photoshop elements tutorial: how to download and use a frame on your photos

i use photoshop elements 6, but i'm sure it is very similar in CS2 and 3.

let me say this from the start: i'm by no means an expert. i have had photoshop for a few weeks only, and i'm still very much a beginner. there are lots of amazing free tutorials on how to edit your photos on the web, so i would much rather point you that way for advice way better than mine. but i did not find any tips on putting a cute frame around my photos, and that is one of the things that i was really wanting to do when i decided to buy photoshop. so let's learn this together:

lets start with the cast of characters:

one is wonderful and gorgeous and cute, and the other is carli... carli is the daughter of my sister, paula. i did some editing on the photo of carli, softening some of the background a little. make sure that your photo is cropped and edited the way you like it. that is for cleverer people than i to explain. head on over to digiscrap 101, if you want to know more about that. the frame is part of a digital scrapbooking kit that was free.

i always open the tutorial i'm using in one window, and photoshop in another. then i can switch between windows, and try the steps myself, till i have got it. so, we will all wait a few minutes while you go off, make that quick cup of coffee, close the office door, and open photoshop. remember to open a spreadsheet in a third window, so if the boss comes by, you can switch to that...

back yet? comfortable? ready? ok, here we go:

on your desktop, you open a new folder, and call it 'downloads'. i always have that, and download everything in there, so it is easier to find afterward. we are all going to visit a website called shutterfly. it's like a little field trip. let's all synchronize our watches, and meet back here in, say, 15 minutes time. but wait! before you go, let me tell you what to do when you get there.

you just have to click on the red word 'shutterfly', and it will magically open a window, and you can follow the breadcrumbs. spend a few minutes looking around. then click on the place in the sidebar that says 'digital scrapbooking freebies'. you scroll down to a place that says 'Thank you Michelle Coleman : What an Inspiration! (or, you can just click on this link, and it will take you straight there. it's a shortcut...). 

see  'download 1.zip' etc? you can download all three, but the frame is in download1, i think. right click on that, and choose 'save target as'. choose to download it in your 'downloads' file. when it is finished, you have to unzip it. because you have to give credit to the designer when you use the product, and rightly so, i always rename the file, and mention the name of the website, designer and product, so it is easy for me to remember later who to credit. in this case my file is now called 'shutterfly, michelle coleman, renewal 3'.

when you have done all this, click on the 'downloads' folder, and check if it is all there, and what the filename of the frame is. (MCO DecoFrame). then go do some work for a few hours, to keep the boss happy.

open photoshop. just so we are all on the same page (get it? the same page? ok, sorry...), go to organiser mode. find a nice photo. you will not have a photo of carli. at least, i hope not, unless you are paula. and even paula will not have this photo of carli, as i took it. i digress...

with the photo open, click on 'fix' and then 'full edit'. while i'm doing this, my anti-virus software is running it's weekly full scan, so the computer is sooo slooow. you'll just have to be patient. like me. patient is my middle name. the editor mode will open with your photo, like this: 

 well now, that photo is just awful! please excuse me for a few hours while i go look for a tutorial on doing tutorials...

it will just have to do. you can't just leave a bunch of people sitting in front of their computers, reading this, and go off to figure it out. it's my homework for next time.

now, where was i? oh yes, in editor mode. where it says 'layers', you should see a small photo, and it should say 'background' and be locked. right click on the little photo, and click on 'duplicate layer', to create a new layer. make sure the new layer is highlighted, because this is where you are going to work. if you get this far, then you have full marks for part one. yaay! there is an amazing description of the concept of layers at pioneerwoman's blog. go read it some time. i cannot describe it better than this and this!

click on 'file', 'open'. in the top menu bar, find your downloads folder. and look for the frame. MCO DecoFrame, remember? double click on it. it will open in the editor, above your photo. use your mouse, and move the whole frame block to the right, so you can see the photo and the frame at the same time. use your mouse, click in the middle of the frame, hold the button in, and drag the frame over the photo. let go. it should be sitting there, on the photo, although the size and position may be wrong. we'll fix that. it's amazing what we can fix. close the box with the frame in it.

in the 'layers' box, you will see that there is a new layer, one with the frame in it. make sure this layer is selected. now you will be able to move and resize the frame. while you were moving your mouse around there, did you notice that the little arrow somtines get curved, or rounded? when it does that, you can click there, hold your mouse button down, and rotate the frame, turning the frame upside down. move it around until you are happy. when you are, you can click on the green tick.

with the frame layer still highlighted, you can click where it says 'opacity'. a little slider will appear. slide it till it is as light or as dark as you want it to be. i chose 60%, so it is a little softer. this is what you would have, if you used a photo of carli:

 

oh dear, these photos are downright embarrassing. i blush. so sorry!

actually, i did it on purpose, to show you that i am no expert in photoshop. no self-respecting photoshop expert would EVER let photos like this appear anywhere. only blonds would ever try...

now, i want to show you how to change the color of the frame. but i don't know how to do it myself yet. so, you do some work again, while i go see if i can figure it out...

{she leaves, and fiddles on computer...}

ok, i managed to change the color, but i am convinced that i did it the hard way, so i am not even going to tell you. but, if you want to try, right click on the small picture of the frame in 'layers', and duplicate the layer. then you can experiment with the frame, and if you don't like it, right click on the small photo again, and 'delete layer'.

when you are happy with what you did, right click on the small photo in 'layers', and 'flatten layers'. this will combine all the layers, giving you one. then, you can either close the editor without saving anything, thus losing all your work (some experimental work deserves to be lost...), or click on 'file', 'save as' and make a title that you will be able to find. and voila!  

 

so i just spent half a day writing this tutorial. and, i get to call it 'work'. ha ha! did you like it? i tried to make it as detailed as possible, so that even if you have never worked in photoshop before, you should be able to follow this. please tell me if it works, or if you battled. did i inspire you to try? or did i put you off for ever? should i shut up, and call it a day? yes, i should...

you can also read my other photoshop tutorials: how to create a softened photo and how to make eyes 'pop'.

you can find other photoshop, papercraft and scrapbooking tutorials here.

 
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop

this post was linked to by: scrapscene and photoshop pack, paxton prints

Comments

[Cheryl Whitaker]

Hi Jacki
You must visit http://h30240.www3.hp.com/
It is the HP webiste and has lots of freebie online classes for digital goodies and other stuff
Cheers
Cheryl

[Ineke]

Hi Jacki
Wish I had the time to do those kind of things are work, but no go here, we don't even have photoshop!! at office. Then it's trying to find the time at home, and there I also often draw a blank, no modem when I do need it, so unable to access other sites. Frustrating to say the least.
Must run loads of work to be done.
Love Ineke

[Nicky]

Jacki you shoud have been a writer! What fun reading your blog as I always seem to have a giggle. Thanks for taking the time out to learn photo shop as I will definitely be on the list for a lesson. I have had photo shop at home for about 6 months and have not really spent much time learning.
Cheers
Nicky

[Kayla]

Thanks so much for linkage to my site. I would love to chat with you about digital - please email me! Thanks!

[Janine]

Hi Jacki
I tried to get this right, but I only managed to get the frame downloaded, but for some strange reason when I open my photo in photoshop and browse for my frame, the folder is there but there is no file inside. I have tried it numerous times, but had no luck, so I give up. I will stick to rubons rather. It would have been cool if it had worked. Thanks again for all your hard work, it is appreciated. Have a great weekend.
Love Janine

[Karen]

Jacki, Saw a mention regarding your tutorial on Scrap Scene. I have NEVER done anything using Photoshop, although I have the program. I keep saying that one day I will learn. Your tutorial seems very easy so I'm going to see if I can learn something new. I'm a teacher and many of my students know a lot about using digital programs, so I'm going to let them help me through your tutorial. Thanks for the information, and wish me luck! Karen from San Diego, California