Although real mats and frames are much preferred, there is the
occasional time when you want to add some ornamental embellishment
around a photo that will be displayed on a monitor. This tutorial shows
you how extreme you can get if you are serious about it!
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Load the image to be matted or framed.
I recommend that you run this script as the final step, so do
any other edits you want first.
If downsampling for the web, scale (Image/Scale) the image down
to the final size and zoom in to 100% view.
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Run the Add Mat script (Script-Fu/Decor/Add Mat).
Here's a run-down of the parameters (you may also want to refer to
the resulting image, below right. Note that in this example
some parameters have been changed from the defaults.):
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In this tutorial I'm making a double mat, so I'm going to run
the Add Mat script again. If you only want a single mat, skip
this step.
Note 1:
I used a small Mat Width parameter in the last
step (8 pixels) to get this effect. This is (obviously) unlike
in traditional matting where you might have thought that a
larger value would be necessary. Here the image is
built up moving outwards, as in adding pixels around the image.
If you think about it that way it won't be confusing.
Note 2:
On the last step I also added a few pixels to the Bottom
Pad option, which is why you see the extra space there
in the result below right.
Note 3:
On this run I checked the "Bump Interactively" option
to allow me to increase the depth/effect of the texturing in the
outer mat.
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Time to add a frame. Run Script-Fu/Decor/Add Frame.
Here's a run-down of the parameters (you may also want to refer
to the resulting image, below right):
- Frame Width:
this is the width of the frame in pixels. Default: 35 pixels.
- Frame Fill:
what to fill the frame with. Choices are:
- Color: use the color in Frame
Fill Color
- FG color: Use the current foreground color
in the GIMP toolbox
- BG color: Use the current background color
in the GIMP toolbox
- Pattern: Use the current pattern in the
GIMP toolbox
Default: Color.
Here I chose "Pattern" and using the Patterns Dialog
(Dialogs/Patterns from any image window or the GIMP
toolbox), selected a nice wood parque pattern (it appears
in the GIMP toolbox, next to the foreground and background
colors, not in this dialog).
- Frame Fill Color:
clicking on this pops up a rather onerous dialog that lets
you pick a color. This parameter is only used if option
"Color" is selected for Frame Fill).
Default: neutral gray.
- Texture Frame:
check this if you want to add some
texture to the frame using the Bump Map filter.
Default: off.
- Texture Pattern:
click to select a pattern to use for creating the bump map
that will add texture to the frame. This parameter is only
used if the Texture Frame option is
selected. Default: Wood.
- Leave Texture Bump Map:
check this if you want to keep the layer that is created
and filled with the pattern to for texturing the frame.
Useful if you want to fine-tune the texture afterwards.
Default: off.
- Bump Interactively:
check this if you want the opportunity to interactively
work with the bump map step. If you don't check this the
default values will be used. Useful if you want control
over the texturing process. Default: off.
- Beveling Index:
the frame is beveled using a bump map step (separate
from the optional texturing bump map); this value
determines how "high" (3D) the bevel effect looks. Don't
set higher than half the Frame Width.
Default: 10 pixels.
- Inner Shadow Width:
a drop shadow is added along the inner boundary of the
frame with the mat. It is sightly larger on the left and
top than on the right or bottom, but this parameter
roughly controls the overall "width" of the drop shadow.
Default: 8 pixels.
- Inner Shadow Opacity:
sets the opacity of the inner drop shadow. If you check the
Use Layers option you can adjust the
opacity of the shadow afterwards. Default: 50%
- Use Layers:
check this to have the script leave the new layers added
in place rather than merging them down onto the image.
Highly recommended, especially if you want to tweak the
result afterward. Default: off.
- Leave Selection:
check this to have the script leave a selection in place
covering the frame. Useful if you want to tweak the frame
afterwards and you aren't using the
Layers option. Default: off.
- Leave Bevel Bump Map:
as described under Beveling Index, a bump
map is created to bevel the frame and give it a 3D
effect. If you want to tweak the frame afterwards
(e.g. play with different pattern fills, try different
textures, etc.), checking this option will leave the bump
map layer around so that you can bevel your changes using
the bump map filter again. Default: off.
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Example #1
Q: How do I change the color of a mat, but not the texture?
A:
- In the Layers dialog, choose the mat layer (here I'll use
"Mat#2").
- Run Filters/Colors/Map/Color Exchange.
Click in the preview window on the mat to select the
"From" color. Click on the "To Color" button to activate
the Color Selection dialog. You can pick a color with
this, or better yet (if you previously selected a
replacement color with the Color Picker or Palette and
know its RGB values), dial it in directly.
Now check "Lock Thresholds" and move one of the threshold
sliders to the right until the preview window shows all of
the pixels in the mat changing to the new color. Click
OK.
Voila!
Note: if there is no texture in the mat, just check the
"Keep Trans." (keep transparency) option in the Layers dialog
for the mat layer and use the Bucket Fill tool to give it a new
color--much simpler.
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Example #2
Q: How do I change the texture of a mat, but not the color?
A:
- When creating the mat, check the "Leave Texture Bump Map"
option (if you forgot, just open the Layers dialog and
create a new layer named "Texture Bump Map" and fill it
with white).
- Now select the mat layer (here I'll use "Mat#2"). Check
the "Keep Trans." option near the top of the Layers dialog.
- In the GIMP toolbox, set the foreground color to the
desired color of the mat. If you don't know the exact
color, use Color Picker (eyedropper) tool and click in the
mat somewhere to set the foreground color.
- Double-click the Bucket Fill tool. In the Tool Options
dialog select "FG Color Fill" (and leave this dialog
open). Select All (Ctrl+A) in the image and click on the
mat to fill it with smooth color.
- Back in the Tool Options dialog, select "Pattern" as the
Fill Type. Open the Patterns dialog (Dialogs/Patterns).
- Select a pattern (and leave the Patterns dialog open, for
the moment). In the Layers dialog, select the Texture
Bump Map layer for the mat. In the image window, do a
Select All (Ctrl+A). Click in the image to fill the
Texture Bump Map layer with the new pattern.
Normally this layer's visibility is toggled off, so you
might only notice the change in the icon in the Layers
dialog; toggle the visibility of the layer for a moment if
you want to verify/view the pattern fill.
- Now select the mat layer. In the image window run
Filters/Map/Bump Map. Select the Texture Bump Map
layer as the bump map, adjust parameters appropriately and
click OK. Voila!
- If you don't like the texture, Undo (Ctrl+Z) the bump map
and go to Step #6. Repeat with different patterns until
satisfied.
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Example #3
Q: How do I change the intensity of the inner drop
shadow on a frame?
A:
- In the Layers dialog, choose the "Shadow" layer above the
frame.
Using the Opacity slider, adjust the shadow intensity.
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Example #4
Q: How do I change the color/pattern/texture of a frame?
A: Reread examples #1 and #2.
- Check the "Leave Bevel Bump Map" option when creating the
frame.
- Select the frame layer. Check the "Keep Trans."
option near the top of the Layers dialog.
- Now double click on the Bucket Fill tool and in the Tool
Options dialog, select "Pattern" as the Fill Type. Open
the Patterns dialog and select a pattern. In the image
window, Select All (Ctrl+A) and then click to fill the
frame with the new pattern.
If you'd prefer to fill with a color, do that instead.
- If you want to texture the frame, do so as described in
example #2 using the Texture Bump Map layer and the Bump
Map filter.
- Finally, run a last Bump Map, using the Frame Bevel
Bump Map as the (suprise!) bump map.
Note: the text at the bottom of the inner mat was added
after everything else (by selecting the first mat layer
and using the Text Tool). If could have been added anytime
after the inner mat was created, however.
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).
Text and/or images are available for personal or commercial use
under certain conditions.
)
to sample a color from the image itself (much
better than using Mat Fill Color).
Default: Color.
