Welcome to Wouter's Designs & PhotoImpact - Simple Filters Frame Tutorial

Simple Filters Frame Tutorial for PhotoImpact 10
(Can be done using earlier versions of PI ).

Description: Create nice frames using the Free Simple Filters plugin.
Author: Wouter Démoet.
Terms of Use: Please read
Skill Level: Beginner. I assume you know where the tools are in PhotoImpact.
Additional Files: a couple of images, please download from here
The free Simple Filters plugin, please download from here
The FM Tile Tools filter set. Can be downloaded form here
In the menu on the page that opens, click Tile Tools set - Free Download. Though this is not a free plugin, some of the filters, including Blend Emboss which we will be using for this tutorial, will continue to work after the trial has expired. Debbie's tutorial on how to install third party filters can be found here

NOTE: Save your work often. I suggest you read the entire tutorial, before you start. Where it reads "Rc" in this tutorial, it means right click. And if you need help, or if you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me at:
wouter@demoet.nl

Instructions:
Method 1 Many of you have asked me to write instructions for that special kind of frame that I use a lot for my images on the PhotoImpact Internationa Bulletin Board. It is a very simple technique, and the final results will depend on what image you are using. The effect will never be the same and the Simple Filters will create an unique frame each time. Install the Simple Filters plugin and restart your copy of PhotoImpact. Open the dover-01.jpg that you downloaded. Press Shift+N to add a border of 1 pixel, expand sides equally checked, color: #374174. Shift+N: this time add a border of 30 pixels, color: white or a light color from your image. Rc: All. Rc: Border. Create a border of 30 pixels Inward, Box: checked. Anti-aliasing: checked. Rc: Convert to Object. In the Menu bar click: Effect - Simple Filters - Blintz. Keep slected. In the Menu bar click: Effect - Simple Filters - Pizza Slice Mirror. Keep slected. In the Menu bar click: Effect - Simple Filters - Diamonds. Keep slected. In the Menu bar click: Effect - FM Tile Tools - Blend Emboss with these settings. Keep selected. In the Menu bar: Web - Button Designer - Any Shape. Click the Bevel tab and please use these settings. Rc: Shadow with these settings: Deselect. Press Shift+N to add a border of 2 pixels, color: #374174. Your first frame is ready. It should look similar to mine: Method 2 (for a more irregular frame): Open the wd-watch image from the downloaded zipfile. Shift+N to add a border of 2 pixels, color white. Shift+N and add a border of 25 pixels using a color from the image. I am using #18233F. Rc: All. Rc: Border - 25 pixels Inward like before. Convert to Object. Effect: Simple Filters - Diamonds. Effect: Simple Filters - Blintz. Effect: Simple Filters - Pizza Slice Mirror. Effect: FM Tile Tools - Blend Emboss with the same settings as before. Web: Button Designer - Any Shape with the same settings as before or play with the settings for a different look. Your image should look similar to this: As you can see the results are quite different from method 1. Just play with all the filters in different order for some great results. These are the filters that I use most in my work. That is all, I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial as much as I liked writing it for you.

Instructions:

Method 1
Many of you have asked me to write instructions for that special kind of frame that I use a lot for my images on the PhotoImpact Internationa Bulletin Board. It is a very simple technique, and the final results will depend on what image you are using. The effect will never be the same and the Simple Filters will create an unique frame each time.

Install the Simple Filters plugin and restart your copy of PhotoImpact. Open the dover-01.jpg that you downloaded. Press Shift+N to add a border of 1 pixel, expand sides equally checked, color: #374174. Shift+N: this time add a border of 30 pixels, color: white or a light color from your image. Rc: All. Rc: Border. Create a border of 30 pixels Inward, Box: checked. Anti-aliasing: checked. Rc: Convert to Object.

In the Menu bar click: Effect - Simple Filters - Blintz. Keep slected.

In the Menu bar click: Effect - Simple Filters - Pizza Slice Mirror. Keep slected.

In the Menu bar click: Effect - Simple Filters - Diamonds. Keep slected.

In the Menu bar click: Effect - FM Tile Tools - Blend Emboss with these settings. Keep selected.

In the Menu bar: Web - Button Designer - Any Shape. Click the Bevel tab and please use these settings.

Rc: Shadow with these settings:

Deselect. Press Shift+N to add a border of 2 pixels, color: #374174. Your first frame is ready. It should look similar to mine:

Method 2 (for a more irregular frame):
Open the wd-watch image from the downloaded zipfile. Shift+N to add a border of 2 pixels, color white. Shift+N and add a border of 25 pixels using a color from the image. I am using #18233F. Rc: All. Rc: Border - 25 pixels Inward like before. Convert to Object. Effect: Simple Filters - Diamonds. Effect: Simple Filters - Blintz. Effect: Simple Filters - Pizza Slice Mirror. Effect: FM Tile Tools - Blend Emboss with the same settings as before. Web: Button Designer - Any Shape with the same settings as before or play with the settings for a different look. Your image should look similar to this:

As you can see the results are quite different from method 1. Just play with all the filters in different order for some great results. These are the filters that I use most in my work.

That is all, I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial as much as I liked writing it for you.