How to Make Picture Frames in PSP 8

The Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8 program is an image editing tool that can be used to either to create new pictures from scratch or modify existing images to remove the red eye effect or even add in new elements such as a picture frame. Paint Shop relies heavily on adding in different layers to a picture to make all the different elements of the image appear more natural. You can add a new layer to an existing image and then expand it to make room for your own custom frame on any family photo you have on your computer.

Instructions

1. 

   Open the Jasc Paint Shop Pro version 8 program by double-clicking on its desktop icon. Wait for the program to load and then click on the "File" button at the top left corner of the window. Scroll down through the menu that will appear and choose the "Open" option.

2. Navigate through the files and folders on your computer's hard drive and find the one that you want to add a picture frame to. Double-click the name of the file of to open it with Paint Shop Pro 8.

3. 

   Click on the "Image" button at the top of the window and then scroll down and choose the "Canvas Size" option. Add in additional pixels in the height and width categories so that you have a blank white area around the picture to add in the frame.

4. Find the "Layers" button at the top of the window and click on it. Choose the "New Layer" option from the menu that will pop up. Type whatever name you want into the layer's name field such as "Background" or "Frame." Leave the "Opacity" field at 100% and then click on "OK." Click on the name of the new layer in the layer palette window at the lower left side of the screen.

5. 

   Choose the base color you want for the picture frame from the color palette at the top right area of the window. Click on the "Flood Fill Tool" button on the task bar at the left side of the screen. Click anywhere inside the image to fill the background with the base color. Click on the "Effects" button at the top of the window and then choose the "Cutout" option.

6. Give the cutout area a picture frame effect by changing the "Shadow Color" option in the "Cutout" menu to black. Change the "Blur" and "Opacity" to whatever amount you desire to change how the shadows and drop lines on the frame appear. Move the horizontal and vertical offset features if you need the frame to move slightly to accommodate the size of the picture better.

7. Click on the "Effects" button again and then choose "3D Effects." Click on "Buttonize" to bring up a new menu. Click on the "Transparent Edge" button and then click on "OK" to make the frame appear to pop out of the image and look more realistic. Click on "Save" to save the picture with the frame.

Tips & Warnings

• For most small images under 500 pixels wide intended for a website you can simply add 15 extra pixels around the image for a border. For a larger image you may want to add in even more space such as 30 or 50 pixels. The Paint Shop Pro 8 program also has several different pre-made frames you can add to any image by clicking on "Image" and then "Picture Frame" if the frames you make on your own aren't turning out the way you want. If you want to make the photo look like it has a matte backing in between the picture and the frame you can simply repeat the process of expanding the canvas size further and adding in a third layer with a new background color.

References

• Creating Picture Frames in Paint Shop Pro
• Paint Shop Pro Sample Picture Frames
• Wood Frames in Paint Shop Pro

Resources

• Corel Paint Shop Pro Website