Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Step 11:
When I searched “photo frame” in iStock-
photo earlier, I found this antique-looking
photo frame. We're going to use this as a
graphical Identity Plate, but before we do
that, you'll need to use the same Photoshop
technique I mentioned in Step Seven (and
showed you in the bonus video), to make
the center and surrounding area transparent
(if we don't do that, you'd see a white box
inside and around your frame, instead of the
background around the frame, and inside
being transparent, so it would totally wreck
the look). Also notice how a slight drop
shadow appears inside the frame, so it ap-
pears the photo is actually inside the frame.
Anyway, once you've done the Photoshop
transparency trick, go to the Overlays panel,
turn on the Identity Plate checkbox, click on
the triangle in the bottom-right corner
of the Identity Plate preview, and choose
Edit from the pop-up menu. When the
Identity Plate Editor appears, click on the
Use a Graphical Identity Plate radio but-
ton, then find your frame file, and click OK.
Once it appears in the Preview area, resize
both the Identity Plate and the image for
the look you see here.
Step 12:
Make sure you have the Render Behind
Image checkbox turned off, if you want
the photo frame to appear in front of
your image (like it does in Step 11), or
for a slightly different look, turn it on
(as shown here), so the image appears
on top of the frame—you won't get the
drop shadow appearing on the inside of
your image, adding depth. The final layout
is shown here (or in Step 11, depending
on whether you turned the Render Behind
Image checkbox on or off). I hope these
few pages spark some ideas for you of
what can be done with background images,
Identity Plates, and using both together.
