[Becster]

I'm using PSE 9.

I want to make my own "frame" similar to what the border on old photos looked like. I created a white square, then added a new layer and created a slightly smaller black square (for what I think would be a mask?) and then made sure both layers were centered both vertically and horizontally.

I saved it as a psd, but the layers merged. I tried it as a png, and the layers also merged. I tried interlaced and non-interlaced and got the same results.

I know I'm missing something somewhere, probably something very simple. Thanks in advance!

[sarabethp]

How are you making the frames? Are they shapes? If they are you might be putting them on the same layer without realizing it.Try creating a new layer before you draw the second shape.

[Becster]

Thanks Sara, I created a new layer for the second shape.

[scrappinchar]

What about just making a white stroke?

[teecee]

Becky, when you save as a PSD file, and the box comes up for you to choose the format that you want to save as, towards the bottom of the box there is an option to Save: layers - did you make sure the layers box is checked? Also, when you save as a png this option would be grayed out - you can't save a png file with layers. Does this help any?

[Becster]

Thanks! I'll take a look at my settings. I hadn't before because when I save my LO's as a PSD the layers remain intact. And the stroke suggestion should work quite well, too. It sounds like I was making it more difficult than it should have been.

[Smiles]

If it's a heritage photo, you could make your stroke a cream color, too.

[mimes1]

Another way to do this is after you draw your first box, and then add the second box on a new layer within the first box, do "ctrl-click" on the inner box layer thumbnail to get the marching ants, then highlight the larger layer with the marching ants active, then hit delete. That will leave you with a frame shape that you can clip a paper to, add a style to it, etc. Then delete your inner box layer altogether.