Diamond Frame Tutorial

PSP8 and PSP9 version

*NOTE*
Sometimes the links for filters change, it's difficult (and a lot of work) to
keep changing them on individual pages, so I have created a page with
links to filters and programs that I have used in my tutorials.
That way it is easier for me, because when there are changes I will
only have one page to update and hopefully better for you, because I'm
less likely to miss a page out when doing the updates :)

You will find links to filters/programs used in this tutorial Here
the link will open in a new window

Filters and programs used in this tutorial :-
Paint Shop Pro
Super Blade Pro

Materials :-
There is a text file included in the zip, if you don't know where to place the items.
My silver SBP preset, silver_metal gradient Here
The psp 7 shapes file (Objects) Here

some images have been made smaller to shorten file size

Step 1.
Make the foreground colour on your
palette white and the style color.

Open the picture that you want to frame.

My picture measures 360 x 270 pixels, you can use any
size you wish, but the frame will seem narrower in
comparison if you use a much larger image.
The frame will add 100 pixels to both the
height and depth of the image.

Step 2.
Open the layer palette and see if your picture is on a
layer, or a background. If it is a background, go to
Layers...Promote to layer...
Double click on the layer in the layers
palette and rename it 'picture'

Go to Image...Canvas size...
Select the centre box in the placement section.
In the original dimensions section you will see the current
size of the image. Add 100 to each of these figures
and put the new figures in the height and width boxes.
The background should be transparent.

Step 3.
Go to Edit...Copy...(ctrl+C)
Go to Layers...and add a new layer, naming it 'mosaic'
Go to Selections...Select All...(ctrl+A)
Then to Edit...Paste...Into Selection...(shift+ctrl+L)
The image may be a little distorted as the proportions
are slightly different to the original, but this doesn't
matter in this case, as we are only going to be using
the colouring for the mosaic border. De-select.

Go to Layers...Arrange...Send to Bottom...
With the 'mosaic' layer active, go to
Effects...Texture Effects...Mosaic-Glass...
We want to use the default settings, so click on the
button at the bottom right (arrowed in the screenshot),
this will return the settings to the default ones.

The image should look something like this

Step 4.
Add a new layer, naming it 'rectangle frame', then go to
Layers...Arrange...Bring to Top...
(or drag it to the top in the layers palette)

Flood fill this layer with white.
Select all (ctrl+A)
We are going to modify the selection several
times and alternately delete or flood fill,
so don't de-select until I tell you to.

Go to Selections...Modify...Contract...
Contract by 5 pixels, then press the delete key.
Selections...Modify...Contract...5 pixels
Now flood fill with white.

Contract by another 5 pixels and delete.
This time contract by 20 pixels.
Flood fill with white

Contract by 5 pixels and delete.
Contract by 5 and flood fill with white.
Last time :) Contract by 5 pixels and delete.
Now you can de-select. You should have this.

Step 5.
Select all (ctrl+A) Float (ctrl+F)
Go to Effects...Plugin Filters...
Flaming Pear...SuperBladePro...
Apply the sg_silver preset. De-select.

Add a new layer naming it 'diamond frame'
Activate the Preset Shapes tool and in the tool
options click on the window to open up the dropdown
box. Choose Diamond 2 from the list of shapes.
This is a psp7 shape, if you haven't got it you
can download it from the top of this page.

Use line width=5, line style=solid, antialias=ticked.
Retain style=unticked, create as vector=unticked

On the palette use white for the foreground
and transparent for the background.

I will show two methods of placing the diamond shape.
The first uses the co-ordinates, which you can see at the
bottom left of the screen as the mouse moves over your
image. This method places the shape exactly where you
want it without any need to make adjustments afterwards.

The second method places the diamond anywhere on
the layer and is then stretched into shape and moved
into position with the deformation tool.

You can use whichever method you find easiest.

Step 6.
Method 1
Before placing the diamond we will determine the
co-ordinates to be used for it's positioning.

If you're not sure, or can't remember the
current size of your image, go to
Image...Image Information...(shift+I)
Make a note of the image dimensions in pixels.

I like working with nice round figures, and
wanted my diamond to just reach the outer double
lines of the rectangular frame, so I started my
shape at 10,10. If you want to make your diamond
smaller, start further inwards and make a note of
your starting co-ordinates (they should both be the
same number) then deduct that number from the width and
height of your image to find the finishing co-ordinates.

You will be able to see the co-ordinates at
the bottom left of the screen

My image is 460 x 370 so deducting 10 from each
of those made my finishing co-ordinates 450, 360.

Right, that's the explanation out of the way,
now let's get on with it :)

Watch the co-ordinates in the bottom of the page, place
the curser at your starting point (mine was 10,10), hold
down the right mouse button dragging down and to the right
until the second set of figures (arrowed the next screenshot)
gives your finishing co-ordinates (mine are 450,360).

Your image should look something like this

If you prefer to use method 2 go to step 7, if you
have used method 1 go straight on to step 8

Step 7.
With the Preset Shapes tool and the diamond frame
layer active draw a diamond shape anywhere on your image.

Click on the Deformation Tool and the deformation box
will appear around your diamond shape. Use the handles
at the sides and top and bottom, pulling each one outwards
(or inwards) to stretch the diamond to the position and
size that you want it to be. You can also use the centre
handle to move the whole shape.

The deformation box doesn't show up very well in the next
screenshot, but I have circled the handles that you use
to change the shape, to help you to see where they are.

Step 8.
Select all (ctrl+A) Float (ctrl+F)
Apply the SuperBladePro sg_silver preset.

We want to select the trianglular area at each corner
between the rectangular and diamond shaped frames.
These frames are on separate layers and it's not time
to merge them yet, so we need to make the Magic Wand
treat them as one layer. We can do this by turning off
the visibility of all the other layers and ticking
the sample merged box on the tool options, so
activate the Magic Wand and use these settings

Mode=Add Match Mode=RGB Value Tolerance=0 Feather=0
antialias=ticked, Sample Merged box ticked

Turn off the visibility of the 'mosaic' and 'picture'
layers by clicking the eyes in the layer palette.
Click once in each of the corner triangles (arrowed
in the screenshot).

*note- When you finish, you may want to reset the
Magic Wand with the sample merge unticked ready
for when you use it again.

Add a new layer naming it 'mirror glass'
Go to Selections...Modify...Expand...
Expand the selection by 1 pixel. This is just to
make sure there are no gaps around the edges when
we flood fill, any overlap will be covered because
we will be moving this layer below the frames.

Change to gradient fill in the materials palette.
Click the Foreground and stroke properties box and
in the dropdown window of gradients choose sg_silver-metal
use these settings
Style=Linear
angle=90
repeats=0

Flood fill the selection with gradient and de-select.
Turn the visibility of all layers back on, lower the
transparency of the 'mirror glass' layer to 55 by
moving the slider of that layer in the layers
palette and drag the layer down so that it is
between the 'picture' and 'rectangle frame' layers.
the image should look like this.

Step 9.
Make the 'diamond frame' layer active, then go to
Effects...3D Effects...Drop Shadow...
Vertical=0, Horizontal=0, Opacity=80, Blur=12.3

Make the 'rectangle frame' layer active
and apply the same drop shadow to that.
Go to Layers...Merge...Merge all

If you resize your image don't forget to
sharpen it afterwards (Image...Sharpen...Sharpen...)

Here is an example that I made using a star shape
instead of the diamond.

Try experimenting with different shapes.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.
Thankyou to my great testers

To see my other tutorials click Here

If you wish to contact me you can find an email address to use included on my Site Map
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