The Quick and Easy Way to Make a Bordered Box

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Someone once advised me not to use the 'Add Border' option in PSP5 for images where final file size is an issue. This would apply if you are making a banner and have limitations on the size of the final file.

Here is a quick way to add a border edge around a box. It allows you to easily reselect the border area to try different effects.

Without this technique, or similar other techniques probably already discovered, it is difficult to reselect the border area, or the inside area, if any kind of a pattern or effect has been applied to them.

The Final Product
STEP 1 - Open a New Image

1) Click File then New

    On the New Image Window:

    Width = 100 Pixels
    Height = 50 Pixels
    Resolution = 72 Pixels/Inch
    Background Color = white
    Image Type = 16.7 Million Colors (24 Bit)

STEP 2 - Set the Active colors

1) Click on the foreground color box.

    On the Color Dialog Window:

    Red = 0 Green = 64 Blue = 64 for teal green

2) Click on the background color box.

    On the Color Dialog Window:

    Red = 255 Green = 128 Blue = 128 for peach




STEP 3 - Create the inside area

1) On the menu choose Selections | Select All

2) On the menu choose Selections | Modify | Contract | 6 pixels

3) Flood fill the inside with the foreground color.

    On the Controls Window:

    Fill Style = Solid color
    Match Mode = None
    Tolerance = 0
    Opacity = 100
    Sample Merged = Unchecked

    Click Options
    Fill Style = Solid Color
    Blend Mode = Normal




STEP 4 - Create the rim area

1) On the menu choose Selections | Invert

2) Flood fill the rim with the background color.

    On the Controls Window:

    Fill Style = Solid color
    Match Mode = None
    Tolerance = 0
    Opacity = 100
    Sample Merged = Unchecked

    Click Options
    Fill Style = Solid Color
    Blend Mode = Normal

STEP 5 - Create a duplicate copy of the layer, to save it for reuse and playing

1) On the menu choose Layers | Duplicate

2) The layers control box will now show two layers. Make the new layer active by clicking on it in the layers control panel.







STEP 6 - Apply the PSP chisel effect to raise the rim

1) Deselect and start with a fresh selection if the rim area is not selected. The Active Layer should be the copy of Background layer.

    On the menu choose Selections | Select None

2) Reselect the rim area.

    Click on the Magic Wand tool.
    Click anywhere on the peach rim.
    The rim will be reselected.

3) Apply the chisel effect.

    On the menu choose Image | Effects | Chisel
    On the chisel control setting choose:

    Size = 5
    Background Color = checked

The Final Product

To play with different rim settings without having to use alpha channels:

1) Make the current layer invisible by clicking on the visibility toggle on the layers palette.

2) Make the background layer active.

3) Make another duplicate copy of the background layer.

4) Select the edge or rim areas with the magic wand.

You can play around with different effects by keeping each on a new layer and hiding the other layers
.