Computer Graphics with Photoshop - QUESTION: Looking for action or free plugin for matting.

Author

QUESTION: Looking for action or free plugin for matting.

2007-06-08, 6:15 pm

Hi, all.

I'm making some content for a PhotoBook, to be bound at a local Wal-
Mart or something.

The stock layouts don't particularly turn me on, so I created an image
manually. I want the illusion of multiple images placed in a matboard,
including bevel cuts around the images.

My process was:

1) Take a photo of a real matboard
2) Add that as Layer 1
3) Open a photo, size it appropriately for placement
4) Create a white rectangle, 10 pixels wider on each side than the
photo (this will be the cut bevel)
5) Place it on the matboard as a new layer
6) Use the Inner Shadow function against the bevel layer, to slightly
darken the top and right edges of the white rectangle
7) Flatten the image.
8) Select the bevel area, and clean up the lower-right and upper-left
corners so that the bevel angle is present (The Inner Shadow effect
doesn't create the desired effect in those corners, and I had to
flatten because I could not modify the pixels created by the shadow
effect otherwise)
9) Place the photo over the white rectangle, and adjust it carefully
for proper alignment.
10) Flatten.

The end result was decent - here's a closeup crop of some of the
corners of the bevels.

http://members.shaw.ca/robertrd/mat_test.jpg

Only problem: it takes time.

I'm looking for any canned actions or free/cheap plugins to accomplish
the same effect.

Or, suggestions to help streamline this process.

Thanks!!

Cheers,

BD

2007-06-08, 6:15 pm

Huh...

Having better luck finding such stuff on the web than I did before
posting. Oh well.

I guess there's stuff out there. Any ringing endorsements would be
appreciated. ;-)

KatWoman

2007-06-08, 6:15 pm

"BD" <robert.drea@XXXXXXXXXX> wrote in message
news:1181315648.569482.16580@d30g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
> Hi, all.
>
> I'm making some content for a PhotoBook, to be bound at a local Wal-
> Mart or something.
>
> The stock layouts don't particularly turn me on, so I created an image
> manually. I want the illusion of multiple images placed in a matboard,
> including bevel cuts around the images.
>
> My process was:
>
> 1) Take a photo of a real matboard
> 2) Add that as Layer 1
> 3) Open a photo, size it appropriately for placement
> 4) Create a white rectangle, 10 pixels wider on each side than the
> photo (this will be the cut bevel)
> 5) Place it on the matboard as a new layer
> 6) Use the Inner Shadow function against the bevel layer, to slightly
> darken the top and right edges of the white rectangle
> 7) Flatten the image.
> 8) Select the bevel area, and clean up the lower-right and upper-left
> corners so that the bevel angle is present (The Inner Shadow effect
> doesn't create the desired effect in those corners, and I had to
> flatten because I could not modify the pixels created by the shadow
> effect otherwise)
> 9) Place the photo over the white rectangle, and adjust it carefully
> for proper alignment.
> 10) Flatten.
>
> The end result was decent - here's a closeup crop of some of the
> corners of the bevels.
>
> http://members.shaw.ca/robertrd/mat_test.jpg
>
> Only problem: it takes time.
>
> I'm looking for any canned actions or free/cheap plugins to accomplish
> the same effect.
>
> Or, suggestions to help streamline this process.
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Cheers,
>
> BD
>

open the layered psd you already created
remove pictures, maybe make guides around them first
save as> my template or other name
drag new photos in to replace the original ones?

or just use the layers effects to create the borders and copy/paste the
styles onto all the layers you need to match
you can adjust the inner shadow to be more square in the corners (forget how
exactly but I have done it in effects options, range?

I have a plug-in called Filters Unlimited-has quite few ready made frames,
vignettes, weird effects etc

layer styles may also work well here