How to add a vintage frame in Photoshop.

Some photos are so good that they deserve an outline. Learn how to add a vintage frame in Photoshop to give your pictures an edge — literally.

Step one: add a frame.

It all starts with a basic frame. To add a frame to your photos in Adobe Photoshop, follow these simple steps:

  1. Open your image in Photoshop.
  2. In the top menu, click on Image and then Canvas Size. A new window will appear with canvas size and position options.
  3. Choose the size of your frame relative to your photo. For example, choosing a width of 110% means the frame will be 10% larger than your original photo. The higher the percentage, the wider your frame will be.
  4. Select an anchor point. A center anchor means the frame is even on all sides, while an offset anchor will make the frame wider on certain edges.
  5. Pick your favorite color from the dropdown menu at the bottom.
  6. Click OK to save your changes.

Step two: make it vintage.

A plain, solid-colored frame doesn’t look very vintage, so the next step is to add some flare.

Create a new canvas following the same steps, but this time make it a different size, anchor, or color. If you chose a wide white frame originally, for example, maybe you could add a thinner black frame to offset the white. Repeat the steps to add as many frames as you like until you get the effect you’re looking for.

To give your frame that vintage look, layer soft colors like tans, browns, reds, and blues. Try these Pantone colors as inspiration for your vintage frame:

Once you have the perfect frame, don’t forget to save it as a new file. That way, you can go back to your original, non-framed photo if you ever want to make changes.

Want more helpful photography tips?

Explore what more you can do with Adobe Photoshop to create vintage effects for your images.

style
reading width