PhotoFramer User Manual

Welcome to PhotoFramer

It has been said that when a frame is put around an everyday scene, it becomes art.  It is true that a frame can provide a new context and change the way we perceive a picture.  Pixlabs PhotoFramer is an easy-to-use program that can render high-quality photorealistic double matted frames around your pictures, and maybe even help to transform some of your snapshots into works of art.

PhotoFramer will help you spice up your pictures for email or website and help you save money when creating framed prints for displaying.  Unlike other framing or paint programs, PhotoFramer uses complex graphic rendering algorithms to create photorealistic frames while giving unmatched flexibility in choices of colors and textures.  The result is stunningly high quality frames and mats that look like the real thing.

The first picture frames were created to help transport paintings.  They were designed to protect paintings as they were moved, but they quickly evolved to become a visual symbol of the art they contained.  By the 17^th and 18^th centuries they were ornate wood carvings, often covered in gold leaf, that became a significant part of the artistic statement of a piece of art.  They provide a context to help emphasize or deemphasize parts of the image according to the artist’s wishes. 

Today’s digital images are viewed in a variety of contexts.  Emailed and online images are viewed on a screen.  While it is true that the screen bezel provides a natural frame for everything that is displayed on a screen, it rarely complements the content of the image being viewed.  Additionally, it is other elements on the computer screen that provide the most significant distraction. There is rarely much of a visual buffer between the image and the cacophony of windows, text and graphics that make up a desktop.  PhotoFramer helps your pictures to be displayed in the context that you think best shows off your image.

For prints, PhotoFramer can help you decide what type of frame and mats to choose.  With PhotoFramer you can experiment with different colors and textures to help you decide what type of frame and mat best complement your picture.  PhotoFramer can also help save you money when printing images.  Matted images look best, but mats can be expensive, often don’t come in the right size, or can be difficult to cut yourself.  With PhotoFramer you can print the mat with the image and place the result in a frame without having to buy a separate mat.

We hope you enjoy PhotoFramer!