Rounded Corner Photo and Slides in Photoshop Elements 3:

This is a two part tutorial. First we will make a rounded corner photo in part 1 and then in part 2 we will make a rounded corner slide.

Open up a new document. Then open up the photo you would like to have rounded corners on. Drag this picture into your blank document.

We will use a custom shape to make the rounded corners. To open up the custom shape tool, you may need to right click on the lower bottom corner of the shapes tool bar. Click on custom shapes.

To find the rounded corner shape you may have to load all the custom shapes. Click on the little down arrow to open up the menu, then click on all element shapes to load all the shapes.

Scroll through the images until you find the rounded square shape. Click once on this to load the selection.

Now drag out your rounded square on a new layer (don't worry about it covering up your picture- it is on its own layer). When you release your drag it will fill with whatever color you currently have in your palette .

Make your picture the active layer by clicking on it in the layers palette.

While holding down on the control key (in a PC) click on the shape layer. This will put marching ants around the shape. Your picture should still be the active layer.

With your active layer still the picture. Select > inverse > then hit the delete key.

This will delete the outside edge of your picture. Now select the shape layer and drag it into the trash can. You now have a photo with rounded edges. (You can now deselect the entire area to get rid of the marching ants- Select >deselect).

Part 2- Make a slide out of a backgound paper.

Follow all of the above steps but this time use a background paper instead of a picture. In my example I am using a background paper from my "Relax" Page kit.

You will want to change the background layer to layer 0. (This will allow it to have a transparent background when you delete the extra). To do this double click on the background layer in the layers palette .

Click ok to rename it Layer o.

Follow the same steps in Part 1 to delete the outside edge and then drag your shade layer into the trash can. Remember to Select > Deselect to get rid of the marching ants. You now have a rounded edge on a transparent background. We can now cut out the middle to make a slide.

To make your selection active. Hold the control key (in a PC) and click on the rounded corner background shape. This will put marching ants around the selection. Now we will cut out the inside using "contract". Select > Modify > Contract.

I usually start with a contraction of about 75-100 pixels. Hit delete and you have a slide.

Now Select >deselect and click on your slide layer. We will now add a slight bevel and drop shadow for more realism. Select layer styles from the Styles and Effects palette .

Open up the bevels and select simple emboss for a slight bevel.

Then open up the drop shadow and give it a low drop shadow and you are now done.

Remember to post your creations in the gallery at Digital Scrapbook Place.