How-to Photoshop Tutorial: 3-D Photo Frame

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Make Your Pictures Pop Off the Page

If you've got Photoshop, here's a tutorial to make your grahpics look 3-D, adding a frame to a photograph so that it looks like a polaroid snapshot.

You will need Photoshop CS, Photoshop Elements, or a graphics program that uses layers and includes effects like drop shadows.

Note: Cmd/Ctrl-D means Command-D on a Mac, Ctrl-D on a PC. 

This lens is part of Greekgeek's Graphics Tutorials Suite!How to Align Images • How to Upload Images
Where to Get Graphics (Legally!) • Free Squidoo Graphics
How to Fix Missing Images in Amazon Listings
Photoshop Tricks: How to Make Web 2.0 Glossy Buttons • How to Add a 3D Frame to a Photo

Step One: Your Photo 

1. Open a photo in Photoshop. Ta-da!

Notice how the white areas at the edge of the photo tend to merge into the webpage. A fancy schmancy frame will fix that!

Photoshop Photo Frame Tutorial Step One

2. Choose "Duplicate..." from the Image menu and pick a new file name.

3. CLOSE the original and make sure you're working with the duplicate.

This way you can't accidentally mess up your original file. ;)

Step Two: Put Photo On Own Layer 

Now that you have your photo,

1. Hit the "D" key to set default background/foreground colors to Black/White

2. Cmd//Ctrl A (Select All)

3. Cmd/Ctrl X (Cut under the Edit menu)

4. Cmd/Ctrl V (Paste under the Edit menu)

This should place the photo on its own layer above the background layer.

If the Layers Palette isn't visible, choose "Layers" under the Windows menu.

The Layers palette should now look like this:

Phoshop Tutorial Photoframe Step Two

Step Three: Expand Canvas 

Under the Image menu, choose "Canvas..." and increase Canvas Size by about 30 pixels horizontally and vertically. Click Okay.

You'll now have a white border around your photo:

Photoshop Tutorial Photoframe Step 3

Step Four: Add an Outline 

1. In the Layers palette, click on your photo's layer to work there. It should be highlighted.

2. Select the Magic Wand tool (second from the top, to the right of the lasso.)

3. Check the tool's settings in the bar across the top. It should have a Tolerance of 0 and no anti-aliasing.

4. Click in the white area outside the photo. This should select the border.

5. Choose "Inverse" from the Select menu to have the selection box wrap around your photo. (Command-Ctrl-Shift-I)

6. Click on the small notepad icon in the Layers palette to create a new layer (or choose New > Layer... from the Layer menu).

(Steps 4 and 6 illustrated)

Photoshop Tutorial Photoframe Step Four

7. Edit Menu > Stroke... and set the width to 1 pixel, the color to black, and the location to Outside. Ta-da! Outline.

8. Filter Menu > Blur... > Gaussian Blur... and set the radius to 1.

9. Cmd/Ctrl-D to Deselect.

10. In the Layers palette, adjust the Opacity of the outline's layer to your liking.

Steps 8 and 10 make the outline more subtle.

Now it should look like this:



You may want to stop here -- that outline adds a subtle border. But read on for an advanced trick!

Step Five: Create Piece of Paper Behind Photo 

1. In the Layers palette, click on the Background layer.

2. Click on the New Layer icon (the little notepad).

3. Choose the Selection Box Tool (upper left on the tool palette).

4. Select a rectangular area slightly larger than the photo.

Photoframe Photoshop Tutorial Step Five

5. Edit Menu > Fill... and use White.

6. Hit Cmd/Cntrl-D to deselect everything.

At the moment this rectangle won't show because it's white on a white background. The next step will make it pop out.

Step Six: Make the Photo Frame Look 3-D 

Now we get to be Stylish.

1. Choose Layer > Layer Style > Blending Options...

You're now in the Layer Styles window.

Photoshop photoframe Tutorial Step Six

2. Click the words "Drop Shadow". Uncheck "Use Global Light". Set the Opacity around 35, the angle about 45, and the Distance and Size about 6.

3. Click the words "Color Overlay." Set the color to some sort of pale beige or cream. Set the Blend Mode to Multiply, and the Opacity about 50%.

4. Click the words "Gradient Overlay." Set the Opacity to 5 or so, and the Angle to 55 or so.

5. Click the words "Pattern Overlay." Set the Opacity about 55. Click the down arrow next to the Pattern swatch and pick some sort of papery pattern, one of the pale gray crinkly patterns.

6. Click on the words "Bevel and Emboss". Uncheck "Use Global Light." Set the Direction to Up, the Size to 1 or 2, the Angle around 45, the Altitude about 20, and the Opacity of the Shadow about 35.

7. Fiddle with these controls until the "piece of paper" behind the photo looks about right, and the top/right edges are visible against the white background.

Photoshop Tutorial Photoframe Step 6.5

8. Click on the "New Style..." button at right and SAVE THIS STYLE for future use. Check both boxes to include both "Layer Effects" and "Blending Options."

In future you'll be able to skip 2-8 and instead, once you've opened the Layer Style window, click "Styles" at upper left and pick your saved style.

9. Click "OK" to leave the Layer Style window.

Step Seven: Finishing Touches 

1. Choose the Move Tool (top right of tool palette) and move the "piece of paper" under the photo until it's centered.

2. If you want to change the dimensions of the "piece of paper," go to Edit > Transform > Scale.

Photoshop Photoframe Tutorial Step Seven

3. Leaving extra space at the bottom will make it look like a polaroid. You will have to increase the the Canvas Size under the Edit menu to have more room. (This looks better with square photos.)

Photoshop Tutorial Photo Framd Step Seven

4. If your web page isn't white...

  • Take a screencap of it.
  • Load the screencap into Photoshop.
  • Use the eyedropper to pick up the background color of the web page.

  • Return to your photo.

  • Select the Background layer in the layers palette.

  • Choose the Paintbucket tool and click on the photo to fill the background layer to the new color.


Photoshop Tutorial 3D Photo Frame Step Eight

5. Save the photoshop document -- that keeps all your layers.

6. File Menu > Save For Web...
Usually High is good enough quality for a web graphic, and will take less time to load since it's a smaller file size.

7. Upload it to your web site, Flickr account, or Photobucket account.

That's it!

Photo Enhancement Tips 

I use the following tools to make my photos look good. While you have a photo open, play with the sliders of these to get a feel for them.
  • Filter Menu > Unsharp Mask to sharpen details. Gives you more fine-tuning controls than "Sharpen Edges" or "Sharpen."
  • Image Menu > Adjustments > Levels... to help adjust dark/bright areas. More fine tuning than Brightness/Contrast.
  • Image Menu > Adjustments > Curves to help adjust dark/bright areas. Even more fine tuning.
  • Image Menu > Adjustments > Shadow/Highlight to help adjust dark/bright areas. Yet more fine tuning.
  • Advanced Trick: Creating a Greyscale Mask

    1. Copy/Paste photo to new layer.
    2. Image Menu > Adjustments > Desaturate
    3. In Layers palette (use View Menu to show it if it's hidden), change Mode from Normal to Soft Light.
    4. In Layers palette, adjust opacity of light filter.

    This can bring out subtle details in some photos.

Graphics Software/Tools I Use 

Adobe Photoshop CS3 [Mac] [OLD VERSION]

Adobe Photoshop CS3 [Mac] [OLD VERSION]

Release Date: 04/20/2007

Amazon Price: $629.00 (as of 07/14/2009) Buy Now
Used Price: $450.00

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Corel Painter Essentials 3 Win/Mac [Old Version]

Corel Painter Essentials 3 Win/Mac [Old Version]

Release Date: 10/18/2005

Amazon Price: (as of 07/14/2009) Buy Now
Used Price:

Wacom Intuos3 6 x 11-Inch Pen Tablet

Wacom Intuos3 6 x 11-Inch Pen Tablet

Amazon Price: (as of 07/14/2009) Buy Now
Used Price: $289.00

Eovia Bryce 5.5 Win/Mac

Eovia Bryce 5.5 Win/Mac

Amazon Price: (as of 07/14/2009) Buy Now
Used Price: $46.95

Greekgeek's Graphics Tutorials Suite 

Be Sure to Check Out the Rest! (Most are more in-depth)

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Lensmaster

annetteghallowell wrote...

I want to do a lens on my daughter's photographs as well as my own. I have done all the basic editing, but had not spent time making frames. Thanks for the great easy to follow steps. Just what I need! 5* and a favorite for my resources to make myself a better Squidoo-er!

ReplyPosted August 03, 2008

Lensmaster

shy3d wrote...

This website is excellent! Check out my lenses for more cool photoshop tricks!

ReplyPosted February 08, 2008

Lensmaster

ina_mar wrote...

Very well explained how-to! 5 stars!

ReplyPosted January 20, 2008

Lensmaster

Cinetech wrote...

Outstanding lens, very easy to follow steps!

ReplyPosted May 08, 2007

Lensmaster

flaminglacer wrote...

Excellent Lens!

Squid Angel Star

ReplyPosted May 08, 2007