drop shadow borders

digitalfailure

digitalfailure

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Brian
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Can someone please show mercy on me and tell me a simple and quick way of making a drop shadow border in CS4, i've looked at a few guides on the net and there must be a few steps missing :thinking:
 
The simplest way to do a drop shadow is to double click the thumbnail in the layer pallet. This brings up the blending tools. The first item in the menu on the left is Drop Shadow :)

Is that what you were after mate?
 
I've found the drop shadow option in blending modes, it does seem to be doing anything though :bang:
 
Ah right ok. You need to enlarge the canvas by, say 2cm. Create a new layer at the bottom of the layer stack and fill it with white (edit>fill). Then go back to your photo layer, double click the thumbnail, select drop shadow and have a play. Don't just put a tick in the drop shadow box btw. you need to click on the word "drop shadow"
 
The drop shadow needs and area to move into you see, hence the need to enlarge the canvas bigger than your photo :)
 
When you say enlarge the canvas, i'm taking that to mean the canvas size of the new white layer?

Nothing is happening !!!

I see the the little preview box with the shadow happily moving to where I want it, but when I hit OK, nothing is happening :(

I must be making a really basic mistake somewhere
 
Are you trying to create something like this mate?

Bear%20II%20lo%20res.jpg


If so I'll give you a step by step :)
 
DF


1 change the BG layer name to layer1
2 make a new layer Named layer 2 place it under L1
3 with layer 2 selected,Image canvass size add say 5px, when its done fill that layer with white
4 flatten image
5 make a Layer named Layer 3 place it at the bottom, with layer 3 selected, canvass size 20 px, but this time look at the box that has 9 squares, click the top left one, say ok fill it with white,
6 now with the top layer selected bring up the blending options box tick drop shadow, then click at the side of it and the little menu will open where you can change the colour, distance, angle and opacity when done click Ok
you should now see a drop shadow flatten your image HTH

Makes one like this

3886398133_66b25a20e8_o.jpg

Dave
 
Paul, that's exactly the kind of thing i'm after, maybe without the black keyline though so the image appears to float on the screen.

A step by step would be great, it really is getting on my pip now, I followed guides to the letter and it aint working :bang:
 
That's the trouble with Photoshop, too many ways to skin the same cat lol.

If you can give me a little while Brian, I'll post up a guide for you :)
 
Another way: (using CS2)


Create new layer and paint it white
Create duplicate of original picture and ensure it is above the white layer
Ctrl+T and reduce size slightly (or however you reduce the size of a layer) and centre it
Click on the "f" at the bottom of the layer pallet and select "drop shadow"
Adjust shadow to your liking
 
Okey Dokey, here you go:

Open your photo in Photoshop.

Double click the Background in the layer pallet. In the dialogue box select OK. (you can type a name for the layer if you like, otherwise it will be layer 0)

Go Image>Canvas Size. Make sure there is a tick in Relative. Type (say) 2cm in the width & height boxes (you can play with these numbers to suit). Click OK.

Create a new layer (Layer>New>Layer) and make sure it is at the bottom of the layer stack.

With that new layer highlighted in the layer stack go Edit>Fill. From the drop down list select White. Click OK

Now highlight your picture layer again and double click the thumbnail. This will bring up the Layer Styles Pallet. On the left menu, click Drop Shadow. Play with the sliders to create a shadow you're happy with. Once there, hit ok.

You'll now see an additional element in the layer pallet under your picture layer. You can double click on that to go back and edit later if you need to.

That's it really. Save your PSD file. Flatten layers. Job's a good 'un :thumbs:
 
Nice one Paul pretty much same as mine, but easier as it has less stages,and mine also has an off set image, I shouldnt have asked, Brian to run before he could walk really :thumbs:

Good luck Brian :thumbs:
 
Just Dave said:
Nice one Paul pretty much same as mine, but easier as it has less stages,and mine also has an off set image, I shouldnt have asked, Brian to run before he could walk really :thumbs:
Click to expand...

LOL as I said Dave, there are usually a host of different ways of achieving the same thing in Photoshop. No one way is right or wrong really, just well, different :)
 
Lots of the members on a little dog rescue forum I frequent love taking pics but don’t have (or want) Photoshop. They enjoy simple editing though and have found this free download fun and easy to use.

I know it’s very basic and hope I’m not insulting you by suggesting it. I don’t usually bother with borders but have had a quick go with this and it’s incredibly straightforward although doubtless the results are nowhere near as good as might be achieved in CS4.
 
Or you could always use Photoshop Elements preset dropped shadow! :)
 
Now I used to do mine in Corel, but the method should be the same.

Image >add border > white colour, then pixel width what ever you like, but make sure you add a few extra pixels to the right hand side and bottom. Otherwise you will get an off balance border like Daves above.

Then using your magic selection tool, click on the white border, go to selection and click invert (on occasion you might find that you need to add a 1 pixel black or grey border before you start this process if you have white around the edges of your image).

Then go to the drop shadow menu, and fiddle around until you get what you want. Don't forget to flatten the layers once you're done.
 
Jo said:
Otherwise you will get an off balance border like Daves above.
Click to expand...

Hes using CS4, Jo, and mines meant to be like that :lol: that's just how I like them, a very thin white border off set, with drop shadow on a white BG, rather than a big white border all around, each to our own
 
Hi All

Paul, just had chance to have a play with your guide, spot on !!

Dave, thats for the PM :thumbs:

Thanks to everyone else who's replied with suggestions :)
 
Brian,

Script Writer does drop shadows too if you want something that you can just edit with a menu and then recreate as and when you want. All mods/staff have free registration for it too so unlimited help :)
 
Glad it helped mate :)
 
The two guides by GRENDEL and Just Dave are very helpfull!
Answered a question I was also going to ask.
Cheers Gents:clap:
 
Glad to hear it helped Bigfags :)
 
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