EZPrint Mats and Frames Instructions

by Adrienne Cleveland

Sizing for Print

These actions are designed to help you create matted and framed images in the print size you want.

Before running a mat, plain border, or background action, use Photoshop's Image/Image Size to resize your image to be smaller than you want your final matted, framed image to be. Here's how:

Make sure "Constrain Proportions" is checked.
Uncheck "Resample Image."
Set the Document Size width or height, allowing room for the width of mat + frame you want. Choose your image size based on how wide you want your mat and frame to be, but don't click "OK" yet.

For example, if you want the matted and framed image to be 14x11, you might size your image to approximately 12x8. This would leave 2 inches in width and 3 inches in height for the mat and frame.

If you want a narrower mat, make your image closer in size to 14x11.

Now look at the Resolution field. If the resulting resolution isn't as high as you want for printing, check "Resample Image" and type in the desired resolution.

Photoshop will up-rez your image to the desired resolution.

Now you can click "OK."

Now use a mat or background action to mat your image to the exact size you want your printed, matted, and framed image to be (14x11 in this example). Don't worry about leaving room outside the mat for the frame: the frame will crop the mat to keep the size and aspect ratio unchanged.
Frame your image.

The framing action will crop your mat to maintain the size you chose when you matted your image.

Note: These mats and frames are designed for print-size images. If you want to use them to mat and frame images for the web, you may find that it works best to downsize the image to web size after you add the mats and frames.

Using the Actions

Note: These actions will flatten the layers in your image. If you want to keep a copy with layers intact, save a copy before running the actions.

Simple Background

The Simple Background action creates a plain background. Before running it, use Photoshop's Color Picker to choose a Background Color.

The action will stop for you to specify the size you want your matted/framed image to be. You may find it handiest to set the units to inches.

Sizing your Mat

The action will stop a second time for you to adjust the Bevel and Emboss and Drop Shadow settings. These settings affect the appearance of the image relative to the background. Make sure "Preview" is checked, and adjust these settings to your liking, or just accept the defaults.

Chiseled Mat

This action will create a chiseled mat, with or without texture.

Before running this action, use Photoshop's Color Picker to choose a Foreground Color for the core ( a.k.a. inner bevel, or cut edge), and a Background Color for the main part of the mat.

The action will stop twice:

For you to specify the size of your framed/matted image. You may find it handiest to set the units to inches.
For you to adjust the appearance of your mat.

Make sure "Preview" is checked, and adjust the Bevel and Emboss and Texture settings to your liking, or just accept the defaults. The Size and Depth settings are the ones you'll be most likely to adjust, but you can adjust any or all of them.

You may need to scroll your image to the side in order to see the mat.

Chiseled Mat with U-Size Bevel

This action is similar to the Chiseled Mat, but it allows you to specify the width of the inner bevel (the cut edge) of the mat.

Before running this action, use Photoshop's Color Picker to choose a Foreground Color for the core (a.k.a. inner bevel, or cut edge), and a Background Color for the main part of the mat.

The action will stop four times:

For you to specify the size of the inner bevel (cut edge) of the mat. Remember this number: you'll be using it later.
For you to specify the size of your framed/matted image. You may find it handiest to set the units to inches.
For you to specify the "Size" of the beveling on the inner bevel. You should use the same number here that you used in Step 1.
For you to adjust the appearance of your mat.

Make sure "Preview" is checked, and adjust the Bevel and Emboss and Texture settings to your liking, or just accept the defaults. The Size and Depth settings are the ones you'll be most likely to adjust, but you can adjust any or all of them.

You may need to scroll your image to the side in order to see the mat.

Frames

Before running a Frame action, use Photoshop's Color Picker to choose a Foreground Color.

Then select a frame action name by width, and run the action. The frame action will crop the mat to maintain the existing size and aspect ratio.

The action will stop for you to adjust the appearance of your frame. Make sure "Preview" is checked, and adjust the Bevel and Emboss and other settings to your liking.

Colors

Before running a mat, simple background, or frame action, use Photoshop's Color Picker to specify your colors:

Foreground Color

Frames
Mat Cores (the inner bevel, or cut edge)
Accent Line on Plain Border

Background Color

Mats
Simple Backgrounds
Plain Border

Adjusting Colors

After adding a mat, background, or frame, you can adjust the color in one of two ways:

Using a "Change" Action

Choose your new Foreground and Background colors, and run the appropriate "Change" action.

Using a "Tweak" Action

The "Tweak" actions stop to let you adjust the colors interactively, using the Hue/Saturation Dialog. To see the changes as you make them, be sure the "Preview" box is checked.

When tweaking very light- or dark-colored mats or frames, you may find that it's easiest to see "Hue" tweaks if you adjust the "Lightness," and sometimes the "Saturation," first. Once you have the right Hue, you can readjust the other settings to your liking.

If you save your image with all layers intact, you'll be able to change your colors any time in the future.

Undo

The Mat, Simple Background, and Frame actions create History snapshots, so after running them, you can go back to the "before" condition by clicking the snapshot in Photoshop's History window.