Polaroid cameras became synonymous with instant gratification for photo takers. The cameras used a very recognizable type of film which came out surrounded by a white border. After experiencing a retro resurgence, Polaroid has reissued its instant cameras, but they're not necessary to create the Polaroid look. Use Adobe Photoshop to create a Polaroid photo border without the need for any additional cameras or film.
Instructions
1. Open Photoshop. Click the "File" menu and select "Open". Browse to the photo that will get the Polaroid border and double-click the file name. The image opens in the Photoshop work area.
2. Click the "New Layer" icon at the bottom of the "Layers" palette. The icon looks like a flipped-up sticky note. A new Layer 1 is added to the palette.
3. Click the "Color Picker", the top overlapping square at the bottom of the "Tools" palette. Drag the cursor all the way into the top-left corner of the "Color Picker" to get white paint. Click the "OK" button.
4. Click the "Paint Bucket" tool in the middle of the "Tools" palette. Click anywhere on the picture to fill it with white paint, covering the image itself.
5. Click the "Rectangular Marquee" tool, which is a square made of dotted lines at the top of the "Tools" palette. If you don't see the square, right-click a circle or line made of dotted lines and select "Rectangular Marquee Tool" from the fly-out menu.
6. Position the cursor one half inch from the top-left corner of the white box by using the rulers running across the top and down the sides of the work area. Click and draw a square or rectangle shape to one half inch from the lower-right side of the white box working area. Drag the shape down two-thirds of the way to the bottom of the white box. A shape made of blinking, dotted lines appears on the work area, filled with white.
7. Press the "Delete" key. The dotted-line selected shape area is removed, taking with it the white filled area. From below the picture shows through and now has the white Polaroid border.
Tags: dotted lines, Tools palette, with white, work area, area Click, Color Picker