Adding Canvas

[Jack Breakfast]

Hello there,

I wonder if you folks have any hot tips RE adding canvas to an image...generally speaking I'd want to add canas when the BG is very plain, a solid color. My self-taught approach is to resize the canvas, and then get cloning...I wonder if there's another way to do this...I'll add that I use CS, the original...
Thanks most sincerely for your time,
Jack

[Tom Graham]

(Of course make selection on image area first on new/dupe layer).
Smudge Tool.
Or: Edit -Transform then Scale or Skew or Distort or Warp.
Or: Edit - Free Transform.
These ones I typically use in addition to Clone. Assuming that your original CS has these capabilities, CS-2 does, I use it.
Tom

[Jack Breakfast]

Tom, that sounds great, and I was just playing around with it and it seems to be very helpful...any chance you could be a little bit more specific as to the how-to's? I know that may be asking a lot, but if you're willing, I'd be ever so appreciative...

[Tom Graham]

So your CS does have those capabilities? Edit - Transform?
Then play with it, some work better for parts of images than others. Depends a lot on image.
Another hint is to make image larger before working on it, that is, if original is 4,000 pixels resize it to 6,000 or 8,000. This will help hide you work when you take it back down to 4,000 or crop more. It mostly depend on what your image will be used for. Posting here on BPN or internet in general is not very demanding of image quality.
Whatever, try to have fun, being able to digitally modify images is what brought me back into photography hobby. Although at times it can be frustrating to learn stuff like Photoshop.
I hope others join in with more for you.
Tom

[Jack Breakfast]

Tom, indeed CS the first has those capabilities. I'd like to thank you for your generosity here...I really appreciate your useful information as well as your words of encouragement.

[Tom Graham]

You're welcome Jack.
Just remembered another fav way of mine. Using Lasso tool select a jagged/ragged patch of background you like. Be sure and feather edge of it. Do Edit Copy then Edit Paste. This will create a new layer with just your lassoed selection on it. (You won't see it on the image because it is directly on top of layer you just did). Now using the Move tool move that background selection over to the blank canvass.
Again have fun with CS, I do, but it took me forever to self-learn it.
Tom

[Steve Kaluski]

Jack if you want to add canvas it's quite easy.

Firstly I might suggest duplicating the layer just as a fail safe, then:

Top tool bar in PS, Image, scroll down to Canvas size, this will bring up a window with four arrows in each direction.
If you want to add canvas say to the RHS, then click on the LH arrow, then where it say New Size type in the amount you want to extend the canvas by.
Job done, simple.

[Jay Gould]

Jack if you want to add canvas it's quite easy.

Firstly I might suggest duplicating the layer just as a fail safe, then:

Top tool bar in PS, Image, scroll down to Canvas size, this will bring up a window with four arrows in each direction.
If you want to add canvas say to the RHS, then click on the LH arrow, then where it say New Size type in the amount you want to extend the canvas by.
Job done, simple.

Steve, I do it exactuly the way you have described.

Should a Marquee selection of the added canvass and a Content-Aware fill be added to the suggested tutorial?

Cheers,

[Steve Kaluski]

Steve, I do it exactuly the way you have described.

Hi Jay, it's the correct way to do it. Re Content aware/Content scale, well that just depends on what Version of CS/PS you have. My advice is try to get it right 'in camera' first and foremost.

All the best
Steve