Stroked Overlays for Paper and Photos {Photoshop Tutorial} - Chelle's Creations

Tutorial Stroked Overlays for Paper and Photos

February 14, 2013
Tutorials
Jenn (jk703)

Hey everyone! Happy Valentine’s Day if you are in the US! This is Jenn, aka jk703, here for today’s tutorial for Stroked Overlays. This is to add a little edging around your paper or photo. A simple technique, yet it can add a little pop to the page. Let’s get started.

Here is my layout that I am working on. I’ve used Chelle’s Family Tree for my example.

Using the Shape Tool… Create a Shape… any shape you like. I chose a rectangle (and later I changed it to a rounded rectangle). Then click on the Shape’s thumbnail in the Layer’s Palette. This will bring the ants marching around your shape.

Create a new layer by clicking on the square with the folded edge that is on the bottom of the Layers Palette. If this is a paper, then you can hide the shape layer. If this is a picture, please leave the shape unhidden.
My example is for a paper, so I have hidden my shape layer. With this new layer selected, click on Edit > Stroke. A pop up will appear… you can make your choices for color, size and blend mode.

Once you click ok, press Command + D (Control + D for PC). You will have a stroke of your shape, super easy! (I will refer to this as the stroked layer) You can change it up to have rounded edges, blend modes, and colors.

Rounded Rectangle version:

To go a step further, I’m going to add a title to my stroke. With the Type Tool, I’ve typed Brothers, and placed it above my stroked line.

Next, in the Layers Palette, I’ve chosen the stroked layer I just created. Then I selected the Rectangular Marquee Tool. I’ve clicked and dragged a rectangle over the word I typed in – “Brothers.” Once I have my rectangular Marquee in the right spot; I let go of the mouse. I pressed the delete button and the part of the line within the rectangular marquee was deleted. Switching to the Move Tool, I was able to scoot my Type Layer down to fall within the line.

Here is a paper overlay stroke… with a title mixed in, blend mode changed to Soft light. My font is TXT Longhand.

For Photo Overlays…
If you are working on a layer that is for a photo or something else that you want to outline don’t hide the shape layer. That will become your photo mask. Click on the shape’s thumbnail in the Layer’s Palette to get the marching ants. Create a new layer, and then click on Select > Modify > Contract. A pop up menu will appear. I chose a contraction of 50 pixels, and click ok. Add the stroke as stated above. You will have a stroke on the inside of your photo mat. You can follow the same steps to remove part of the stroke to add words, or maybe a date.

Here are some pages that the CT did using this tutorial!

Leslie (lab130) said she used the smudge tool to make the lines imperfect. Blend mode is Overlay. She used the Back 2 School Bundle by Chelle for her layout.

Roxana (roxanamdm) used Leafy Treetops and Scribbles 2. She put strokes on the pictures, used blend mode of Normal and 100%.

Jenn (jennshultz) tried out the tutorial and made this page using Apple of My Eye from Chelle. She made a stroke on the smaller picture, and added the word Apple.

And here is my final layout. I went back and forth with the rounded edges and couldn’t decide. For now, I left the straight edges and think it looks nice with the angles of papers on the bottom of the layout!