Edge FX

This is a Photos.com Stock Image I used for this tutorial.

Start off with a nice image that you would like to add some edge effects / border to.

This image is from Photos.com Now go to Image: Canvas Size and enter an amount in both width and height to create an expanded border effect around the image (by adding a larger document size with white background).

Note how the default is set to the arrows pointing in all directions; this will add the canvas size out from the center equi-distantly.

Now choose an image from your collection that has some sharp lines or shadows.

Now go to Image: Desaturate to get rid of the color.

Now go to Image: Adjustment: Levels and push the sliders so destroy/trash the image as shown.

Now just look for some gritty areas in the shape of a long line with some shape left to it.

Now grab your rectangular Marquee and make a long selection above this and switch to the moVe tool and drag the selection on to your document in progress.

Go back to the image and find another area that is slightly different and with a selection switch to the moVe tool and drag that over to the design in progress.  To help make this forming 'edge' effect more a part of the design, just change the blend mode.  Screen will most likely work good.  You may also have to stretch with Ctrl T transform.

 

Note that these 2 edges so far are on their own separate layers so you can move them around independently where you want them to be. Later you can link all of the edges and Layer: Merge Linked to make them one layer.

Go ahead and duplicate one of the 'edge' layers by dragging it to the new layer icon

and then go to Ctrl T free transform and rotate or change scale or transform: flip horizontal and vertical to get them looking slightly different (your creativity in action here). You want that nice random look. Get them where you want and link them and go to layer: merge linked. Now save the file and export a copy by Save As: a .jpeg or save for web.

Here is another method of creating edge effects. Get an open image that you want to create fx on.  Now create a new blank layer by clicking on the new layer icon on the bottom of the layers palette. 

Now press B for your brush tool and choose a nice gristly or grunge brush from your collection.

Increase the size with the ] key. Now on the new blank layer, just go ahead and artfully paint blotches around the edges to give it a torn feel with the foreground color as white.

To add more to the effect, create a white frame around it with Image: Canvas Size.

Now try a different brush and use different brush sizes, maybe change the opacity of the brush in the options bar here and there to create more of that random trashing.

If you want more control over each of your brushes you use, then just create a new blank layer before you start using a different brush. Then you can lower the opacity or erase just that particular brushes paintings. That's all up to you.

Click to enlarge

Add a little text with the white background color fading into the background/frame to give the design a little more edge.

This is baby grunge.