Easy Woodgrain Borders

Swirl

Open a new file 100 x 100 pixels with the background set for White and 16.7 million colors. Choose your colors on the "Color Bar" to Foreground Brown (R-151 G-75 B-0) and Background Color to White (255, 255, 255).
From the Tool Palette select the "Paint Bucket" with settings at RGB Value, Tolerance 30 and Solid Color. Fill the Image. Change colors on the Color Bar so that White is the Foreground Color. Select the "Spray Can" from the Tool Palette with settings at Size 200|Shape Square|Opacity 20|Paper Texture-Woodgrain. Place the pointer in the center of your Image and click twice. Choose Image|Rotate|90^o-Right and click OK.
Now we are going to attempt to make a border on our Image. It's not really that difficult, but it may take a little practice. Open a new file 100 x 100 pixels with the background set for White and choose 16.7 colors. Using "Selection" from the Tool Palette set for Rectangle|Feather 2, draw a vertical selection making sure that the Status Bar (bottom left of window) displays (49,0) (56,100)=(7x100).070. Select the Paint Bucket and fill the selection with the Brown Color you already have set on the Color Bar.
Select Image|Plug In Filters|Filter Factory A|Wood Grain and set Attributes to (Horizontal-188, Vertical-204, Angle 1-166, Angle 2-255, Amount-166 and Grains-21) click OK. Choose Image|Special Effects|add Drop Shadow with Attributes set for Color-Black, Opacity 255, Blur 36, Vertical 0, Horizontal -3 and click OK. Repeat this step only this time choose Foreground Color and set Horizontal to -1.
Go back to your Woodgrain Image and make a copy just to be safe. Select Image|Enlarge Canvas with settings at Width 105, Horizontal 100, Center Image OFF and click OK. We are going to place our Vertical drawing into our Woodgrain Image by lining it up in the open space we just created to the right of the Woodgrain. Go back to the Vertical Image and select Edit|Copy, then go back to the Woodgrain Image and select Edit|Paste|as new selection. Line your Vertical Image up in the open space and deselect.
Now we will change our White Background Color to (R-255 G-247 B-239) in order to add a little color to our text area. Select Image|Enlarge Canvas to Width 1030, Horizontal 100, Center Image OFF and click OK. Using the Magic Wand select the text area then Selections|Invert to select your Border. Choose Image|Special Effects| add Drop Shadow with attributes set for Black 255, Opacity 36, Vertical 0, Horizontal 3. Save file.

That's all there is to making my Easy Woodgrain Border. This same effect can be accomplished using other color combinations. This is an example of another variation using the Colors (R-69, G-202, B-202) as a Foreground Color and White as a Background Color. Then for my text area I used (R-198, G-255, B-255).

CLICK on above Image to see a larger version and also find further PSP Tips and HMTL Learning Resources.

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