Welcome to Wouter's Designs - PhotoImpact - Outline Vector Frame Tutorial

Outline Vector Frame Tutorial for PhotoImpact 8 and XL.
(Can be done using earlier versions of PI).
also available for PhotoImpact version11 & 12

Description:

How to make a beautiful frame using the Outline Drawing Tool.

Skill Level:

Beginner / Intermediate. I assume you know where the tools are in PhotoImpact.

Additional Files:

An image of your choice I used one my photos. You can download it from here.
Unzip the photo folder to your desktop.

Author: Wouter Démoet.

Terms of Use: Please read

NOTE:

Save your work often. I suggest you read the entire tutorial, before you start. And if you need help, or if you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me at wouter@demoet.nl

Instructions:
Open the photo in PhotoImpact. Ctrl+D to duplicate it and close the original. We will work with the duplicate. Open a new white image of 500 x 400 pixels. Resolution: 96 pixels/inch. Pick up the Outline Drawing Tool from the Tool Panel. In the Attribute Toolbar use these settings: Shape: Ellipse. Mode: 3-D Round. Color: Any for now. Click on the Outline tab in the Path Panel and set the Width to 3. Click on the Options tab and make sure that Anti-aliasing is checked. Draw a shape of about 400 x 300 pixels, then right click: Properties. In the new box that opens. click the Position & Size tab, uncheck the Keep aspect ratio box and use these settings to make the shape exactly 400 x 300 pixels and click OK. Right click: Align - Center Both. Open your EasyPalette: Material Attribute Gallery - Metallic - and double click on Copper 3 or any other preset of your choice. You may close the EP now, as we won't use it anymore. Click on the Editing button in the Attribute Toolbar to go into Path edit Mode. Click on the + sign and add 4 nodes to the path. The more irregular, the better the end results. Make sure that the Free Edit Mode button is checked. Click on the Pick Point button and click on one of the nodes and move it a bit. Repeat this for all other nodes, till your path looks similar to mine. This is not a precision job, please feel free to practise in order to create the shape you like. You cannot go wrong here. My path looks like this: Click out of Path Edit mode and back to 3D Round. It should look like this Right click: Align - Center Both. Open your Layer Manager. Right click on the active layer and Duplicate. Change to the Transform Tool and Flip the shape Horizontally. Right click: Select All Objects. Right click: Duplicate. Your Layer Manager should look like this: With the two top layers selected and using the Transform Tool again. Flip the selected objects Vertically. Right click: Select All Objects. Right click: Merge as a Single Object. Deselect. Your frame is ready. Let's continue with the rest.
On to Page 2

Instructions:

Open the photo in PhotoImpact. Ctrl+D to duplicate it and close the original. We will work with the duplicate.

Open a new white image of 500 x 400 pixels. Resolution: 96 pixels/inch.

Pick up the Outline Drawing Tool from the Tool Panel. In the Attribute Toolbar use these settings: Shape: Ellipse. Mode: 3-D Round. Color: Any for now.

Click on the Outline tab in the Path Panel and set the Width to 3. Click on the Options tab and make sure that Anti-aliasing is checked.

Draw a shape of about 400 x 300 pixels, then right click: Properties. In the new box that opens. click the Position & Size tab, uncheck the Keep aspect ratio box and use these settings to make the shape exactly 400 x 300 pixels and click OK.

Right click: Align - Center Both. Open your EasyPalette: Material Attribute Gallery - Metallic - and double click on Copper 3 or any other preset of your choice.

You may close the EP now, as we won't use it anymore.

Click on the Editing button in the Attribute Toolbar to go into Path edit Mode. Click on the + sign and add 4 nodes to the path. The more irregular, the better the end results. Make sure that the Free Edit Mode button is checked.

Click on the Pick Point button and click on one of the nodes and move it a bit. Repeat this for all other nodes, till your path looks similar to mine. This is not a precision job, please feel free to practise in order to create the shape you like. You cannot go wrong here. My path looks like this:

Click out of Path Edit mode and back to 3D Round. It should look like this

Right click: Align - Center Both. Open your Layer Manager. Right click on the active layer and Duplicate. Change to the Transform Tool

and Flip the shape Horizontally. Right click: Select All Objects. Right click: Duplicate. Your Layer Manager should look like this:

With the two top layers selected and using the Transform Tool again.

Flip the selected objects Vertically.

Right click: Select All Objects. Right click: Merge as a Single Object. Deselect.

Your frame is ready. Let's continue with the rest.

On to Page 2