Home  >  Tutorials  >   PSP 7 Tutorials  >
Cut-Out Picture Frames
E-mail this tutorial to a friend  Email to a Friend

Cut-Out Picture Frames
Created by: Carolyn Ross
 
There are some very unique frames which come with Paint Shop Pro 7, and this is the way to increase their numbers with some unique ideas of your own!
 

Standard Toolbar - New (image) button

To make a square frame, create a new image:
– Width and Height = 1024
– Resolution = 72 Pixels/inch
– Background color = Transparent
– Image type = 16.7 Million Colors (24 Bit)

For a rectangular frame you would use a size of 1024 x 768. The large size will make your frames nice and sharp if you use them on a large or small graphic.
 
    Set your Foreground Style to Null (click on the little arrow in your Foreground-Style box and choose the icon on the right) and your Background Style to Color = Black (click on the little arrow in your Background-Style box and choose the brush icon on the left, then click into the Background-Style box and choose Black).
 

Tool Palette - Preset Shapes tool		 Click on your Preset Shapes tool and choose:
– Shape = Triangle
– Retain Style = unchecked
– Antialias = checked
– Create as vector = checked
– Line width = 1
 

Draw a large triangle. Leave a wide border (do not go edge to edge) and place it high enough on the page to allow the addition of a tree base.

Next, switch to the Rectangle shape, uncheck the Antialias option in the Tool Options palette, and draw a rectangle centered beneath the tree shape, leaving a space between the tree and the base as shown.
 

Tool Palette - Vector Object Selection tool

Click on the Vector Object Selection tool and drag a square over both objects, go from edge to edge so that there is one square selection covering both shapes (see image above).

Go to Objects || Group, then to Objects || Align || Horiz. Center in Canvas.

Convert your vector layer to raster by right-clicking on the vector layer in the Layer palette and choosing "Convert to Raster" from the pop-up menu.
 

Go to Selections || Select All, then to Selections || Float, then to Selections || Defloat. The tree is now selected.

Go to Effects || 3D Effects || Drop Shadow and use these settings:
– Vertical and Horizontal Offset = -23 (minus 23)
– Opacity = 50
– Blur = 25
– Color = Black

Click on OK.
 

With the selection still active, press the Delete key.

Do not deselect!

Activate 'Layer1' by clicking on it in the Layer palette and go to Selections || Invert. The area outside your original image is now selected while you are on this bottom layer.
 
     Tool Palette - Flood Fill tool

Change your Foreground Style to Color = White and, with the Flood-Fill tool, flood-fill 'Layer1' with white. Deselect with Ctrl+D (Selections || Select None).
 

Right-click on 'Layer1' in the Layer palette and select Merge || Merge visible from the pop-up menu.

To have a little softer edge on your frame go to Effects || Blur || Soften.

That's all there is to making a cut-out frame.

At this point just save the image to your frame directory with the .pfr extension and it will be available to use the next time you need a frame.