Overview:

Open a new document of width-640px and height- 480px and fill the background color as White. Open an image file for which you are going set the frame border. Create a duplicate of the image layer using CTRL + J. Now, use the Rectangular marquee tool and make a selection on the screen over the image. Then go to Select menu > and select the Invert option to make a selection that is of the size of the border. Now, while keeping the selection, create another layer. The selection will not be disturbed. Now pick a color in this case, # 0f6b6e (a green shade) and click, ALT + Backspace to fill the selection in the created new layer. Name this layer as Border. This colored border has nothing to do with the First border we are going to make but you can use it for alignment purpose. Let us see each type of Border creation in detail.

A_) Creating a Frame using Stroked Paths:

Drawing using Pen tool:

Use the Pen tool to draw the curves. Create a new layer first name it- ‘stroke’ and name it and then use the pen tool to draw. The layer has nothing to do with pen tool path because pen tool path does not appear as a layer but for adding color to the path we need a layer. Click on an area and then click near the point but this time do not remove your finger from the mouse but instead drag towards any direction to form a curve. Repeat the process for few times till you get a desired shaped curve. You can see the path shape in first section of the above image. Now in the layer box, near the Layer option on top, you should see an option called paths. Since the paths are not formed in separate layer, this is where they are available. You can come here to delete or rename or add color to paths.

Add color to the Path using Brush:

To add color to the path drawn (anything drawn with a pen tool is called a path), after selecting the path (you can select paths by selecting Paths option) right click and select the option- ‘Stroke path’. Under tool, select Brush and click the option- Simulate pressure. Note: You have to set the brush style, size and color before selecting the stroke path option. The color used here is yellow. Once it is done the path is colored with brush and is seen in the layer you created called ‘stroke’. Follow similar procedure for all the curves. You can keep the curves. If you do not need them, you can delete them in Paths option in layer box.

Arrangement: Once, the path style is created, create Five copies of the single path using CTRL + J and merge them by right click > merge layers. Name the layer p1. Once merged, create another copy p2 and move the copy near the p1. So you will have 10 curved paths in an order. The above merging and copying is done to avoid creating multiple copies and moving them. Now merge the p1 and p2 layers and make a duplicate and name it p. Now move this duplicate to the bottom. Since the arrangement is not proper, use the Transform tool > right click and select, Flip Vertical, so that the top part and the bottom part are parallel to each other. You can use two more copies of P to move towards the right and the left. Again they have to be symmetrical so use the transform tool > Flip Horizontal according to the need. The final background will look like this:

Effect: Once the arrangement is complete, the only thing left is the effects for the paths. The only effect used is the Blending option > Gradient Overlay. This is found by right click the layer and select Blending options or Layer menu > Layer style > Blending options. Gradient Overlay settings: Set the Blend mode – Hard Light with opacity as 100% and style used as Linear with angle-90% and scaled to 50%.The Gradient style used is the available- Spectrum gradient. Do not forget to click the invert option. Once this is done, Right click the layer and select, copy layer  style and select the layers containing bottom, right, and left frames (you can select multiple layers by CTRL + click), and again right click and select paste layer style. You need not set the settings for each layer. NOTE: For the bottom layer alone, Remove the ‘Reverse’ option in Gradient Overlay, only then it would look symmetrical. The Blending mode for all the layers is Normal.

B._) Creating Frame using Custom Shapes:

Select the shape > Ornament 1 and use the color, # 342e2e (a shade of Grey) and draw with a desired size. Once drawn, make copies and arrange them horizontally, and for some copies, use the Transform tool and use options, Flip Horizontal/ Flip Vertical accordingly so that you get the arrangement as in following image. Also add another shape called > Sheriff’s Badge with same color to place it in middle.

Make copies of the shapes for future reference and merge the above shapes. Now make duplicates to be placed at the bottom and the side. Use the Transform tool to flip them Horizontally/vertically. After arranging them to fill on all sides, apply the following effects. The effects should be pasted/applied to all sides of the frame. Once the arrangement is complete, the only thing left is the effects using Blending options. This is found by right click the layer and select Blending options or Layer menu > Layer style > Blending options.

• Bevel and Emboss: The bevel used is= Inner Bevel with Smooth Technique and size is= 9px with Depth= 25% and direction set to-UP and soften level is 0px. Gloss contour used is > Rings, and Highlight color is # 1e890c (a green shade) and mode is > Screen and shadow color is black and mode is > multiply and both set at 75%. The bevel is placed at an angle of 120 degree.

• Contour settings: Contour used is the > Ring Double and range is set to 50 %.

• The next important step is the Texture setting: It is the cause for the effect. Use the texture called > Metal landscape and scale it to 100% and the Depth is also set at 100%.

• Gradient Overlay settings: Set the Blend mode Normal with opacity as 100% and style used as Linear with angle-90% and scaled to 100%.The Gradient style used is the available- Shiny Spear. The Blending mode for all the layers is Normal.

C._) Creating Frame Using Simple Brush Tool:

For this we fill use the above border layer, # 0f6b6e (a green shade) which we created earlier for alignment purpose but did not use it so far in methods A and B.

First for the border layer, set the default Bevel options, to give the frame look, so that the image looks like it is placed in a realistic frame. Bevel and Emboss:  The bevel used is= Inner Bevel with Smooth Technique and size is= 5px with Depth= 100% and direction set to-UP and soften level is 0px. Gloss contour used is > Linear, and Highlight color is white and mode is > Screen and shadow color is black and mode is > multiply and both set at 75%. The bevel is placed at an angle of 120 degree.

• Using Brush to decorate the Frame: Next, select the Border layer using magic wand tool so that the border shape is selected, then create a new layer and in the new layer, you are going to use a brush with style > Flowing Stars with color, # d2d996 (yellow shade) and size > 29. Just click and Drag around the border area. NOTE: You are using the border layer so that the brush print does not come out on the image. The brush is actually painted in the new layer created. Name this layer Brush1.

• After brushing, keep the selection like that and create another new layer and name it brush 2. Here, we will use another color with same brush style and size. The color used is > # e4697f (pink shade).

• Now similarly create another layer and name it brush 3, but for this, we will use different brush effect. Select the same brush above and this time use the color, # 95cfdc (blue shade). Go to brush presets bar, and select the option > Scattering and set the Count to > 4 and Count Jilter to > 7%. Then select the option, Dual Brush and select the Brush > Grass of size 134. Now brush it around the border. The combined effects of all brushes give a good look to the frame.

D._) Creating Frame using Filter effects:

Select the Border layer using magic wand tool so that the border shape is select, then create a new layer and in the new layer, click ALT + Backspace to fill it with color > #  e06262 (pink shade).Name this as L1. Now create a duplicate of this layer. Use the magic wand tool to select the pink color and the border is selected. Now use, Select menu > transform selection option, then right click the selection and select the warp tool. Use the warp tool by clicking ONLY in the MIDDLE box and drag towards right, left, top and bottom individual times. You will get something like this.

Name the duplicate layer as L2. For this duplicate, make the following adjustment. Gradient Overlay settings: Set the Blend mode Normal with opacity as 100% and style used as Linear with angle-90% and scaled to 100%.The Gradient style used is the available- Dark spectrum. The Blend mode for this layer is Normal.

Make two copies of L1 layer and name one copy as L1a and , go to Filter menu > Filter Gallery > Brush strokes > and select > Sprayed strokes and set the stroke Length to – 15 and spray radius to 24 and click ok and set the Blend mode of this layer  to > Overlay. Name the other copy as L1b and apply same filter effect but set the mode to > Multiply.

Now, use the Rectangular marquee tool and make a selection on the screen over the L1 image. Then go to Select menu > and select the Invert option to make a selection that is of the size of the border. Now, while keeping the selection, create another layer. The selection will not be disturbed. Now pick a color in this case, the same pink shade and click, ALT + Backspace to fill the selection in the created new layer. Name this layer as BB. This is like creating border for a border. Now, go to Filter menu > Filter Gallery > Brush strokes > and select > Sprayed strokes and set the stroke Length to – 15 and spray radius to 24 and click ok. Set the Blend mode of this layer to > Color Burn. See that the layers are arranged in the following order.

E._) Creating a Frame using Custom shapes with Bevel Emboss:

Select the Border layer using magic wand tool so that the border shape is select, then create a new layer and in the new layer, click ALT + Backspace to fill it with color >  # 2e4348 (grey shade).

Then set the normal Bevel options, that is, Bevel and Emboss:  The bevel used is= Inner Bevel with Smooth Technique and size is= 5px with Depth= 100% and direction set to-UP and soften level is 0px. Gloss contour used is > Linear, and Highlight color is white and mode is > Screen and shadow color is black and mode is > multiply and both set at 75%. The bevel is placed at an angle of 120 degree.

Also use the Pattern overlay option and set the mode to > Hard Light and pattern is Black Weave scaled to 100%. The opacity is left to 100%.

Now select the shape called > Flower 7 and use black color and draw on the top left corner of the frame. Then select the shape >Flower4 and draw 3 times to have three shapes and place them at the bottom right corner. Now select the shape > Flower 5 and make as many copies as required to fill the frame both horizontally and vertically. Now select the shape > Grass 2 and paste two by two copies at the top right corner and bottom left corner. The shapes are rotated to align with the frame. Use the Transform tool. Once the alignment is complete, let us add effects:

(a.) Effects for shape > Flower 7:

• Bevel and Emboss: The bevel used is= Pillow Emboss with Smooth Technique and size is= 5px with Depth= 100% and direction set to-UP and soften level is 0px. Gloss contour used is > Linear, and Highlight color is white and mode is > Screen and shadow color is black and mode is > multiply and both set at 75%. The bevel is placed at an angle of 120 degree.

• Contour settings: Contour used is the > Linear and range is set to 50 %.

• The next important step is the Texture setting: It is the cause for the effect. Use the texture called > Optical checkerboard and scale it to 55% and the Depth is set at –(minus)30%.

• Gradient Overlay settings: Set the Blend mode – Normal with opacity as 100% and style used as ‘Diamond’ with angle-90% and scaled to 72%. Select the reverse option. The Gradient is custom made. Select a bicolor gradient divided equally for two colors. Set one color as black and the other color as # 710808 (reddish brown shade).

(b.) Effects for shapes > Flower 4:

• Bevel and Emboss: The bevel used is= Pillow Emboss with CHISEL HARD Technique and size is= 5px with Depth= 100% and direction set to-UP and soften level is 0px. Gloss contour used is > Linear, and Highlight color is white and mode is > Screen and shadow color is black and mode is > multiply and both set at 75%. The bevel is placed at an angle of 120 degree.

• Gradient Overlay settings: Set the Blend mode – Normal with opacity as 100% and style used as ‘Radial’ with angle-90% and scaled to 82%. Select the reverse option. The Gradient is custom made. Select a bicolor gradient divided equally for two colors. Set one color as # d42889 (pink shade) and the other as black. Use the same for another copy of flower 4 but for the third copy I used, # 08263a(blue shade) instead of Black.

(c.) Effects for shape > Flower 5: Bevel and Emboss settings is same as that of Flower 4. No gradient is added and the default black color is kept like that. Apply this effect to all the flower 5 shapes. Do not individually apply. Right click and copy the layer style and paste it to other shape layers.

(d.) Effects for shapes Grass 2: Bevel and Emboss settings is same as that of Flower 4 BUT the Technique used is > SMOOTH. No gradient is added and the default black color is kept like that. Apply this effect for all four grass shapes. similarly you can create mutiple style borders.