice Morse
“My best
time saving technique is that I have printed
the examples of each border on the same photo
where they are
numbered [in Vol. 1]. I keep them posted to
the wall behind my monitor
so I can
glance at it, choose one or two I want to try and know exactly what number it
is!”
n
Dawn Selas
“I find that Blair’s borders adds a unique punch to my
portraits and love to use them on the images included in the musical slideshows
I create for clients. Placing the border on each image for the show is
tedious however, so I have created an action which I batch so I can do a whole
folder of images at once. To do this I first choose which border I want
to use and place it on a blank canvas that is the same size and resolution as
the images I want to use. I adjust the border layer to for the correct
placement, delete the background layer, then save as a PSD file in its own
folder so it’s only one layer with the transparent parts. I make one for
horizontal images and one for vertical. Now I can create the
action. Before starting to record I open an image to use for action
building purposed only. In the actions pallet I begin a new action and
press record, open the file that contains the border, place it over the image
using the IMAGE>APPLY IMAGE command, flatten the newly bordered image, and
close the border file. Then stop recording. There is no need to
close the image as part of the action b/c the batch process will save and close
it in the folder you designate on the batch setup screen. You also do not
need to open an image as part of the action b/c batching will open them for you
– just open and close the border file during the action. I now have an
action that will place the border on the image for me. I divide my images
into 2 folders – horizontal and vertical then run a batch using the right
orientation border action which will take my action and run it on the entire
folder, saving and closing the new bordered image as it goes.”
Lifetime
Photography
Do you have a time-saving
or innovative method of using Blair’s Borders? Please share!
Email your tip
to blairblanks@comcast.net