Borders: for God's sake help me please!

tlr · 13 Nov 2009

I've spent the last 5 hours and a bottle of wine trying to find some 'simple' way of adding a basic black border to a number of photos and for the life of me I can't do it.

I've tried Gimp, Irfanview and Photoshop Elements 2. I can happily (but longwindedly) add a border to a single image, but I have rather a large number of pictures after an awesome safari to process and so decided that now was the time to learn how to batch process. So far I have failed utterly.

I have googled and searched on here, I have tried tutorials on here and on the web, read books and now I am just tearing my hair out as to how to perform what must be a very basic task. I'm no genius but I don't consider myself completely computer illiterate, yet I seem unable to work this out.

Please help me, I'm off back to the fridge for a refill.

Strangways · 13 Nov 2009

Can I suggest the FastStone Photo Resizer
under the Advanced Options it allows you to add frames and in batches i you require.
it is freeware

http://www.faststone.org/

grey.squirrel · 13 Nov 2009

I'm not sure about elements, but in photoshop you can record actions so simply record yourself going in "canvas size" and expanding by about 8% horizontal and vertical making sure the background colour in the canvas size box is set to black. I used to do this all the time, simple one click but you have to load each photo up to do it.

Strangways · 14 Nov 2009

Strangways said:
Can I suggest the FastStone Photo Resizer
under the Advanced Options it allows you to add frames and in batches i you require.
it is freeware

http://www.faststone.org/

I just had another play with this and it does everything you want and more. You can add watermarks at the same time if you wish. It just couldn't be much easier.

tlr · 14 Nov 2009

Strangways, if we ever meet then I owe you a beer. All done in about 3 minutes. Perfect.

Thanks.

f1charlie · 14 Nov 2009

I think Faststone Image Viewer contains all the functions of Photo Resizer, but gives you all the other functions (browser, editor,etc) too. It's also free!

Strangways · 14 Nov 2009

tlr said:
Strangways, if we ever meet then I owe you a beer. All done in about 3 minutes. Perfect.

Thanks.

My pleasure, anybody who owns a 40D is welcome to any assistance I can give.

Digitall · 14 Nov 2009

I am not to sure if Elements will allow Actions? If you can then here is what you should do...
1. Create a new action and name it borders, then 4click record.
2. Go to the menu and open, select the folder that contains all the files you want to put a border on, select a file and open it.
3. Do the work that will allow you a border on your image.
4. Save the finished image to lets say a new folder inside the that contains all the files.
5. close the image.
6. STOP the Recording in the Actions pallet.
7. Go to file on the menu bar and select automate and select batch.
8. Select a source folder where the files are located.
9. Select a destination folder where the files are to be saved to.
10. click OK.
11. The automation process will now begin.

Good luck