Update (May 7, 2016): A newer version of the FrameShop script is now available for Photoshop CC 2015 and CS6. I highly recommend using the newer version if you are running either CC 2015 or CS6.

FrameShop is a script for Adobe Photoshop designed to give the photographer/artist a variety of mat and frame styles for displaying digital images on the Web. The initial version of the FrameShop script (v0.9) was described in detail in an earlier post on this blog. This new version (v0.9.5) runs on Photoshop CS5 and CS6, and has several new features:

• Colors are selected using the Adobe Color Picker rather than color presets
• Text positions are set by default to EXIF left, Title center and Signature right, all on the mat under the image
• GPS latitude, longitude and elevation have been added to the selectable EXIF text items
• Result can be saved as JPEG, TIFF, PSD, PNG or GIF
• Result can be saved with the same ICC profile as the original file or another profile
• Script runs on a duplicate of the original image and leaves the original image open after running

Update (September 9, 2013): The FrameShop script (v0.9.5) has been successfully tested with Adobe Photoshop CC.

The FrameShop script dialog box is organized so that each option can be selected and customized independently:

Setting the Options
For those who are familiar with Adobe Photoshop, using scripts and/or the FrameShop script, the following explanation of FrameShop options can be skipped. The script is easy to use and the settings/options are easy to “play with” without damaging any pixels. If you’re unfamiliar with using scripts in Adobe Photoshop, read the following guide and you’ll be on your way.

Size and Sharpening
The script will size the final framed image to fit within the maximum width and height dimensions specified by the user, just as the Adobe Photoshop File>Automate>Fit Image… menu function does. The image will not be distorted to fit the dimensions, but will be proportionally sized, then matted and framed to fit the maximum dimensions specified. Checking the Smart Sharpen checkbox will apply sharpening, similar to the Adobe Photoshop Filter>Sharpen>Smart Sharpen… menu selection, to the image (before the mat and frame are added).

Mats
Several mat styles are available:

• Drop shadow
• Cut bevel
• Overlay
• Double mat
• Plain mat

The Overlay style doesn’t add a mat. Instead, it converts the outer edge of the image (dimension set with the mat Size setting) to black and white. The opacity of the overlay is determined by the Opacity setting. A stroke can be added to the image for the Drop shadow and Plain mat selections. The mat can be set to have equal dimensions on all four sides (Equal mat), or set to have a bottom border that is twice the size of the other sides (Gallery mat).

Here are two examples of what the script can do. Other examples of each mat style are in an earlier post.

Frame
In addition to selecting the frame color using the Adobe Color Picker and setting the frame size (in pixels), you can add an inner shadow and set the size (Depth) of that shadow.

EXIF
FrameShop determines from the file’s EXIF metadata what information is available, and shows that metadata next to the individual EXIF checkboxes. If an EXIF element is not available, the script will show it as being not available (e.g., “ISO N/A”). If you are uncertain about what information is available to Adobe Photoshop in the EXIF metadata, you can view the information from the Adobe Photoshop File>File Info… menu selection. The Font dropdown menu displays all of the fonts installed on the host system. FrameShop displays the following EXIF metadata (if available):

• Filename
• Camera model
• Lens
• Focal length
• Shutter speed
• Aperture
• ISO
• Date taken
• GPS latitude
• GPS longitude
• GPS elevation

The (optional) EXIF text is by default positioned on the left in the bottom of the mat, but can be positioned either left, center or right. Its horizontal and vertical position can also be adjusted using the H offset and V offset boxes.

Title
If title information has been saved in the source image’s IPTC Title metadata field, the script will show that text in the Title text box. The (optional) Title text is by default positioned in the center in the bottom of the mat, but can be positioned either left, center or right. Its horizontal and vertical position can also be adjusted using the H offset and V offset boxes.

Signature
If copyright information has been saved in the source image’s IPTC Copyright metadata field, the script will show that text in the Signature text box. The (optional) signature text is by default positioned on the right in the bottom of the mat, but can be positioned either left, center or right. Its horizontal and vertical positions can also be adjusted using the H offset and V offset boxes.

Save
Once the other options are set, you can either run the script and save the result as a JPEG, TIFF, PSD, PNG or GIF, or run the script and have the framed image remain open in Adobe Photoshop. The latter choice is useful when determining how to set the options, particularly the text offsets, or when the user desires to manually adjust the layers in Photoshop. The image can be saved in the same location as the source file (Save in same location), or in a different folder, chosen by clicking the Select Folder… button.

JPEG save options:

TIFF save options:

PSD save options:

PNG save options:

GIF save options:

The framed image can be saved with the same ICC profile as the original (Same as Source), or in one of several other ICC profiles:

Clicking Cancel dismisses the dialog box and returns you to the open source file.

Installation
The script requires Adobe Photoshop CS5 or CS6, and will run on a PC (Windows 32-bit and 64-bit) or Mac (OS X). This version (v0.9.5) will not run on Photoshop CS4 or earlier versions of Photoshop. Install the script in the Scripts folder so that it will show up in the Files/Scripts menu of Photoshop:

Mac OS
Applications/Adobe Photoshop CS_/Presets/Scripts

Windows
Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop CS_/Presets/Scripts

Be sure to restart the Photoshop application after script installation.
Or you can put the script anywhere (on your desktop for example) and browse to the script using the Photoshop File/Scripts/Browse… menu.

Under the Hood
When the script runs the first time, it produces a settings file, FrameShop Scriptv0.9.5.xml, in the Adobe Photoshop CS_ Settings folder. If you encounter problems using the script, try deleting this file and re-running the script. A corrupted settings file could be the culprit. The FrameShop Scriptv0.9.5.xml file, which saves the settings for the script, is located in:

Mac OS
Users/[user name]/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop CS_ Settings

Windows 7 and Vista
Users/[user name]/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop CS_/Adobe Photoshop CS_ Settings

Windows XP
Documents and Settings/[user name]/Application Data/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop CS_/Adobe Photoshop CS_ Settings

Download

Update (May 7, 2016): A newer version of the FrameShop script is now available for Photoshop CC 2015 and CS6. I highly recommend using the newer version if you are running either CC 2015 or CS6.

Download the .zip file and, after unzipping, install as detailed above.

If you experience difficulty with a localized version of Photoshop (versions of Photoshop other than North American English language), I have disabled the version check logic just for you:

Everything Else

For those who became hooked on the color presets of the initial version of FrameShop, you can find popular hexadecimal Web-friendly colors on a number of websites. Just do a Google search for “hexadecimal color codes”. Here’s an example.

If you have any comments, questions, suggestions for new features, or bug reports, please contact me. If you are reporting a bug or are asking a question about a problem you encounter, please include the following information in your message:

• Operating system (Windows or Mac OS)
• Adobe Photoshop version
• Error message received, if any
• Type of image being processed (JPEG, TIFF, NEF, etc.)

Thanks to those who have allowed me to use their prior work in this script, and to those who have tested it and provided feedback.

Adobe and Photoshop are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.