How to Edit Photo Edges

Decorative borders can alter the tone of your photo.

With more people using digital scrapbooks and online services to share their photos, there's more push to make your digital photos aesthetically pleasing. You don't have to have expensive software or a lot of graphics-savvy to edit the borders of your digital photos; there are several services you can use for free that offer border templates, such as Picnik, an online photo editor. You can also use GIMP, an open-source image editing program comparable to Photoshop, to edit your photos.

Instructions

Using Picnik

1. Visit the Picnik website to start the application; you do not have to sign up for an account with Picnik in order to use the service, but demo accounts will not be able to access all the features.

2. Click "Upload a Photo" to upload the picture of which you want to edit the border. Depending on the size of your photo and the speed of your Internet connection, the upload may take some time.

3. Click the "Create" tab on the upper part of the screen once your photo is uploaded. You can edit the image first, if you like, but it is not necessary. Choose "Frames" from the option menu above the photo.

4. Pick a frame from the available options. The options range from the simple -- with basic borders, rounded edges or basic drop shadows -- or the dramatic, such as the daisy border or the postage stamp border.

5. Click the "Save & Share" tab to save your image to your computer. You can select different file types (including JPG, GIF or PNG). You can also select a social media service to share your photo on from the menu above the photo.

Using GIMP

1. Download and install GIMP on your computer. GIMP is a free, open-source program that works on all operating systems.

2. Open GIMP once it has been installed and load the picture that you want to edit by clicking "File," then "Open."

3. Click the "Filter" down-down menu. To add a simple border, select "Decor," then "Add Border." If you want to round the corner of the image, you can select "Round Corners." For a drop shadow effect, go to "Light and Shadow," then "Drop Shadow."

4. Change the settings to fit your needs. For a border, select the width of the border in pixels; you will need to specify the horizontal edges and the vertical edges separately. Choose the color of your border and click "OK." In Round Corners, you will need to set the radius of the curve; you can also add a drop shadow. For Drop Shadows, you will have to set how transparent it is, and the offset (how far away from the image it is).

Tips & Warnings

• Another image editing option include Paint.NET, which is not open-source but is free to download.

• You can also use GIMP filters for adding more depth and character to your images.

References

• Webmaster Tips: How to Add a Border to an Image in GIMP

Resources

• Picnik
• GIMP