project f/64 (original) (raw)

i have photoshop cs4 now, which is super-nice. i discover new fun things just about every time i use it - plus i learn a lot in my web graphics class.

anyhow, there's a super-useful function i learned about in cs4 - i don't know which other versions have it, but it's cool! there's a palette called "actions." if you look on the bottom of that palette there's a button for "record new action." you can record menu actions, such as resizing, filters, other stuff like that. i recorded one action of resizing my photos, and another of rotate, then resize. once you've recorded the action, it's as simple as hitting the "play" button, and it saves you having to go into the menus to do things you do often.

i also figured out how to use layer effects to create the border i put on all my photos. first, make a duplicate layer. then add stroke around the image on the duplicate layer - it's in a layer blending style. you can get to it by clicking the little "fx" button at the bottom of the layer palette, or in the "layer style" dialog box - left click the layer, and pick "blending options." you can specify the thickness of the stroke and the color. for a border, you want to make sure you have "inside" selected for the placement. then flatten the image. i also recorded the action of putting the border on my photos, so i can rotate, resize, and add the border in a matter of seconds. it's pretty damn nifty.