Adding a crisp border without blending or fading

I am trying to add a white border to a photo, not unlike the white border that's now shown in the organizer.

I can get the selection and modify it to get a border. When I use the fill tool (100% opacity, solid white, normal mode), I get a fade effect as the border blends into the photo. What I want is a crisp, white border that's X pixels wide. How do I tell PSE3 to stop the blend/fade effect?

Thanks,

- Omri.

I may be way off here, but have you tried just extending the size of the canvas? You know... image/resize/canvas size. Make sure the background color is white and add whatever size border to the height and width and make sure the image is in the middle.

I hope this helps.

------ Kenny

wrote in message

I am trying to add a white border to a photo, not unlike the white border that's now shown in the organizer.

I can get the selection and modify it to get a border. When I use the fill tool (100% opacity, solid white, normal mode), I get a fade effect as the border blends into the photo. What I want is a crisp, white border that's X pixels wide. How do I tell PSE3 to stop the blend/fade effect?
Thanks,

- Omri.

Omri,

Ken, has the best quick solution, "increase the canvas size" to create the white or the colored border, and it will appear crisp.

You could also use the pencil, start in a corner left click, then scroll to the next corner while pressing the Shift key down, left click... now you have a crisp line along one side. Repeat until done.

If you use the rulers it is easier to create straight lines with the pencil... One reason I miss the pen tool, as it was the perfect tool for creating straight, curved and fancy symmetrical lines or borders.

Maybe in the next several releases Quick mask, and Pen tool will be added for the photographers...

JR the postman

..

Omri,

I suspect that you have the feather set on the marquee tool ... select it then look at the top of the screen and check then just type in 0.

For adding this type of border I tend to use Kenny's method ... as I find it much easier :)

Wendy

Omri,
Here is a way to create the border within the picture without increasing canvas size.
1. Create new layer. Activate this layer and CTRL-A to select it.
2. Edit -> Stroke.
3. In the Stroke window, select Width and Color, select Inside Location, set Mode to Normal and Opacity 100%.