| :: Fancy Beveled Frame Tut

Fancy Beveled Frame Tut © Made by Lysa™
Written: March 16, 2005
Updated: July 18, 2011

- Click on the envelope to download the IMF copy of this tut.
This is what we are making today:

I'm using one of my own photos in this tutorial.

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Supplies Needed:
An image of choice
PSP XI - Should work in earlier versions.
Simple - Be sure to grab all of them.

Skill level = Intermediate

To make things easier for you, I've broken this tutorial down into 3 parts:

Part 1: Preparation
Part 2: Making the Header
Part 2: Making the Background

NOTE: All settings will remain the same unless otherwise specified.

Now we can begin. :)

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Part 1: Preparation

1. File > Open
Open your image.

2. Window > Duplicate (Shift + D)
Close your original image.

3. Image > Resize
Settings:
Lock aspect ratio = Checked
Resample using = Bicubic
Resize all layers = Checked
Width & Height = No larger than 450 pixels

NOTE: If your image is smaller than this, you may skip ahead to step 5.

4. Adjust > Sharpness > Unsharp Mask
Settings:
Radius = 1.00
Strength = 47
Clipping = 5
Luminance only = Checked

5. Window > Duplicate (Shift + D)
Minimize your copy.

6. Dropper Tool (E)
Left click to choose your background color (a dark color).
Right click to choose your foreground color (a light color).

7. Edit > Copy

Part 2: Making the Header

1. Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Symmetric = Checked
Pixels = 1
Color = Black

Tip: Right click on the color (where the arrow is pointing in the image below) and you can find in your recently used colors where black is. It's also lets you find your foreground and background colors easily.

2. Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Pixels = 5
Color = Dark color

3. Selections > Select All

4. Selections > Modify > Contract
Settings:
Pixels = 5

5. Selections > Invert

6. Adjust > Add/Remove Noise > Add Noise
Settings:
Gaussian = Checked
Noise = 15%
Monochrome = Checked

7. Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel
Settings:

8. Selections > Invert

9. Selections > Modify > Contract
Settings:
Pixels = 1

10. Effects > 3D Effects > Cutout
Settings:
V&H = 0
Opacity = 84
Blur = 30
Shadow color = Black (or one of your chosen colors, whichever you prefer)
Fill interior with color = Unchecked

11. Selections > Select None

12. Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Pixels = 1
Color = Black

13. Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Pixels = 5
Color = Light color

14. Selections > Select All

15. Selections > Modify > Contract
Settings:
Pixels = 5

16. Selections > Invert

17. Adjust > Add/Remove Noise > Add Noise

18. Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel

19. Selections > Select None

20. Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Pixels = 1
Color = Black

21. Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Pixels = 15
Color = White

22. Selections > Select All

23. Selections > Modify > Contract
Settings:
Pixels = 15

24. Selections > Invert

25. Edit > Paste > Paste Into Selection (Ctrl + Shift + L)

26. Effects > Reflection Effects > Pattern
Settings:

NOTE: With some images these settings don't work well at all. So if you don't like these settings, click on the dice and try a random setting until you find something you like. :) Below is another setting that a tester found that seems to work with most images (Thank You Eva!).

Eva's Settings:

27. Effects > 3D Effects > Cutout
Settings:
Blur = 8

28. Selections > Select None

29. Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Pixels = 1
Color = Black

30. Image > Add Borders
Settings:
Pixels = 15
Color = Dark Color

31. Selections > Select All

32. Selections > Modify > Contract

33. Selections > Invert

34. Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel
Settings:
(gel like preset in PSP 8, except change color to white - see below for those who do not have the preset)

35. Selections > Select None

36. Image > Add Border
Settings:
Pixels = 1
Color = Black

Optional: Corners (there are some corners provided by jasc included in psp 9 as brushes, or you can click on the link above and download those corners - be patient the page loads slowly.)

A. Layers > New Raster Layer

B. Apply your corner to the top left corner of your image, lining it up with the pattern border. See example below:

NOTE: Some corners are brushes, I think they came with PSP 9 only. You can find many online as psp images or tubes. If yours is not a brush you may only need to apply a slight drop shadow after you place the corner. If it is a brush, then a slight inner bevel, then a slight drop shadow. Try playing with the settings to see what you like.

Now that you have your first corner placed and whatever effects you want done do it, you can continue. :)

C. Effects > Plugins > Simple > Top Left Mirror
Now your corners are automatically placed on all four corners right where you want them!

Thanks for the tip Eva!

Optional Corners Finished.

37. Layers > New Raster Layer

38. Apply your watermark of choice.

39. Save and export as a jpg using the jpg optimizer (keeps the file size down) but keep it open. :)

Part 3: Making the Background

Options: Choose 1A or 1B, then continue on to step 2.

1a. Activate your minimized copy of your image.

1b. Duplicate (Shift + D) your framed image then close your framed image.

2. Image > Resize
Settings:
Width & Height = No larger than 350 Pixels

3. Effects > Simple > Quick Tile

4. Layers > New Raster Layer

5. Flood fill this new layer with white (if this color doesn't work well with your image, use a color from your image).

6. Lower the opacity of your top layer. I lowered the opacity to about 66 on mine. You may want it to be higher or lower, try playing with it a bit.

7. Save and export as a jpg and you are done! :)

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Please link your results of my tutorial to my yahoo group:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/mbl_tutorials/

Or to make it easier for you, you can copy and paste this line into your stationery footer.
Fancy Beveled Frame Tut © Made by Lysa™

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Thank you for taking the time to try my tutorial. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. :)

Thank you to the Tenacious Tut Testers and the MBL Testers for testing this tutorial. :)

Any similarity to any other tutorial is purely coincidental.
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