Digital Frames ?

[Harvey Moore]

I am not normally impressed by framing an image for screen display, but I would like to find a tool for simulating matting that will be used for physical display.

The ability to evaluate on screen matte dimensions, image dimensions and ratio, matte colors (usually shades of grey for me) would be helpful.

Are there any tutorials or actions out there that will help me in this ?

I use PS cs2 on WinXp.

Thanks,

harvey

[Peter Mendelson]

Harvey, I just listened to a Podcast this morning by "iBryan the Digital Guy" or something like that where he raves about a virtual frame selection software tool by a company called Levin Frames - you can see photorealistic shots of how your photos will look in various frames and can even place them on virtual walls. The software costs $200 or so but there is a free trial period and discount on orders. I haven't used it but it may be worth Googling.

Peter

[Don Lashier]

> The ability to evaluate on screen matte dimensions, image dimensions and ratio, matte colors (usually shades of grey for me) would be helpful.

Hi Harvey,

Aside from getting an idea for actual matting/framing, I think that on-screen, as on-wall, that an image benefits from having at least a (normally neutral) mat around it.

I wrote a simple dynamic frame/mat generator that lets me set a site default or specify by gallery or even by individual picture. It's trivially simple just using nested tables and six parameters: width/color of frame, outer mat, and inner mat. I'm sure it's not in the same league as what Peter mentioned, but it serves my purpose fine which is principally to enhance online display although I sometimes use it to get a rough mat idea also. I'm not an IE fan but table generated frame/mats display better in IE than in FF because FF shades the bottom and right while IE is uniform although for some reason this only affects the outer table (frame itself) so is not too objectional.

AFA actual mat choice, I do it the old fashioned way, with L samples. Unless the simulation were very good (and the one Peter mentioned may be) I'm not sure how useful it would be other than rough ideas. I frame most of my display stuff the same anyway (Neilson metallic grey frame, LI white/blackcore mat) and leave it to the customer if they want something different as I'm not a framing shop with a hugh selection.

- DL

[Harvey Moore]

Hello Don,

As usual, the simple answer is best. I sometimes look for more complicated approaches.

Your method of "L" samples is pretty good, similar to what I used to do in the "film" days. It has a couple of very strong points:

Actual eyeball vision of what the final will look like
Available materials can be used, not some impossible to get virtual version

thanks for your input

harvey


harvey

[Don Lashier]

I had forgotten about another site (http://gallery.alderglen.com/Gallery.asp?GalleryId=1) done by a webdev/photographer who tends a couple sites we host. It's one of those darn*^#% flash sites but he's written a nifty flash control for mats. It's only shades of grey, and no width options, but it illustrates what can be done.

- DL