That's Kinda Cool!

When I created this simple 5×7 image box border for a trade show in March of 2010, I never imagined it would be so useful to others. Since originally posting this element, it’s been downloaded over 1,000 times! This template has a clipping mask. Just make sure that the image you want clipped is on the layer directly above the photo mask, then right click the image and choose “Create Clipping Mask” in the menu. You can then crop and reposition the image.

Here’s what it looks like:

Normal terms of use apply. Use with clients is OK, don’t sell or reshare elements without letting me know. Thanks.

PSDs:

These frames work well for cards, image boxes, collages, mounted prints, etc. Be creative.

There are 3 frames — 5×5, 5×7 landscape, 5×7 portrait. Each frame includes the 4 medallion choices (sailboat, flower, inset monogram, regular monogram). The frame colors can be ANY color, but I’ve included blue and pink in the actual PSD. If you want to make them any other color, you just have to change the color overlay on the corresponding layer. These templates use a clipping mask — just place your image on the layer above the clipping mask, right click the new layer (not the icon, but the layer name), and click “Create Clipping Mask” in the pop-up box.

Here are some of the options:

Sailboat on blue:

Inset monogram:

Flower on pink:

Monogram on pink:

Normal terms of use apply. Use with clients is OK, don’t sell or reshare elements without letting me know. Thanks.

This is a basic 16×20 with 7 openings and a 1 inch border on all sides… I ordered one rounded and one not… just wanted to see which I liked better… so here are both variations. Each black square is a clipping mask. Simply place the image you’d like to add on the layer directly above the square you’d like to use, then right click the image layer (anywhere other than on the thumbnail) and click “Create Clipping Mask” in the popup menu.

Download:

This action has become a popular alternative to Portraiture. It works by smoothing the surface of the skin without smearing it, then it gives you control of the intensity of that smoothing.

This works on full size 300 dpi images. If you are working with layers, make sure you are on the top layer. It copies and merges all layers to a new layer (leaving your original layers intact), then sets the smoothing layer. If you have adjustment layers you can hide them all then highlight the top pixel/regular layer, run the action, then turn your adjustment layers back on.

Important: Brush over the areas you want to smooth with a soft white brush. Change the size to get into the smaller areas and adjust the opacity of the layer to change the level of smoothing.

Click the image to see a larger sample:

My Skin Smoothing Action:

The fact that this simple rounded corner action requires no user input means it’s completely batchable. Set it to run on 100 images and walk away. This is a feature that’s missing on many rounded corner actions. While those other actions may produce corner that are a tiny bit smoother, they are not at all useful for rounding the corners of an entire gallery. This is the solution for large groups of images.

The background can be filled with any color with the paintbucket or by adding a step to the action.

Here’s what it does:

Simple rounded corners:

Rounded with black border:

Rounded with black border and shadow:

Simple Batchable Rounded Corner Action: