How to add a border to images in Photoshop CS4

How you choose to display your images on the web can affect the whole mood of your web page. Whether you choose to leave them plain or add styles to them can add personality to your designs. One of the simplest ways to format your images on a web page is to add a border. There are many ways to display borders, but we're going to look at how to create a border that looks like a picture frame in Adobe Photoshop CS4.

First, open Photoshop and create a new file by clicking File then New. A dialogue box will pop up asking you for the dimensions and the color of your new canvas. You should make your canvas a little larger than your photograph to give you some room to play with strokes and drop shadows, if you have those in mind. In this case, I've made my canvas 100 px wider and taller than the photograph to give me plenty of room. I've also left the background transparent so the edges won't show up against web pages.

Now you want to retrieve your photograph. Click File then Open and navigate to the folder where your photograph is saved. Once you've opened the file, click Select and then All, or press Ctrl + A. Next, click on Edit and then Copy, or press Ctrl + C.

Switch over to the tab of your new document and create a new layer. To do this, click Layer, New, and then Layer on the top bar, or navigate to the bottom of the right Layers pane and click on the second to last icon.



If you've used the top bar to create a new layer, a dialogue box will pop up prompting you to enter a layer name and choose other options. You can leave the default name or choose an appropriate name to label your new layer.

Click Edit + Paste or press Ctrl + V to paste the picture on the new layer. Then navigate to the Layers pane on the right side of the workspace and click on the fx at the bottom. Click on Blending Options to customize your layer styles.



For this layer, we're going to add a stroke. Click on Stroke in the dialogue box and look over your options. For this project, I changed the size of the stroke to 50 px and put the position to Inside. This will give the border a more rectangular appearance. For rounded edges, choose Outside.



At this point, if you wanted a simple border, then you're done. You can always go back over your options and add items such as an outer glow or a drop shadow if it fits the effect you're going for. For this project, though, we're going to keep going and see how to make our border look a little fancier.

Create a new layer by navigating to the top bar and clicking Layer + New + Layer. When the new layer dialogue box pops up, give it a name and select the checkbox Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask. This will allow us to fill a selection without filling the entire canvas.



Select the rectangular marquee tool from the Tools panel on the left side of the workspace and make sure the Photograph layer is active. Make a selection on the inside of the black border, taking care not to leave any gaps.



Switch back to the new Inner Frame layer and select the paint bucket tool from the Tools panel. You might find it hidden under the gradient tool, in which case you should click the black arrow at the corner of the tool button. Go to the color picker swatch at the bottom of the tools panel and choose a color you like; here, I've already chosen a yellow-orange color for my fill. Then click on the inside of the selection.



Deselect the pixels by clicking Select then Deselect. This way, you won't accidentally drag your selection out of the box when you go to make another marquee. Then, make sure the rectangular marquee tool is selected and create another box inside the first one. You can choose how big or small you want to make it. Just leave plenty of room to show the picture.



Once you've made your selection and are happy with it, press Delete to delete the pixels. Now you have a second border. You can leave it like this if you're happy with it, or you can stylize it further.

To make it look a little more realistic and 3D, navigate to the bottom of the Layers panel and click on the fx, then Blending Options. We want to give our frame the illusion of being a little higher than the photograph, so let's choose a stroke to outline it. I've left the position to Outside this time but I've lowered the opacity to 75% and made it 10 px wide. This gives it a bit of definition and the illusion of a sunken-in shadow.



Now let's add an emboss and some texture. First select Bevel and Emboss and choose Pillow Emboss from the drop down. In this case, I only changed the size to 25 px. After that, select Texture under Bevel and Emboss. You can use the arrow to browse current patterns, and the second arrow on the drop down box to browse texture categories; the one I've chosen came from the Patterns category and is called Rusted Metal. You can choose any of the textures you like.



We're going to add a Gradient overlay. The default is black and white, so click on the arrow next to Gradient to get more options. I've chosen the second one, which is a fading yellow-orange.



Now we're ready to save. You can save it in any format you like, but it's best to save it in a format for the web. To do this, click on File then Save for Web & Devices. Because this is a photograph, I've chosen JPEG from the drop down box, though you could also save it as a PNG-24.

There are many ways to showcase your images and many different kinds of borders. Once you get more comfortable with creating borders, you can play around with it and see what you like best.

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com

How to edit an existing button in Photoshop CS4

When changes are made to a website, it is inevitable that you will have to edit images as well as text content. When you have the editable file that you created, this is very easy to do. However, when you want to make changes to an already existing button and you don't have the editable file, it can be a little trickier, yet still doable. In this tutorial, we will take an existing file and use Photoshop to add a gradient and change the color of the button.


First, navigate to Photoshop on your computer and open the program. Once the program has started, click File, then New. A dialogue box will pop up asking you to enter the dimensions of the document and to specify other factors, including background color. For now, leave the dimensions given and choose Transparent for the color. This way, your button won't be surrounded by the color of your background when you put it on your website.





Next, click File, then Open to pull up the button you want to edit. Navigate to the folder where you've saved your button file. It will open your file in a new tab.





You want to copy your button and paste it in your new document, so click on Select and choose the option All to select your button. I prefer keyboard shortcuts, though, so you can also press Ctrl + A to get the same effect.





Next, either click Edit and Copy or press Ctrl + C to copy your button. Once you do that, you can switch to the tab of your new document and click Edit + Paste or press Ctrl + V.





Now we need to create a new layer so we can add a gradient without filling the entire document. To do this, you can click Layer + New + Layer at the top bar, or you can navigate to the right Layers pane in the workspace and go to the bottom. There, you will see a list of options starting with what looks like a chain link and fx. The second to last icon looks like a notepad of paper; you can click on that to create a new layer above the selected layer.





If you've created a new layer using the Layer drop-down from the top bar, a dialogue box asking you to name your layer will pop up. You can name the layer if you'd like or leave it blank. In this case, what you do want to do is check the option to use the previous layer to create a clipping mask. If you've created a layer using the notepad icon in the Layers pane, then you can create a clipping mask by hovering your pointer between the layers and holding down Alt, then clicking. Creating a clipping mask links the layers so when you fill the second layer with a color or gradient, it will only fill the area of the shape in the previous layer.





Now that we've created our clipping mask, we should make sure that the second layer is selected before moving on to the next task. Here, navigate to the tools panel at the left side of the workspace and click on the little black arrow at the corner of the paint bucket tool. This will pull up additional options; the gradient tool is under the paint bucket.





Click on the first paint swatch at the bottom of the tools panel to choose your foreground color. You can leave your background swatch white unless you want to choose a different color to gradate into. You can use the color picker box to choose a color visually, or you can type the hexadecimal value in.





Next, click and drag the gradient tool line down the screen where you want it. The button will change color, but it looks a little flat now so we should add some layer styles to make it look more 3D. To do this, navigate to the bottom of the Layers panel on the right side of the workspace and click on the fx. You can choose any of the predefined styles you'd like, but if you want more control over how it appears, you should choose Blending Options.





The Layer Style dialogue box will pop up. Here, you can click on any of the styles and get additional options for how they are displayed. In this case, we're going to start with a drop shadow to make the button look like it's floating. Click on Drop Shadow and then customize your options. In this instance, I have changed the size of the shadow and the distance, which means that I changed how far the shadow comes from the button.





After choosing drop shadow settings, you can move on to the next style. Here, I've also added an inner glow so it looks like the light is facing the button straight on and so the highlight will go all around the interior line of the button. This gives it a more defined shape. You can change the options here too, such as the opacity, the color, and the size. I've left the default settings except for the color, which I changed to pure white.





It's looking better, but it's still looking a bit flat, so to round it up I've chosen the Bevel and Emboss option. This bevels the edges to give it a more 3D appearance. You can change the options here, too, including the angle of the bevel and the size. I've chosen to make the size a bit bigger than the default settings and soften the edges so it will appear more rounded instead of hard chiseled, which would give it a more harsh rectangular appearance.





Finally, I've added a stroke to outline the button. This helps define the outer shape more and gives it a nice, clean edge. I've changed the pixel size to 1 px so it's subtler but still effective, and I've chosen a darker purple as the color so it defines the shape without sticking out like a sore thumb.


The button is almost done, but users won't know what it does without text prompting them. In order to add text to the button, click on the text tool in the tools panel on the left side of the workspace. Along the top strip, you'll see some options, including font, font type (such as bold, narrow, etc), font size, alignment, and color. Here, I've chosen Arial as the font from the drop down and changed the color to white.





Click or drag the outline of the text box anywhere you'd like on the button. Type the name of the button or the action you want the user to complete.





Next, you want to align your text or center it. To do this, click on the move tool in the Tools panel on the top left side of the workspace. You can drag the text or press the arrow keys to arrange it where you want.


We're almost done. At this point, you don't want your file or background to be too big, so we have some cropping to do. Click on the crop tool in the Tools panel on the left side of the workspace. Then you can drag your box around the area you want to keep. You can always use the arrow keys to nudge the box a little if you're not happy with the selection or you can click the circle and crossbar icon at the top bar and make another selection. Once you're happy with your selection, you can hit Enter or click the arrow at the top bar.





Now we're done and ready to save it. You can save it under any file extension you'd like, but it's best to save it in a format for web output. This ensures that the picture is rendered well in optimal loading time. To save your file, click one File, then choose Save for Web & Devices from the drop down menu.





The Save for Web & Devices dialogue box will pop up. From here, you can choose your options, such as what format you want to save it in. In this case, I've chosen to save it as a PNG-24 so the background will remain transparent instead of white. Other than that, you can leave the default settings or change them according to your liking.





Once you've done that, another dialogue box will pop up where you can give it a name and navigate to the folder you want to save your file in. After that, you're done and your button is ready to upload and use.


Remember, this is just one way out of many that you can edit a button. Once you become more familiar with and comfortable with Photoshop, you can develop your own style of creating and editing buttons.

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com

Charlotte's Tech After Five - September 13, 2011

Charlotte is a great city for business; there are many networking events that representatives can attend to make new connections, give pitches, and attract customers. What's more, many of these events are free, costing the companies no money to promote themselves and make as many acquaintances as they can. As an IT business, CODANK Web Design has found that networking events are a great way of getting the word out about our services. Charlotte's Tech After Five at the Blackfinn Saloon was no exception.

The festivities began around 5:30 on Tuesday afternoon. Blackfinn is located uptown at the epicenter, in the heart of Charlotte. The restaurant is nice and spacious, having an outdoor eating area as well as two levels on the inside. Downstairs is a restaurant while upstairs is the bar, which is where Tech After Five was hosted. As soon as we walked in, the staff greeted us and took our names to delegate the name tags, and every participant was offered a ticket for a free drink. The hospitality didn't end there. The staff made sure to check on us frequently; customer service was a priority.

We had a good turnout; many IT techs and agents showed up to chat and mingle. The atmosphere was professional but fun. We were introduced to other professionals in our field and those in related fields. People from every occupational background in IT were there, for every purpose imaginable. In addition to business owners looking for customers, there were professionals looking for peers, talent, and job opportunities. Although some came with one purpose in mind, the event was geared towards covering all purposes and everyone got that opportunity. People from many different companies showed up; CPCC, Oracle, and Time Warner Cable were just a few of the big names represented.

All in all, Tech After Five is a great event to go to if you're short on cash and want to meet new people. The atmosphere is friendly and the staff is helpful; plus, you can win prizes, like Blackfinn gift certificates and tickets worth up to $500 for other networking events in the area. If you missed Tuesday's event, don't worry because Tech After Five is coming back around the same time next month. Be sure to attend; you never know who you might meet.

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com

User Testing

Many people make the mistake of assuming that once the initial design is completed, the website is done. After all, the goal was to create the site and have an online platform for their business. However, this should not be the case. The information presented on the site is subject to change; updates and revisions are as much a part of the process, and they will continue for the life of the site. What's more, business websites need to be streamlined, professional, and easy to use. This is one of the reasons why user testing is so important - so designers and business owners know their site is effective and well structured. There are many ways to conduct tests, but no matter how you choose to conduct them, they should:

Test site usability. User testing is good for more than just figuring out if people like the colors or the design. Although this is a part of the process and you can take suggestions, it's important not to take every single suggestion or give too much merit to opinion because everyone will have something different to say about the same element. What is important is paying attention to details that multiple users have a complaint about - especially if it has to do with layout, navigation, and usability. Watch them as they use the site; this is even more important than getting verbal feedback. By giving them a task to complete and watching them use the site, you can figure out where your weak spots are. If you notice more than one user struggling with the task, then you'll know you have to make some changes.

Choose a variety of users. It's best to have around five users try out your site. No matter how many users you have, however, you won't get rounded feedback unless you pick users from different backgrounds with various levels of computer experience. For example, a web design professional is bound to understand the site whereas a person with little experience surfing the web will be able to more properly convey the effectiveness of your site. Although it might seem strange to think that another web designer wouldn't be able to give you all the feedback you need, you have to keep in mind that designers know how to use the Internet and have had exposure to many different sites and designs. People who haven't used the web as much should be able to navigate your site and finish the task as easily as possible; it should be obvious to the average user as well.

Develop your site in iterations. There is nothing worse than working hard on a design only to find out that you need to reinvent the whole thing. Designers can get caught up in the process and shut out everything else, only zoning in on what looks good. However, what necessarily looks good artistically speaking does not always translate for practical use. Abstract designs are especially at risk. Users tend to like things laid out in a neat and predictable fashion; you don't want to do something they aren't expecting, like put the navigation bar to the right side of the screen and below a widget. The best way to avoid these pitfalls is to have users test your site as you develop it. That way, you will be able to make changes more easily and you aren't as attached to the final product. Don't be afraid of criticism or change - they are pertinent to the process.

User testing can sometimes be a long, difficult process. But the end result is worth the time and effort spent. You can contact a design company, like Codank Web Design, to find out more about user testing and what you can do for your website.


About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com

Simple vs. Busy Design

Even as technology and times have changed, there is one principle of design that has remained relatively unchanged - the principle that less is more. Over the past few years, designers have become disenchanted with all the flashy bells and whistles they could incorporate into websites. When these capabilities emerged, it seemed as though they were included simply because they could be. Now people see that it's far better for the user if things are kept simple and clean, and that is why minimalism is taking off in the design community. As you contemplate what sort of design you want, keep the following in mind.

Busy design can be overkill. Too many elements can disrupt the balance on the page. The worst thing you can do is try to fill every bit of white space on the page. White space acts as a frame around the elements, emphasizing them. It helps lead the eye towards what you want your users to see, and properly utilizing it takes just as much skill as creating the elements and content. What's more, filling every possible amount of space can lead to disarray and confusion; the user won't know where to start and the page content won't have a distinct flow. The best way to prevent this from happening is only to include elements that are absolutely necessary. Make sure your text is free of all "happy talk" and gets right to the point. Above all, remember that white space is just as much a part of the design as the other aesthetic elements.

Busy design is more difficult to navigate. This goes hand in hand with the above point. If you have too many elements cluttering your design, users won't know what you want them to do next. They might have trouble finding your navigation if it's buried in tons of flashy pictures and ads - especially if you place it in an area that they aren't expecting it to be. Speaking from experience, if a site is cluttered and navigation isn't intuitively obvious, then users won't find the site professional or reputable and will click the back button.

Simple design is more universally usable. I cannot stress universal usability enough. Too many sites forgo this rule in order to be "ingenious" and "innovative." In all actuality, it is far more complex to create a simple design that works the way it's supposed to. Creating a simple design involves a lot of thought, planning, and laying out. But it's worth it in the end when all your users are able to find what they need to find with little hassle. So skip the Flash intros and take the time to clean up your design and code to make it more accessible to everyone. Not only will you satisfy your users while maintaining a pleasing aesthetic appeal, but you'll also gain more search engine visibility as well.

When conceptualizing the design for your site, be sure to keep these pointers in mind. You may be tempted to squeeze in as much information as possible or splatter your pages with Flash elements, but remember that not everyone is able to view these and many people who can don't want to. Keep your users in mind when working with a design company, like Codank Web Design, and your design will be wonderfully successful.


About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com

Looking for web design inspiration?

Sometimes, it can be difficult to find inspiration for a design or a concept. Clients don't always know what they want or what they're looking for - and that's where we come in to help them. Talking to a team at a design company, such as Codank Web Design, can help you clear your mind and put together a solid concept. But if you're looking to grasp something a little more specific before talking to a designer, then keep these tips in mind.

If your company has one, a logo is a great place to start. Entire designs can be derived from the logo, including the colors and the theme. Your company's logo is central to the design and to your online identity; it's what people will be associating your company with, so it should flow seamlessly into the surrounding design. Think about your logo and what feeling it gives you, what the colors mean to you. You can pull out a notepad and a pen and take notes based on what you think and feel at the moment. Brainstorming can later be translated into solid ideas, so don't dismiss any idea, no matter how small it may seem.

Another way to gain inspiration is to look at other websites. You can check out designers' portfolios, look for competition's websites, or pick a site you frequent or like. Think about what you like about it. Is it the effects? The colors? The layout? Make a list of elements that you like and how it relates to the feeling you're going for.

Finally, you can pick a theme relating to your topic and your audience. For instance, if you are creating a website aimed at kids, you should think about elements that are commonly related to kids, such as bright colors, large navigation buttons, animals, and cartoons. Once you get to know your audience and your subject matter, coming up with a concept is a lot easier. You don't even need a concrete theme in order to convey what you want. Sometimes, all a designer needs is keywords. So think about what sort of feeling you want to convey. Sophisticated, modern, soft, bold, inviting, warm - these are just a few examples of the types of things you can tell your designer when you talk about the type of website you want to build.

Inspiration is all around us and can be derived from anything. Sometimes just taking the time to look around us and write down what comes to mind can help us visualize a concept - what we want. It may seem hard at first, but once you get the ball rolling, the idea will basically conceptualize itself.

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com

Typography Tips Every Designer Should Know

Creating a website is not just about the general layout, structure, and design. Although these things are important, it should not become so important that your content suffers. After all, your visitors are on your page to look at the content and read the information you have to offer. Therefore, formatting your content is one of the most important steps to take, and you should pay special attention to the way you display your text.

Ensuring your page has defined sections and hierarchies is the first step. Just like a newspaper has headlines and subtitles, your web page should also have headings and sub-headings. Larger font draws the eye in and helps to organize the page in neat sections; it is an expected courtesy to format your pages in a way that makes them easy to scan and pick out desired information. As much as we want our visitors to read every word we so painstakingly crafted, that isn't the way people work. It has been proven that Internet users scan pages to glean the information they're looking for, so make it easy for them and they may go back over your site and spend a little longer. Remember, though, it's not just the amount of hits you receive, but the amount of relevant hits you receive.

Color contrast is the next thing you should keep in mind. Although you may be tempted to go crazy and pick out as many bright colors as you can to attract attention, too many colors can be an eyesore. Not only is it in bad taste, but you want your visitors to be able to read your text without having to strain their eyes. As a general rule of thumb, you want to mix dark and light colors for your background and text. Usually, it's best to pick a light color (like white or a tint of a color) for the background and have darker text; this yields the best results. However, if you use the right tones, you can use complementary colors too (such as dark blue and light orange). Just be sure to conduct user testing before launching the site and listen to any feedback or concerns you receive.

Be consistent with your font choices by using CSS and external style sheets to apply fonts throughout all your pages. When choosing fonts, make sure you use between two and four consistently. Generally, it's best to have a different font for each different type of text; serif fonts and decorative fonts are best used for headings and sans-serif fonts for body. Sans-serif fonts such as Verdana and Tahoma were specifically made for viewing on the web, so they are your best choices for body text.

One last word of caution: text should not be centered. Aligning your text to the left margin yields the best appearance - and it's easier to read too. Centering text can cause the sides to look ragged and break up the flow of your webpage. Generally, it's best to left-align all elements, including headings.

Now that you know how important styling your font is, you can pay closer attention to those details. When working with a web designer, such as Codank Web Design, you can better communicate your vision for your site and what kind of impression you want to leave on your visitors. Even if you are not a designer, if you are looking to create a web site, you should have an idea of what you're looking for.

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services.

For more information, visit us at www.codank.com