Frames

Here is a series showing one way to create an artistically self-framed picture. I was not very fussy with this whole thing, just wanted to show some possible steps.

First save an image...this is from an old scanned photo, with the color improved a bit.

Select part of the image, copy (ctrl+C), then invert color (Image menu, Negative). The selection area remains, if you don't click on the image, paste (ctrl+V) and the copied section is back. Save all intermediate images with different names, in case Windows blows up before you finish.

Select again, copy, invert, paste back into the selection, save again.

Image menu, Effects, Effects browser: Relief

Reopen original image, copy, open previously saved image, select, paste, sharpen slightly, save.

Always remember that when you paste into a selection, the copied material is resized to fit the selection if it is not the same size. You may want to take notes as you go. The size of a selection is shown in the title bar. You may have to stretch the window to read it if you are working with a small image.

Many variations are possible in this process, I just ran it through a few simple steps. You could use color enhancement to lighten the image or alter its hue instead of inverting the color. Relief could be replaced by another effect, such as Emboss, and the color could be adjusted to better suit the image. You might keep pasting the same thing into each smaller selection.

It might be better to use the custom selection dialog in some cases, especially when working with larger images. If you mispaste or futz up the math, don't worry - no changes are saved until you say so. Play with it, find your own tricks.

Another nice framing device is to copy an image, enlarge it, lighten it, create a custom selection that is the same size as the original and centered, and paste. Or just apply and copy a selection, de-select, lighten (or darken, or other color change), re-apply the selection and paste back.