Putting borders around your images

[theMusicMan]

So - what do you think looks best for a border/edge effect around your images...?

I have started playing with simple 10px white and then 20px black border around the entire image for my recent images - doesn't look too bad I guess. Also, have discovered some automation aspects of PhotoShop that makes applying this effect to any image a total doddle - as well as creating a droplet from the action.

What else in terms of edging/borders do you feel works. I have been looking at a few commercial add-ins for Photoshop but it looks as though I am able to use some Photoshop tutorials and do these myself.

What works and what doesn't then? I appreciate it's a matter of personal taste, but let's have some views pls.

 

[Brains]

I think a border does enhance an image and tend to go for darker colours. When framing I go for a double mount....white then a colour (midnight blue is my current favourite)

It's all down to personal taste.

There are free border effects on the net and I have a cd somewhere from one of the photos mags with frames on....also a tutorial showing how to do them. Don't really like the overly fancy ones.

 

[moomike]

I go for darker too, black background & a white edge stroke works for most of my images imo - if it doesn't, I just reverse the colours & see how that looks instead

 

[Tsukiyomi]

Is there an option In Photoshop where you even out each side on the borders?

My Borders are never even.

 

[CT]

I'm a bit unsettled on the subject. Really I don't think a shot should need borders at all, it's a bit like gilding the lily. Sometimes I use them them although I'm tending to do it less.

 

[theMusicMan]

Is there an option In Photoshop where you even out each side on the borders?

My Borders are never even.

Yes there is.

Make sure there is an open image in Photoshop, then you need to go to Image > Canvas Size - which will open up a dialogue box and you should see something like this;

You can see that in this example I have added a value of 1cm to each of the Width and Height field values which means my image will be extended (as I chose Canvas Size) by a 1cm Black border around my the entire image.

How's that...? does that work for you.

I am only just getting to grips with how to do these borders in Photoshop but I am happy to prepare a tutorial and post it on here later if anyone wants one. I am sure there are PS users far more experienced than I who could do better, but I shall give it a go later.

 

[antihero]

i usually just have a thin black border with a 1 pixel white stroke inside that. The simpler the better really, some of the plugin effects involve bevelling the edges which looks kind of naff imho.

there are several ways to do borders, and as some say, people just get used to a certain way of doing it. I have been using ps for a good few years now and just got used to creating a new layer, ctrl+a to select all, alt+del to fill with black, Select>Modify>Contract 10 px, ctrl+del to fill with white, Select>Modify>Contract by 1 px then hit delete and ctrl+d to deselect. Might sound long winded but it only takes a few seconds. Although for some reason on CS2 you cant select all then contract the selection. Does'nt seem to do this on other versions. In which case.....

Ctrl+a to select all, new layer, Edit>Stroke 11 pixel in white (inside) then Edit>Stroke 10 pixel (inside) in black. Gives exactly the same result.

Be interesting to hear some other methods.....

 

[Amnesia180]

I tend to do a 15px black, 10px white and a 15px black (on anything between 800 and 1024..) If it's bigger than that, I'll adjust the border sizes.

I don't border any images unless they're going on the net, and I don't border them until after all the PP is done and it's been resized.

I find that even though I say 15px it works out around 13 pixels (counted them)?

Good luck, you can see some examples of my bordering at www.dan-taylor.co.uk (that is not advertising )

 

[Messiah Khan]

I tend to go for a 4(or is it 5) pixel white border, followed by a 30 pixel black border. When mounting printed images, I always go for a black mount, and rely on the angle cut of the white pinstripe. I am also considering getting some of my toned black and white work printed big, then framed with a really thick, chunky and dark driftwood type frame with a black mount.

 

[apodo]

On the web a simple border makes a huge difference because without it there is nothing to separate the shot from the page. The screen being just one huge image containing many elements, of which it is just one.

This is different to prints where the photo is a physically separate entity so it already stands out to the eye. There it is just a purely æsthetic choice, just like the choice of physical frame itself.

Without a border the image is framed by the background colour of the page, but with submitting it to different sites, or just on ones like this with multiple themes, you have no control over this framing.

Whether it has a light or dark background will emphasize different elements of the photo, and if similar to the tones in the image can confuse the eye which will see it bleeding into the page.

With web sized images I have a 1 pixel white outline around the photo, and then a 9 pixel black border around that, making it 10 pixels on each side. If I have a title then I make it 19 pixel black on the bottom to make room for the text.

That is what I use for night images or ones which are predominantly dark. For daytime images I use one that is the reverse, while with a black outline.

For me this is big enough to give it the separation from the page and take control over the contrast with the page background, without it being overpowering or detracting from the shot.

Conversely though huge gaudy plugin style frames, the sort with beveled wood effects and the like, are pretty ugly and really can detract from an image because your eye is drawn to them.

Michael.