How do you make that shadow border?

yak.h'cir · 30 Apr 2006 at 20:34

I'm always seeing photographs that have borders which makes them look a little like they are floating above a white page, a shadow affect. I've tried to reproduce it in photoshop using the layer style options but it doesnt seem to work for me. I think i'm missing a step somewhere. I woul really appreachiate it if someone could tell me how it is done!

Cheers.

[OZ] · 30 Apr 2006 at 20:58

Here's an action I use.

Shootist · 30 Apr 2006 at 23:42

Paintshop pro has a drop shadow tool. Just cut the desired picture from a page, add it to a blank page and before you allow the floating pic to merge with the background, use the drop shadow tool. You can decide the size of the shadow, what colour it is and how blurry it is too.
Simple really.

sproutpunx · 1 May 2006 at 10:01

What sort of effect you getting and any samples of desired finish?

Trying out the layer styles option on photoshop and looks about as good as the paintshop pro drop shadow (they're basically the same thing)

Yak, maybe you just gotta play with the options more? And I don't know about you but I couldn't download that action above(??)

yak.h'cir · 1 May 2006 at 13:52

Haha, nor could I, thought it was just me being stupid! Going to have another play now myself and see if i can work it out.

yak.h'cir · 1 May 2006 at 13:59

The cutting and pasting onto a white background the adding the shadow to the layer method works ok, just takes a little longer then i'd like! I suppose there most be some way of automating the process, suppose i should take the time to learn how to do it because its gets a little tedious when i have a load of pictures for work that all need borders + my copyright adding to them. Anyway this is the effect I was talking about:-

sproutpunx · 1 May 2006 at 15:50

For just a plain white border, why not just make the canvas size a little bigger?

image > canvas size > change width and height, centering your image and change background colour to white. Maybe record your own actions?

yak.h'cir · 1 May 2006 at 16:47

I know how to make a white border! I didn't know how to get the shadow around the photo.

sproutpunx · 1 May 2006 at 17:53

well...you mentioned cutting and pasting...crazy fool! i'll shut up now, although it may make sense to record your own action in photoshop to automate the process? its not that hard really (so i've heard!)

yak.h'cir · 1 May 2006 at 21:39

I'm cutting the area I want the shadow to appear "under" and then pasting as a new layer so that the shadow can be placed. Its the only way I can find that works... Is there a better way?

Tru · 2 May 2006 at 14:25

yak.h'cir said:
I'm cutting the area I want the shadow to appear "under" and then pasting as a new layer so that the shadow can be placed. Its the only way I can find that works... Is there a better way?

You can use Ctrl+Alt+P to promote a selection to a new layer, slightly quicker than C'n'P.