A sepia-toned picture filtered with film grain and wrinkles can evoke a sense of antiquity, but crisp edges may detract from the mood the photographer is trying to create. A ragged edge, on the other hand, can enhance the image and fulfill the photographer's vision. However, relying on presets or stock borders can create frustration and wasted time searching for exactly the right edge. Creating your own borders will allow you to flex your creative muscles and finish off your image exactly as you envisioned.
In this short video, Colin Smith, of PhotoshopCafe, looks at two ways you can have nearly limitless control over the edges of your images with little difficulty. Smith shows viewers how to take advantage of Adobe Stock to easily create a custom edge and how to make your own edges completely from scratch in about a total of 10 minutes.
I don't do product photography or create brochures, so I don't use borders very often in my professional work, but this tutorial will save me time when I'm creating Christmas cards next winter. Rather than sifting through stock card layouts that never quite feel right, I'll quickly create my own, drop in my images, and send them off to the print lab.
An important tip from Smith is to make sure you save the borders create in your library for future use. Soon enough you'll have your own collection of borders from which to choose, streamlining your workflow and allowing you to bring your vision to fruition.
