Adding a "fade to black" border or vignette

[tfboy]

I'm kicking myself here. I have zero real experience with PS and spent some time setting up an action so I could easily batch process a load of photos. However, being a numpty, I forgot to backup the action and I can't remember for the life of me how I initially did it. :bang:

What I want is a quick way of creating a fade to black frame border on photos. Here's an example lifted from one I did some time ago:

In a best world, I'd like two actions: one that is fixed x pixels wide frame, and another that's x % proportional of the image size so the proportion is the same no matter what the final resolution of the photo is.

Would anyone care to explain quickly how I can recreate it?

Thanks

edit: I have played around a bit with the vignette options in Lightroom but cannot have the same control / final result so would rather revert to a PS action.

 

[CT]

Not much help to you unless you're on a Mac, but I've just recently downloaded FX Photo Studio Pro, which has gazillions of filters and effects, some of them which are actually useful as usual. I must say though it has a nice selection of vignette effects in both fade to black and fade to white, although it's not something I'd use a lot these days, so not something I'd write an action for.

 

[tfboy]

On a PC, but thanks anyway.

 

[CT]

What you want to do there is actually pretty simple and there's a few ways to do it. Select the rectangular mask tool and draw a rectangle in the pic leaving just the amount of border you want around the edges. Feather the mask by a few pixels and use the fill (paint pot) tool to add black inside the mask. Two minute job - tops.

 

[tfboy]

That was kind of how I did it, but can't figure out how to automate the recangular mask with x pizels in from the edges.

 

[CT]

That was kind of how I did it, but can't figure out how to automate the recangular mask with x pizels in from the edges.

Well just judge it by eye - you wont be far out. If the border is wider on any side when you're done you can always use the crop tool to even things up.

 

[photoimaging]

Is this of any use?

Joan

any better?

 

[CT]

I'd say that's just what he needs Joan.

Needs to be a bit bigger though.

 

[photoimaging]

Aye, it is a bit piddly......

 

[tfboy]

Aha, that's awesome

But although I'm replicating the settings, I'm not getting the effect. I've duplicated the layer, working on the new layer and done the layer style and it's "visible" in my layers menu, but no difference on the actual photo.

Please stop teasing me Joan

 

[tfboy]

Figured it out

Joan, a big big thanks for such a simple and effective way of doing it.

Please accept this doughnut as a token of my gratitude

 

[photoimaging]

Thanks, doughnut appreciated.

Joan