Adding simple print-like borders in Photoshop

SilverShutter · Mar 23, 2024

Hi everyone,

This is a very basic question but I am struggling to find an answer for it (maybe I am using the wrong search terms). I want to add subtle uneven, darkroom print-like black borders to my images, for my film scans. All I can find so far is about the super basic stroke function in photoshop (which looks very clinical to me) or very strong "grunge" borders that are too over the top. I know some software like Snapseed include this function, but I dont really want to add a mobile workflow to just add borders to my image. If there is any other free software that could do this easily, I am willing to take a look at that as well.

Pieter12 · Mar 23, 2024

I don't know about free, but there used to be sloppy borders available. Or you could make your own with some rudimentary photoshop skills and some scans of actual film rebates.

SilverShutter · Mar 23, 2024

Pieter12 said:
I don't know about free, but there used to be sloppy borders available. Or you could make your own with some rudimentary photoshop skills and some scans of actual film rebates.

Thank you. That's the search term I was looking for, sloppy borders. I'll have a look to see what I can find.

bdial · Mar 23, 2024

You can set the canvas size to your desired overall print size, with your image sized smaller by whatever size you want the borders to be. Set the fill color in the canvas size dialog.

jeffreyg · Mar 23, 2024

I don’t print with borders but since you are using PhotoShop you can make a layer larger than the image by the amount of border you want , fill it with black and then move the image layer over it. It should work and you control the amount. If you use large format you can scan a sheet of film showing the notches and do the same. Pretty much the same as mentioned by dial above.

Pieter12 · Mar 23, 2024

jeffreyg said:
I don’t print with borders but since you are using PhotoShop you can make a layer larger than the image by the amount of border you want , fill it with black and then move the image layer over it. It should work and you control the amount. If you use large format you can scan a sheet of film showing the notches and do the same. Pretty much the same as mentioned by dial above.

I think the OP may be looking more for the look of a filed negative carrier rather than just a clean black border.

koraks · Mar 24, 2024

Pieter12 said:
I think the OP may be looking more for the look of a filed negative carrier rather than just a clean black border.

That's how interepreted the question, too.

@SilverShutter I think if you ask nicely, there are people on this forum who would be happy to send you a scan of some of their 'natural borders' so you can use these for your own photographs. Use a transform tool and a layer mask in your favorite photo editor to use such a border as an overlay. There are also Instagram filters for this kind of thing. Mind you, I never find the results very convincing and much of the time it's being applied in a way that makes the result look tacky and fake, so I'd practice restraint in using an approach like this.

SilverShutter · Mar 24, 2024

koraks said:
That's how interepreted the question, too.

@SilverShutter I think if you ask nicely, there are people on this forum who would be happy to send you a scan of some of their 'natural borders' so you can use these for your own photographs. Use a transform tool and a layer mask in your favorite photo editor to use such a border as an overlay. There are also Instagram filters for this kind of thing. Mind you, I never find the results very convincing and much of the time it's being applied in a way that makes the result look tacky and fake, so I'd practice restraint in using an approach like this.

You could be right. I am not familiar with darkroom terminology because I have always worked in a hybrid workflow. I know its sometimes seen as gimmicky, and the filters that I have seen tend to be too obvious, hence why I was wondering if there was a subtle, easy way to mimick them. What you suggest may be the best solution.

koraks · Mar 24, 2024

Something like this:

I don't print much with a natural border all around because the border gets way too heavy/wide to my taste. I must have full-border prints somewhere. You could of course just take the 'natural' edge on the right from the image above and replicate that on all four sides.

SilverShutter · Mar 24, 2024

koraks said:
Something like this:
View attachment 366356
I don't print much with a natural border all around because the border gets way too heavy/wide to my taste. I must have full-border prints somewhere. You could of course just take the 'natural' edge on the right from the image above and replicate that on all four sides.

That's pretty much what I needed. Thanks a million. I don't intend to use it for every picture, but I feel it does work for some shots.

koraks · Mar 24, 2024

Sure thing; enjoy; - I hope you find it useful!

Andrew O'Neill · Mar 24, 2024

Google "fake film borders" in Google Images...

Adding simple print-like borders in Photoshop

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