5 Creative borders for Lightroom

Posted on 10/09/2010 by Gavin Hoey

love Lightroom for it’s simplicity. It allows me to get my photos looking exactly how I want without any of the flashy extras that you’ll find in Photoshop. Lightroom is blissfully free from distractions like filters, layer styles and arty effect brushes. If you want to take your photos from camera to printer whilst keeping that photographic look then Lightroom is unbeatable.

However there are times when I want to do a little more then simply tidying up a photo and printing it out. I’ve always believed a border can enhance the look and enjoyment of pretty much any photo. That could mean something as simple as framing your photo once it’s printed or applying a creative border inside of the image editing software, not something that Lightroom excels at.

But all is not lost. In fact you can add your own creative border effects without leaving Lightroom, you just have to know the secret trick. The video below will reveal all.

This is a simple but elegant multi stroke border which comes in a choice of white or black.

A hand drawn pencil line to frame your photo. Choice of black or white line with contrasting background.

Heavy black or white border with a distressed edge.

Hand painted border that merges two tones for a very pleasing result. Choose between the black or white versions.

Despite living in the digital age we still associate the film strip with photography.

About Gavin Hoey (45 Articles)

Gavin has been a regular contributor to Digital Photo Magazine in the UK since 2003 where he writes “how to...” techniques on photography and Photoshop Elements. His Photoshop lectures are always in demand and he can often be seen popping up at camera clubs all over the UK.

Contact: Website Facebook Twitter Google+

23 Comments on 5 Creative borders for Lightroom

Lesley Warwick // 31/12/2010 at 6:18 pm //

Where do I find the download for the frames please?
TipSquirrel // 01/01/2011 at 1:11 am //

Right below this post, but above these comments
Huberto Pimentel // 22/03/2011 at 6:30 pm //

Where do I find the frames for lightroom 3
TipSquirrel // 22/03/2011 at 6:36 pm //

Click the images below the tutorial and they’ll download Huberto
meee // 12/04/2011 at 9:23 pm //

awesome – exactely what I was missing in LR!
I’d love to see some more simple boarders, keep up the good work!
questor // 13/04/2011 at 8:24 pm //

humm – I have a Nikon D80 – my uncropped pics don’t fit the frame – am I doing something wrong?
TipSquirrel // 19/04/2011 at 8:29 pm //

You’re doing nothing wrong questor, you will need to crop. Different cameras have different sizes I’m afraid.
questor // 20/04/2011 at 12:02 pm //

are you planning on realeasing a wider variety of borders?
and / or maybe different crop factors?
Love the approach!
Faisal // 07/07/2011 at 11:57 pm //

Hi there,

Thanks for the excellent vid but upon saving the picture to a jpg the border is not being saved along with the picture.

Any i doing something wrong?

Regards
Faisal
Shoaib // 24/07/2011 at 11:50 am //

u didn’t mention if the image is in landscape, how to rotate the frame???
Shoaib // 24/07/2011 at 12:00 pm //

u didn’t mention what if the image is in landscape??? i cant rotate the frame
Chris // 27/07/2011 at 9:07 pm //

These are great! Thank you!
Mirko // 25/08/2011 at 12:28 pm //

Hi,

thanks for this tutorial, though I would like to add a canvas just in the upper and lower side of my photos…I think that right now that’s not possibile in LR.

Mirko.
Holly Tanner Strauss // 24/10/2011 at 5:02 pm //

After I download borders how and where do I put them in lightroom 3?
MSD // 29/10/2011 at 6:52 pm //

Hi Gavin and TipSquirrel,

thanks for sharing & Wants more frame as well as lanscape too..

MSD
Jakob // 12/12/2011 at 11:14 am //

Hi,

being an old dark-room guy using Leitz Focomat elarger I am anxius to find a creative boarder that looks like the “film-edge”-effect that I was able to create when making copies with my Leitz Focomat. That means a boarder that is sort of vague/uneven inside of the boarder and sharp on the outside. Having also the framenumber and even “KODAK” från the negative film bein included in the boarder would also be cool. I am using Lightroom 3 and also NIK Silver Efex Pro foro B/W. The NIK sw can actually emulate different filmtypes som the only feature I miss is this film type boarder.

Thx for advice

J
Hemsq // 13/01/2012 at 5:23 pm //

Good Job Thanks

HeMs
Ellicott City Wedding Photographer // 27/01/2012 at 2:11 pm //

Gavin, This was so useful – Thanks so much for the templates and the great video! This tutorial covered *exactly* what I needed to know to add a watermark and border to an image in LR.

My only question is – is there any way to add borders to many photos at once? e.g. a batch border print once it’s setup?
Fabian Boal // 01/05/2012 at 7:49 pm //

Nice tutorial, but where do I find the download for the frames please?
TipSquirrel // 01/05/2012 at 7:58 pm //

Hi Fabian, click the images at the end of the tutorial 🙂
Hugh Tomlinson // 25/10/2013 at 2:04 am //

Is there a way of rotating these in the print module? Most if the photos I want to use them on are landscaped.
Phat // 02/05/2021 at 6:55 am //

Hi, I have seen 5 Creative borders for Lightroom is great, If you don’t mind you can give me those Borders and show how to add Lightroom classic CC on Macbook. Thank you so much
albert // 01/08/2022 at 10:54 pm //

Hi, how can i download the borders