Sticker Effect Tutorial for CS5

[abm234]

Help me out ladies! I'm trying to do Nikki Hawkin's Sticker Effect Tutorial. I have CS5. I get to

Step 3:
Go to Image>Add Borders

I don't have Add Borders as an option and can't find it anywhere.
I googled some and found Image>Canvas Size and couldn't get that to work either.

Does anybody with CS5 know how to accomplish this?

Thanks in advance.

[SeattleSheri]

Hi Amy,

Here is one way you can do it in PS (there are many ways).

Type out text
Enable your magic wand tool and select any area on the text layer outside of your text
Inverse your selection
Add a new layer below your text
Expand your selection by the desired amount 20-25 px (select -> modify -> expand)
Set your foreground to white
Use your paint bucket to fill the selection

HTH!

[jacinda]

Can you just add a stroke?

[Julie Billingsley]

Nikki uses Paint Shop Pro, so her options will be different than your program. I'd go with the two ideas from Jacinda and Sheri for your program!

[SeattleSheri]

Can you just add a stroke?
I almost suggested that too. The only thing it doesn't do is completely fill in the background of the text, but it's pretty darn close.

[abm234]

Thanks so much ladies. When I get back to my real computer I'll be trying it out!

[kelley]

I was going to say too, I just use a stroke to do a sticker effect, but I'm certainly not a pro or anything, so it may not be the best way.

[jacinda]

Sometimes I'll add a stroke to the text/element, then separate the layers. On the bottom layer I'll use the brush to fill in any gaps, then apply a drop shadow. If you can't separate the stroke from the text/element, just duplicate the layer, then apply the stroke, fill in any gaps with a same colour brush (on the bottom layer) and add a drop shadow.

[KateD]

I usually just add a stroke and don't bother with filling in the little bits that may be left inside. The letter stickers I used to use had those holes in them anyway ;)

I'll usually turn the text into a smart object next, then apply a drop shadow. When I used to apply the shadow directly to the text, some of it would be hidden by the stroke and I'd have to fiddle with it to get it right. By turning it into a smart object, it'll shadow the stroke, too, and I can just apply my layer style and move on. Rasterizing the layer has the same effect, except that becomes non-editable and sometimes I like to go back and change the text or size of the stroke.

[mummytothree]

I kind of do what Jacinda does but I add the step of adding just a bit of noise to my white filled layer...super low like 3 to 4 and it add just a little bit of "roughness" to help it not look so flat!!!

[abm234]

Woot! Love you guys! You never let me down! I got it to work! Thanks!

[Arual]

Sheri, thanks for mentioning the wand tool! I have been doing it the same as you EXCEPT I was doing cmd+click on the thumbnail instead of the wand tool... and then having to paint in the little bits missed after! But I just did it your way, using the wand tool and presto, it worked beautifully and saves me a couple steps! Thanks!