Technique: Digital Curled Edges How-to (AND Freebie!)

Ever since I did this post about curled edges in paper scrapbooking there have been many many scrappers who have come to my site accidentally, because they did an online search for digital curled edges. Well, if that was you, now you’re in luck! I have a tutorial and freebies for all you digi scrappers too ! First, here is another page I made using my new digital curled edges (you can see the first one here):

Credits Hand Stamped Alpha: Michelle Coleman; Curled Edges: Jess Gordon (freebie below); Font: Jane Austen; Everything else is from the Cherrywood Farm kit, by Shabby Miss Jenn!

Photoshop Tips and Tricks

• I created a “visual triangle” using the the subject of my photo plus the screws and buttons on the photo’s edge. This idea is thanks to ksharonkdesigns!
• I love using Michelle’s stamped alpha (“SEPT07″) as a brush set, so I can easily change the size, color and opacity to suit my needs! If you don’t know how to make a stamp (.png file) into a brush, check this post I wrote about making your own digital brushes (you will only need to do the last part). 
• The Virtual Photographer “Fall Colors” filter as well as some grungy brushwork on my photo edges really help the photo stand out.

Technique: Curled Edges for Digital Scrapbooking 

This is a look I love to create on my paper scrapbook pages, so it was only natural that I’d want to incorporate it into my digi pages as well. It didn’t take any fancy digital designing knowledge to make these edges, and now I can use them again and again. Here I’ll show you what I did, plus how to make them look great on your page!

How to Make Your Own Digital Curled Edge:

1. First I made curled edges with real paper following the steps seen here.
2. I then scanned them, making sure my scanner was set to make a high resolution (300 dpi) image.
3. Then I extracted just the curled part of the image and saved it as a .png file on a transparent background. My scanner bed is only 11 inches long, but I wanted my edges to be 12 inches , so I simply re-sized the edges. Because I wasn’t stretching them too much, they still look fine.
4. I adjusted the levels, contrast and color a little and that was it!

How to Add the Curled Edge to a Digital Scrapbook Page:

1. Open a 12×12, 300 dpi blank document. Place two digital papers on your page, one on top of the other.
2. Drag the curled edge onto a new layer above the top paper. Position as desired, making sure that the curled edge touches or slightly overlaps each edge of the page.
3. Still on the curled edge layer, using the magic wand tool, select the area above the curled edge, that you would like to erase. I also use select>modify>expand by a few pixels to make sure I get all the paper. Tip: if your selection encompasses the whole page, your edge is most likely not touching both sides of the page.
4. Switch back to the (top) paper layer. Delete the selection.
5. Next, add a realistic drop shadow to just the curled edge layer first, making sure that the lighting direction comes from behind the section that is curled over the paper  (check here and here for drop shadow tips).
6. Merge the curled edge, its shadow and the top paper layer together.
7. Add another drop shadow to the whole thing, this time adjust the light source so that the shadow is thrown to the other side of the curled edge.    

I hope these directions are clear – if you have any questions please ask, I’d be happy to help . The comments button is at the end of this post.

*Update: For those visual learners out there, you can now find a video tutorial provided by Scraps of Mind. She uses Photoshop Elements and has slightly different techniques, but gets the same great results. Check it out here!*

OK, here’s your freebie ! Enjoy!!

*Click Here to Download the Curled Edges Freebie*

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