Hello,
I am trying to make a border around a 5x7 invitation. I have pscs2. Here's what I did: new layer - select all - modify - border - edit - stroke. But the stroke appears all feathered, not at all what I want. Why does the modify - contract option disappear when you select all? How do you make a regular border?

I hope that makes sense, lol.

Help much appreciated,
Thanks,
Laura

Laura, easiest thing to do is create a new layer, fill it with white (or whatever) and then add a stroke through the layer styles. Make sure you set the option to "inside" stroke to get nice crisp corners. Then adjust your fill opacity on that layer to 0%. That will leave the stroke visible and the colored layer will disappear.

I usually give a quick explanation first and can expand if you need it. Let me know if that didn't make enough sense.

Sonya

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Thanks! Now, that would give me a border right on the edge? So what if I want a border 20 pixels in from the edge, kwim?

When you have the "marching ants" around the outer edge, you can right click inside that area and choose "transform selection" and then you are in free transform mode and on the options bar, click the link icon between height and width, and change the percent to something smaller than 100%. If you want the stroke inside a bit, you might try with 95-96 percent. You can change the percent to adjust to your liking. When you like the placement you click on the checkmark in the options bar to execute the transform.

Then you can go to Edit>Stroke and finish up with the stroke.

To use layers styles instead, you want to be on a new layer at the top of your layout and do a flood fill - can be any color. Then using the layer styles, add your stroke, and change the fill opacity to 0%. The fill will be invisible then, but the stroke will remain. I like this method a little better because I can still easily change the color of the stroke.

Hope this helps.

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Nancy


"The Eyes Have It"

If you do it the way I said, and the 2nd way Nancy said (same method) you can always reduce the size of that layer a tad to have it in a bit from the edges. I really like this option better than Edit> Stroke because you keep the ability to change it later, color, thickness, etc.

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Another way...take your invitation. Above your top most layer, select your rectangle tool and draw a rectangle. Then add a new blank layer. On your new layer, INVERSE, then Edit Fill with your color. That way you keep your orginal size and have you have a sharp border. Now that might not work if you don't have the extra room to play with on your invitation. (There are other cool things you can do with a mask and the displace filter also). Have fun.