Vignette Effect

A Vignette is a picture (like an engraving or photograph) that shades or fades off gradually into the surrounding background usually in an oval shape.

You can use a mask to effectively create this effect.

I'm using PSP 9, I'm sure this can be done in other versions if you are familiar with the tools in that version.

Any resemblance to other tuts is unintentionally coincidental.

Open your image.

Right click on your layer palette and 'promote background to layer', rename butterfly (or something appropriate for the image you are using).

Chose the Selection Tool from the Tool Bar.

Drag a selection around the the area of the image you want to keep.

If you need to edit (change the size or shape of) this selection, Go to Selections, Edit Selections (the selected area will change color)

Use these settings....

Use your 'raster deform tool' to move the selection or to decrease/increase the size.

Go to Selection, Edit Selection, click - You should be back to the 'marching ants'.

Go to Layers, New Mask Layer, Show Selection

Go to Selection, Select NONE. You should have only your selected area.

Go to Adjust, Blur, Gaussian Blur

(Be sure to click the Proof Buttons so you can see the effects of the blur radius you use.

This is the radius I used....you can use whatever works with your image.

Proof Buttons

You are done!!!

You can save as a 'mist' in .pspimage or .psp format, the background will be transparent.....

Or

You can add another raster layer to your layer palette, rename it butter background.

Drag this layer to the very bottom of your layer palette.

I flood filled mine with a green gradient (above example). Then while still on the background layer, Go to Effects, Texture Effects, Mosaic....use the following settings.

I added a border and an inner bevel.

You can finish your Vignette anyway you chose.

Or

You can create something like this.

Click on your butterfly layer. Go to Edit, Copy, Go to Edit, Paste as a New Layer. Rename Butter Background (or something appropriate for your image)

Drag this layer to the very bottom on the layer palette.

Make sure you are on the Butter Background layer in your layer palette.

Go to Effects, Texture Effects, Blinds....use the following setting

(you can change this to suit your image)

Go to Windows (above your tool bar)

Duplicate and Minimize this duplicate image.

Go to Image, Add Borders, use the following settings....

With your magic wand, select the white border. Go to Selection, Invert. Go to 3D Effect, Cutout....use the following settings.

Repeat with -5

Go to Selection, Invert.

Maximize your duplicated image.

Go to Edit, Copy (now....minimize image)

Go to Edit, Paste into Selection

KEEP SELECTED

Go to Effects, Artistic Effects, Topography....

Use the following settings.

Do NOT Deselect

Go to Effects, 3D Effects, Inner Bevel with these settings

Done!

I hope you enjoyed this tut!

Any questions, feel free to email me.

Here's another example I made....

Kathy is a good friend of mine. She's a sweetheart to share her delightful grandkids, Brieanna and Brandon with me. Here, they were participating in their Mom's (in the background) wedding.

You can get the image I used here

Thanks to Frankie for all her hard work testing this tut for me.

Here's an example she made using a circular selection - love this!