Tutorial - Easy Matted Border

Ferdy @Ferdy asked me how I made the matted border that I use a lot for my pages, so below is a quick tutorial. This is being done in Photoshop CC however this is a simple process and can be done in any of the scrapping softwares.

Here is the page I made with the border:


***If you click on the screen shots they will enlarge to see better ***

1) Start with choosing your papers. I will use 3 papers from Pink Reptile Design’s Unscripted papers (Sept 2020 BYOC):

Off white: PRD – Unscripted SP 06

Teal : PRD – Unscripted SP 09

Teal Patterned: PRD – Unscripted PP 07

2) In your layout, place your base/background paper layer. I am using the teal (SP 09) that I have darkened a little, as the bottom layer.

3)Add a new layer above the background layer and place the off white paper (SP 06). I use the Edit>Transform >Scale on the white paper layer to resize a smidge. On most PS programs you can hold Alt and drag in from the corner and it will resize H & W (height & width) at the same time, otherwise resize each (H & W) the same amount. Then add a shadow to the off white paper like this:

4) Now we need to add a new blank layer above the white paper layer

5)Using the Marquee Rectangle tool on the blank layer we need to draw a rectangle in from the edge of the white paper. I use the little + guide as a measure for the side and bottom edge width: (Start with the marquee tool at the top right and holding the shift move your mouse down to the bottom right and using the + for the guide)



6) With ants active, using the paint can (flood tool) on the blank layer fill with color – any color.




7) Repeat step 5 with the marquee rectangle tool and on the flood filled layer do the same from the edge using the + as your guide for width… from top left to bottom right holding down the shift key.

 

8) When your shape is done, press delete to cut out the inside of the filled layer for a border.



9) Now add an inner shadow on the border line.( fxon the bottom of the layer panel and choose inner shadow) I have the blend mode set to linear burn with a dark brown shade opacity 30, angle set to 120, distance 13 and size 13



10) Now we will clip the patterned paper to this matted area we just made. Place patterned paper above the shape and clip it (Alt+Ctrl+G) or right click with your mouse on the pattern paper and select create clipping mask . Clip the pattern paper to the inner shadow layer:


11) Add a new blank layer.

12) Using the marquee rectangle tool again, draw a new marquee rectangle inside the matt border we just created. Use the + as a guide again.

13) Once selection is made, go to Edit>Stroke and choose a color you want your stroke to be… I am going to use the teal color of the background. My size of the stroke is 3… this will put a 3 pixel stroke around the inside edge.


14) Deselect… your background for your page should look like this:


15) Now decorate as you wish.



[Note: When I made this page (using the Unscripted Sept. BYOC Bundle by PRD), I started with PRD’s template. I started at the background layer and did the steps above. ]

 

Ferdy, do it once with different colors.. like a dark gray, then the white, then a dark shade and then the line and add your shadows and then save it as a psd .. this way you will have it as a "template" and then you won't have to do it seperately on every page.. you can speed up your process.. also save the inner shadow once you make it as a style so you won't have to redo each time. .. If you still have issues, let me know and I will make you a template for it Hugs

 

Did you need it as a template?

 

Thanks.. hope to see you at 1PM EDT

 

Thank you Marijke!