Help making a frame/border in PSE6

[Sarah23]

When I had the trial version, I was able to create a border around my picture using Resize>Canvas Size> and then picking how big I wanted it and selecting a color.

Now when I go there, I cannot select a color...its grayed out...so then it just makes a border of white/gray squares.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[KhronoS]

Well if it makes a border of white/gray squares then create there a new layer, put the layer under the layer on which is the photo, and then fill it with black or white or whatever color you wnat the border to have.

 

[Sarah23]

ok....i could do that...but thats seems kinda like a pain when Im doing a bunch of them. The way I was doing it SHOULD be working...so Im obviously doing something wrong to make that color option be grayed out.

Plus...i want to do a very thin white border, then a thicker black border..and doing it with layers like that is just adding a couple more steps to it.

 

[KhronoS]

Yeah you are right.
I know what is the problem there.
When you open a new file, you can see that there is one layer with a lock on it and it writes Background in italic.
Well thats when it works to extend the canvas in whatever color you want.

But when you open a file with layers, even if it's one layer but which doesn't have those characteristics, you can't do that. and i don't know exactly why.

A piece of advice is that if you have a lot of layers, right click on any of them and the go to FLATTEN IMAGE, and then the option should appear.
Another idea in which you don't have to destroy the layers that way, i don't have.
Maybe someone more experienced can tell you.

 

[Sarah23]

got it! thanks!

For some reason, the image I was working on didnt have the bottom layer titled "background" nor was it locked. Im not sure why, though. So I saved it as a JPEG and re-opened it and it was set as the background like normal.

I totally dont know what Im doing when it comes to layers and all this stuff...haha...can you tell!

 

[KhronoS]

got it! thanks!

For some reason, the image I was working on didnt have the bottom layer titled "background" nor was it locked. Im not sure why, though. So I saved it as a JPEG and re-opened it and it was set as the background like normal.

I totally dont know what Im doing when it comes to layers and all this stuff...haha...can you tell!

I'm glad you worked it out.
About the layers, you will learn in time don't worry
Have fun..