Photoshop Tips: Placing Photos in a Frame

[1gr8muggle]

Placing a photo within a frame element is actually very simple with the Magic Wand tool.

Here are some basic steps:

1. Place your photograph on its own layer.
2. Open your frame element, and place it on your layout on a layer above your photograph.
3. Target your photo layer and resize/move your photo around until you have the desired portion of it within the frame. (Hold the shift key while resizing to maintain proportions.)
4. Target the frame layer.
5. Select the Magic Wand tool and make sure "Contiguous" is checked off in the options toolbar across the top of your screen.
6. Click within the frame opening. You should get "marching ants" within your frame.
7. Go to Select>Inverse (Ctrl+Shirft+I on a PC, Cmd+Shift+I on a Mac).
8. Target your photo layer.
9. Hit Delete. This should remove any part of your photo that was not within the frame.

Tip:

If you find that you can see just a hairline of your background between the frame's inner edge and your photo, do the following:

After using the magic wand to select the inside of the frame, go to Select>Modify>Expand and set it to about 5 pixels. Then continue with the steps above.

[digigal]

Great instructions, Cassie! Right to the point and easy to follow!

[Ampersand Dingbat]

I am so happy this was right here when I needed it! Thanks again Cassie!

[hhalleck]

your instructions are great....but, i can't find the magic wand tool for the life of me!! I have CS3, and i even went to "help" and searched for magic wand, and it brought it up, but I don't have that icon on my tool bar anywhere, and i can't seem to find it.
any ideas?

[grandma lynnie]

The magic wand is the fourth tool down on the side toolbar. It "resides" with the quick selection tool. Thre should be a fly-out that lets you select which of these tools you want.

[hhalleck]

Thank you SO much, I would have never found that on my own!!!!!

I appreciate your quick response too!!!

Hannah

[anitavp]

THANK you soo much!!