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Creating a Border Background with Photoshop
by Shirley E. Kaiser, M.A., SKDesigns
Published 1999. Updated: March, 2006; September, 2007. Copyright © 1999-2007, Shirley E. Kaiser, M.A., SKDesigns. All rights reserved.
Example 1.1: Background image sample.
This tutorial will provide a basic introduction to creating a graphic left side border background for Web pages with plenty of screenshots and helpful tips along the way. September 2007: Updated for Photoshop CS3 with all new CS3 screenshots and additional tips! Although this tutorial is geared for making Web graphics with Photoshop CS3, it also works for Photoshop 5.5 and above. This tutorial will also work with PaintShop Pro 6 and above, too.
The following tools and dialog boxes are introduced and used while learning to create a left side border background Web graphic:
- Layers: new layer, naming layers, selecting layers, duplicating layers, linking layers, merging layers, filling layers.
- Marquee Tool
- Paint Bucket tool, filling selections
- Move Tool
- Canvas Size Dialog Box - larger, smaller (clipping)
- Color Picker, Web-safe Color window
- Layer Styles: Drop Shadows
- Save for Web Dialog Box: Saving an image file for Web use
I've written a lot of tips and details for this introductory tutorial. Whatever you're already familiar with, skip over to the next step.
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Once you've effectively learned how to use the tools explained here, you'll probably be able to create a background graphic in less than 10 minutes, from start to finish.
In addition, once you've made one that you like, you can use it as a template or guide, substituting colors, altering the drop shadow, changing the width of the border, and changing a number of things from the original background graphic, saving it with a different name to maintain your original file.
- In Photoshop, open a new image with the following information (as shown in Example 1.2 below):
Width=2400 pixels Height=50 pixels Resolution=72 pixels/inch Mode=RGB Color, 8 bit Background Contents=Transparent
Click on the image to view the full version.
Example 1.2: Create New Image Window, Photoshop CS
- Since the image is so wide for the window, Photoshop typically reduces the image view. In this case the view was reduced to 25%.
Let's go ahead and change the view to actual size.
From the drop-down menu, choose View > Actual Pixels , or from the keyboard, click on ALT+Ctrl+0 (zero).
- The next step is to create a new layer for the left side border strip. If you haven't worked with layers in Photoshop yet, these directions are simple. I encourage you to give it a try.
Example 1.5: Pour Color with Photoshop's Paint Bucket Tool, Photoshop CS
New feature beginning with version 5.0: You can choose web-safe colors or millions of colors if you wish by checking or unchecking the left corner checkbox, “Only Web Colors”.
Click on the image to view the full version.
Example 1.6: Color Picker Window, Photoshop CS
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Editor note March 2006: Using one of the colors from the Web-safe palette used to help prevent dithering or other unsightly color shifting problems on the Web due to the variety of monitors, browsers and computer systems. That's no longer much of an issue at all now, although it's still a good place to start.
Keep in mind that colors can still look different on the wide range of monitors out there, even though
today's monitors support millions of colors. It's also important to consider people with color deficiencies and increasingly more people using mobile devices to access Web sites. Many mobile devices are in color, but there are still some out there with limited colors.
See WebsiteTips.com's Color Tools section for helpful color charts, swatches, and links to more on color, especially color choices for Web sites.
See also WebsiteTips.com's Recommended Books on Color.
- I prefer to save my work as I go along, and this is a good time to save your image before we go any further. Save your image as a .psd file, which will retain your Photoshop layers.
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To help keep your files organized, it's a good idea to save your images to a separate image directory / folder within your Web site project directory. It can also be helpful to save your design-specific images to a separate directory from your other images. Over time files can add up, even for smaller Web sites, so organizing them from the start can be a big help.
- Now we're ready to fill the text area. In the Layers palette, click on your other layer (probably labeled Layer 1 ), which we'll use for the background color as shown in Example 1.7 below.
Example 1.7: Choose Layer 1, Photoshop CS
Let's go ahead and label that layer ' Text Layer ' as shown in Example 1.8 below. From the drop-down menu, select Layer > Layer Options , or in the Layers palette box, right click with your mouse, and
Photoshop's built in layer styles.
- Resize the canvas to a height of 100 pixels. To do this, from the drop-down menu, select Image > Canvas Size - or - press Alt+CTRL+C with your keyboard. In the Canvas Size window, adjust the settings as shown below and in Example 1.10:
Width: 2400 (no change) Height: 100 (this is changed) Relative: NOT checked Anchor: Click the small box in the top left corner , as shown below. This will keep your existing image in the top left corner, expanding the canvas below it.
Click on the image to view the full version.
Example 1.10: Canvas Size Window, Photoshop CS
- Duplicate the Left side border strip layer. To duplicate the layer, from the drop-down menu, select Layer > Duplicate Layer. A Duplicate Layer window will pop up, and you can provide a name, although Photoshop's default is the layer name with ' Copy ' added. Then click OK.
- With the Move tool , move the duplicate layer straight down vertically to fill the lower part of the image area, as shown in Example 1.11 below.
Example 1.11: Moving The Duplicate Layer Down, Photoshop CS
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Alternatively, you can press the Down arrow on your keyboard, keeping it pressed until the layer reaches the appropriate spot. The Move tool is usually faster and allows you to move the layer anywhere, while pressing the Down arrow moves the layer directly down accurately.
- Link the duplicate border layer with the original border layer. To link these layers, in the Layers palette, press CTRL on your keyboard while selecting each layer. Then press the Links icon in the Layers palette (bottom left), as shown in Example 1.12 below.
Example 1.12: Linking Layers, Photoshop CS
- Merge the linked layers. From the drop-down menu, select Layer > Merge Linked. Or with the keyboard, click CTRL+E.
- Repeat Steps 2 through 5 for the Text Layer.
- Now we're ready to add the drop shadow to the red border background layer. Open the Layer Style window. From the drop-down menu, click Layer > Layer Style > Drop Shadow. Or from the Layers palette, double click on the Left side border strip layer.
Once you've chosen your settings, click OK.
- One of the final steps is to resize the canvas back to its original height of 50 pixels. Open the Canvas Size window. From the drop-down menu, click Image > Canvas Size. Change the Height to 50 , and for the Anchor setting, click on the far left middle small box as shown in Example 1.14. Click OK.
Example 1.14: Canvas Size, Photoshop CS
A warning message will pop up:
Example 1.15: Clipping Warning Message, Photoshop CS
Click Proceed.
- Save your image as a .psd file to retain the layers and the original image.
Example 1.16: Finished Border Background Graphic via Photoshop CS
Saving Your Border Background Image File for the Web
Now it's time to save your border background as a .png file for Web pages.
- From the drop-down menu, click File >Save for Web & Devices - or - press Alt+Shift+CTRL+S on your keyboard.
- In the Save for Web dialog box, you can use the following settings to save your image in .png format, as also shown in Example 1.17 below. PNG-8 (Optimized file format) Adaptive (Color reduction algorithm) No dither (Specify the dither algorithm) Transparency: NOT checked
Interlaced: NOT checked Colors: 8 Dither (grayed out, does not apply) Matte: White Web snap: 0%
Click on image below for full size version.
Example 1.17: Save for Web Dialog Box, Photoshop CS
That's it. Now you're ready to use your new image for your Web site.
