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Creating Vintage-Bordered Photos in Photoshop and Photoshop Lightroom
Note: Tutorial created using Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 with Windows XP.
By combining the creative powers of Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Elements or Creative Suite, you can easily convert contemporary images into vintage photos with borders to complement your favorite eclectic, vintage, and shabby chic digital scrapbooking collections.
First, launch Photoshop Lightroom and press keyboard shortcut D to enter the "Develop" module. Click to select the desired image from Film Strip. You'll know it's selected when the image sports a light gray background.
For the lower layer, let's use the khaki paper from my Victorian Garden Collection Biggie. (Remember to open your new layout document, then open the Victorian Garden paper, and using your Move Tool, drag the Victorian Garden paper onto your layout. If you do this Shift+Drag technique correctly, the paper should snap right into place in your layout document.)
Perform any photo corrections as needed (e.g., exposure, contrast, etc.).
Next, apply a sepia or vintage effect using a color-themed ScrapSimple Tools – Lightroom Presets collection. Adjust any of the settings as needed.
When you're happy with the result of your vintage color treatment, Export (Save) the image as a JPG file. Note: The sample image uses the Chocolate preset from ScrapSimple Tools – Lightroom Presets: Photo Basics 10301 Biggie.
Now, open the image in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.
Unlock the Background Layer by pressing and holding Alt (Mac: Opt) while double-clicking the layer in the Layers Palette. This allows the Background Layer to become editable. You'll notice the layer renames itself "Layer 0."
Next, right-click the layer in the Layers Palette and select "Duplicate Layer" from the pop-up menu.
Click once to reselect the Background Layer in the Layers Palette. You'll use this layer to build the photo's border. From the Menu Bar, click Image> Canvas Size.
When the Canvas Size dialog appears, add 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch to both Width and Height values. For example, the sample image measures 6 inches wide by 3.999 inches high, so I'll add 1/2 inch to each measurement by changing the Width value to 6.25 and the Height to 4.26.
Once you've increased the Canvas Size for the Background Layer, you'll notice the image on the Canvas now has a transparent frame.
Make sure the Background Layer is still selected in the Layers Palette, then fill it with either white or off-white to finish the photo's border.
Option 1: White Border (color code #ffffff)
Option 2: Off-White Border (color code #dfcdaa)
Depending on the theme of your layout or the digital scrapbooking collection you'll be using, opting for off-white lends itself to a more realistic-looking aged border.
The final step is to add the month and year to the photo's border. Create a New Layer directly above the border layer, then use the Text Tool to type the desired month and year. Rotate it counter-clockwise and position it along the right-hand side of the image.
The sample image features Times New Roman font at 6 point.
Explore the secrets used by our professional designers and layout artists to make amazing digital scrapbooking layouts! Check out the incredible tutorials in Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed and MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed!
Layout by Katherine Weaver
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Tutorial written by Katherine Weaver
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