Best Technique for Creation of B&W Frame

[OldRadioGuy]

I am searching for the best method to add a simple black and white frame that can be either saved as a preset or recorded in an action.

The Frame tool in the Effects menu contains many presets for special purposes but none suitable for a tasteful black line -- white line border/frame to add to an image. None of the presets appears open to modification to produce the effect.

I also tried using Layer Resize, but that method does not work in an action because it doesn't appear to have a Relative adjustment.

I'm sure there's something simple here that I have missed.

Any help is appreciated.

Bob

[photoken]

The Frame tool in the Effects menu contains many presets for special purposes but none suitable for a tasteful black line -- white line border/frame to add to an image. None of the presets appears open to modification to produce the effect.

Start with the "3D/Simple" frame preset, de-select the Shadow, and modify the Frame Inside:

frame 3D simple black.png

By applying that Frame style twice, using different colours and widths, you can achieve the effect of a matted image:

frame example.jpg

[Torsten]

I have here an action that leaves the image to your size, 10 pixels creates a wide border around the image and you can choose the color of the border.

I hope you can understand the English

Cheers Torsten

[bkh]

I also tried using Layer Resize, but that method does not work in an action because it doesn't appear to have a Relative adjustment.

You can use formula mode instead. If you want a 1% border on each side, and want both sides equal, use "w + 2*round(w*.01)" and "h + 2*round(h*.01)" for width and height (the round thing makes sure that the same number of pixels is added on both sides). The number 0.01 is just the 1% border, use 0.02 for a 2 percent border, or 0.1 for a 10% border … Just use the "center horizontally" and "center vertically" for the position formulae. Repeat with another colour to achieve a double frame.

There's a slight problem if you use this with very small images: the frame will alwasy have an integer pixel width, so a frame around a 149 px image will be 1 px wide, while the frame for a 150 px image will be 2 px wide. Visually very different. You'd have to use antialiasing, then. To achieve that, I'd put a properly scaled vector layer underneath your image layer. I'd still create the outer frame using "Change Document Size …".

Cheers

Burkhard.

[OldRadioGuy]

Thanks, Ken, Torsten and Burkhard!

Bob

[Martin Huber]

I also tried using Layer Resize, but that method does not work in an action because it doesn't appear to have a Relative adjustment.

Aside from the formula mode, there is the mode "Resize", that works relative to the original size of the layer.
So with "Resize" a size of 2 x 2 and a position of 1 x 1 will create a one pixel wide frame around the layer.

Martin

[ellhel]

I also tried using Layer Resize, but that method does not work in an action because it doesn't appear to have a Relative adjustment.

Aside from the formula mode, there is the mode "Resize", that works relative to the original size of the layer.
So with "Resize" a size of 2 x 2 and a position of 1 x 1 will create a one pixel wide frame around the layer.

Martin

Great Tipp.....Thanks

Frame Black_White_Black.actions

Regards
Helmut