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Photoshop Productivity Tip: Rounded Corners on Images

I had to ask my old colleague and friend Michael Bernth for help today for a Photoshop tip.

I wanted to round the corners of an image with the shape of a rounded rectangle.

Here is an easy way (I’m using Photoshop CS1):

  1. Start with an image in a separate layer. Create a new set (folder), and put the image into it.
    photoshop-mask-create-new-set.png
  2. Create the shape that will form the borders of the image. I’m using the “rounded rectangles tool”.
    photoshop-mask-create-rounded-shape.png
  3. CTRL + click the layer to select layer transparency
  4. Hide layer with shape, still preserving the selection
  5. Select the folder by clicking once on the set in layer list
    photoshop-mask-select-folder.png
  6. Choose “Layer” > “Add layer mask” > “Reveal selection”
    photoshop-mask-add-layer-mask-reveal-selection.png

Finished result:

photoshop-mask-finished-result-rounded-corners.png

And voila! Now you can drop any image into the folder. You can move it around, copy, etc.

Another nice trick is to unclick the binding between the mask and the image. That way, you can move the mask around on a big image, to find just the right crop. (I felt like the start of a James Bond movie moving the mask around… :)

photoshop-mask-unlink-click-to-move-mask-on-fixed-background.png

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This entry was posted by Jesper Rønn-Jensen on Friday, July 27th, 2007 at 10:22 (GMT-1) and is filed under Productivity. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

9 Responses to “Photoshop Productivity Tip: Rounded Corners on Images”

  1. Jesper Rønn-Jensen Says:
    July 29th, 2007 at 21:04 (GMT-1)

    BTW, check out Michaels new startup Monovoce, if you are interested in web design in the Copenhagen area. It’s so new that we will have to wait till start of August for more details to appear on the website :)

  2. Jermayn Parker Says:
    July 30th, 2007 at 08:06 (GMT-1)

    Good simple tip indeed

  3. Michael Bernth Says:
    August 4th, 2007 at 16:21 (GMT-1)

    With the possibility to apply a layer mask to a folder you are able to do a lot of really nice things, and you don’t have to limit yourself to simple shapes – try using alpha channels and the like. It is also possible to nest folders within folder, and thereby make some really advanced maskings. Have fun :)

  4. Jesper Rønn-Jensen Says:
    August 10th, 2007 at 10:44 (GMT-1)

    “Scaling masked images” in this 6 photoshop timesavers for webdesigners:
    http://f6design.com/journal/2007/08/05/6-photoshop-time-savers-for-web-designers/

  5. Jesper Rønn-Jensen Says:
    August 27th, 2007 at 13:36 (GMT-1)

    Another tip i have been looking for in a long type: Create paragraph-style type that you can change with and height of so the text re-wraps.
    Just click and drag to mark the placeholder of your text.

    I used to just click, which makes the text so-called “point style” which means that if you change with/height of box, the type x and y-size changes.

    I found this explanation deep in the help files of photoshop:

    To enter paragraph type:

    1. Do one of the following:
    * (Photoshop) Select the Horizontal Type tool Horizontal Type tool or the Vertical Type tool Vertical Type tool .
    * (ImageReady) Select the Type tool Horizontal Type tool .

    Note: To change between horizontal or vertical text in ImageReady, click the Change Text Orientation button in the tool options bar or choose Change Text Orientation from the Character palette menu.
    2. Do one of the following:
    * Drag diagonally to define a bounding box for the type.
    * Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you click or drag to display the Paragraph Text Size dialog box. Enter values for Width and Height, and click OK.

  6. Ingrid Says:
    September 26th, 2007 at 21:18 (GMT-1)

    Thanks for an easy to understand tutorial!

  7. Mohammed Rashad Says:
    November 26th, 2007 at 19:59 (GMT-1)

    Very nice and easy tutorial. I just tried it and it successfully worked without any trouble. Thank you so much.

  8. Free Joomla Templates Says:
    January 1st, 2009 at 22:15 (GMT-1)

    This is a great tutorial. Thank you. Do you know how to round the big image? I have a 193×60 jpg image, and I want to round it. Can you help me please?