ELEMENT: Slide Frames

From YourSITE.com

*NEW
ELEMENT: Slide Frames
By Jeri Ingalls 2006
May 1, 2006, 04:23

Slide mounts have been showing up for quite a while now on scrapbook pages, so I thought I’d share my method of making these for those who want to add them to their own layouts. I like to make a custom shape and add it to my shapes gallery; this makes it very easy to make slide mounts as the shape can be used again and again.

So first, I’ll explain how the shape is made. Open a new image, and then choose the shape tool on the left-hand toolbar. Choose Custom Shape and then pick the Rounded Rectangle #2. Draw this out on your new image, any size is fine but make sure it’s large enough to easily work with, and in a color that is easy to see against your background. Also, make sure to check your path panel options setting that the box that says Even-Odd Fill is checked.

Now, with your shape drawn out, click on the shape to make it active, and then choose the Path Edit tool that is located in the drop down file in the shape box (click on the little triangle in the lower right hand side of the box). Then, click on the toggle command that will come up in the space where you would normally choose your shape. See the sample below if you’re not sure where this is located. You will now see the path of your shape outlined.

With these settings, now click once again on the shape tool to get back into the shape drawing mode. Since you are still working with this path, the “continue draw” mode should show up as pictured below. Choose the regular rounded rectangle for this next shape.

Now I’ll open the path panel, click on the shape tab, and set the roundness at 8. This may vary depending on how large you’ve made your slide, and how round you want the corners, but this size works for my sample here. Then draw out a rounded rectangle inside your rounded square to look as though it’s the window of the slide, the part where the transparency sits in.

Now, with this new shape still selected, go back into the path edit tool in the right hand menu. Hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard and select the outside of your slide as well. Now both parts of the slide should be highlighted. Choose the Align tool than Align Center, then repeat and choose Align Middle. This should line things up so that the window is in the center of the slide.

When finished, click on the toggle button again. Now you should see a solid slide mount.

Now, to save this as a custom shape, go to your top menu and choose Object/Copy to Object Library. When the box pops up, simply name the shape and choose the Shape Library as shown in the graphic below as where you would like to store it.

Doing this will allow you to use this shape any time you like by just choosing the custom shape tool and scrolling down to the bottom of the list where your shape will be added. This makes it convenient to fill with the color or texture of your choice, use the preset fills in the Easy Palette, and use all kinds of special effects and shadowing. I’ve included some samples below.