Creating a Vignette in Photoshop

A vignette is a soft-edged border around a photograph, a framing element where the image fades out towards the edges of the photo. This technique works really well for wedding photos or baby photos or in any situation where you're looking for a dreamy look. A vignette can really add a special touch to your digital scrapbook page.

We're going to look at how to create a vignette effect in using Photoshop Elements or regular Photoshop.

• Open your photo in your workspace. When you do, you'll see that there is one layer in the Layers Palette. This layer is called 'Background' and there will be a little lock symbol next to it. We need to convert this Background Layer to a normal layer so that we can work with it.
• To convert the Background layer to a normal layer, double click on it and then click 'OK' in the dialog box that opens up. You've just converted the background layer to a normal layer with the name 'Layer 0'. Now, all the restrictions of the background layer are gone.
• Now, create the outline of your vignette. To do this, you'll use the elliptical marquee tool. Select the elliptical marquee tool from the toolbox that resides along the left of the workspace. This tool looks like a dashed circle. Put a selection around the subject of the photo using the elliptical marquee tool. Click and drag out this selection. If you need to reposition the selection, press the space bar while the mouse button is still pressed and reposition the selection outline, then release the space bar and continue resizing the outline until you get it the way you want it. Release your mouse button. You should see marching ants around your selection.
• With the selection still active, hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard, and click on the new layer button at the bottom left of the Layers Palette. This will add a new layer below the layer of the photo.
• Fill in the selection outline on the new layer with black by choosing Edit>Fill Selection in Photoshop Elements or Edit>Fill in Photoshop. Then choose black in the drop down menu of the Fill Layer dialog box and click 'OK'.
• Deselect the selection by using Ctrl+D.
• Hide the photo layer by clicking on its Layer Visibility icon (the eyeball) on the left of the layer in the Layers Palette. With the photo layer hidden, you'll see that you now have a layer with an elliptical shape filled in black.
• To create the soft edge effect of the vignette, apply a Gaussian Blur to this ellipse shape. With the ellipse layer still selected, choose Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur
• In the Gaussian Blur dialog box, adjust the amount of the Gaussian Blur until it looks good. I usually use around 15 to 45 pixels, but it really depends on the resolution and size of the photo you're working with. When the blur looks good to you, click 'OK'.
• Now, turn the visibility of the photo layer back on.
• Group the two layers together. This is sometimes called a clipping mask. To do this, hold down the Alt key on your keyboard and hover the mouse over the line between the two layers in the Layers Palette. Click the mouse button when you see the cursor turn into two intertwined circles. You should now see the subject of your photo inside a soft elliptical shape.
• Now, all that's left to finish the vignette is to give it some background color. With the ellipse layer selected, hold down the Ctrl button on the keyboard, and then click on the new layer button at the bottom left of the Layers Palette to add another new layer below the other layers.
• Fill this new layer with the color you want to use for your vignette. With the newest layer selected, choose Edit>Fill Layer in Photoshop Elements or Edit>Fill in Photoshop and fill the layer with your color.
• Your vignette is finished! How do you like it?

If you would like to see a video of this technique and detailed step-by-step instructions, visit the ScrappyDigits Learning Center.

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