To use the borders, open the Easy Palette and click on the border that you want to add to your photo or to a blank canvas that you have open on the workspace. Try various widths, colors and combinations. If you apply something you don't like, just hit CTRL+Z to undo it and then try something else. Easy! The individual borders are 20 pixels wide, which is the 'outside' limit. However, you can right click on them and modify the properties (make them wider by increasing the 'inside' width, make them more narrow, change the color, etc.) before applying. You can apply them to the edges of photos or other images, or to the edge of a canvas that you have open on the workspace. You can crop the canvas to the desired size before applying the border if you like. You can also apply them to path shapes if you first convert the path to an image. One restriction here, when applying to path shapes converted to images - apply only one border and no shadow, unless you first merge the image with the background, crop to the edge of the border and THEN add a shadow or another border. 1. RULE NUMBER 1, FIRST AND FOREMOST: For the borders to line up correctly, the measurements of the image on the workspace must be able to be equally divided by 20 pixels. It should be rectangular or square in shape. If using more than one border on the same image, before adding each new border, the image on the workspace must have sides with measurements equally divisible by 20 pixels. For instance, if you have added a 2 or 4 pixel wide gold edge and then add an additional border, it will not line up as the sides of the image are no longer equally divisible by 20 pixels. If you added a 10 pixel wide border or edge, then the image's sides will still be equally divisible by 20 pixels, and an additional border will line up correctly. 2. The borders may be applied to the edges of a blank canvas, an image, or a path shape (a square or rectangle with side measurements equally divisible by 20 pixels) that has first been converted to an image. The borders will NOT apply to a path shape without first converting it to an image - right click on the path shape, Convert Object Type/ From Text/Path to Image. If you want to add more than one border, or a shadow, to path shapes converted to images, first merge the image with the canvas, then crop to the edge of the border before adding each additional one. Again, the measurements need to be equally divisibile by 20 pixels before adding an additional border or shadow. This limitation does not apply if borders or shadows are being applied to a blank canvas or a picture first cropped to fit within the required measurements. 3. Image must be selected in order to apply a border. 4. To change the color or width of a border, right click on the thumbnail of the border in the Easy Palette. Choose Modify Properties and Apply. In the Frame and Shadow window that comes up next the width of the Inner Edge may be adjusted to any number between 0-20 (default is 0) and the Outer Edge to 10 (default is 20). Fuzziness may be adjusted (default is 100). Do NOT adjust where it says "Size". Leave Border checked. To change the color of the border, right click on the colored square next to One Color and select one of the options presented. A gradient fill may be added to a border by putting a mark beside Gradient and clicking on the colored square to bring up the window to make the desired changes. 5. The stackables were designed to be applied over top of borders and other stackables to add additional colors and design to an edge. Many different combinations are possible. 6. Some of the stackables are more suited for some measurements than others. 'Sometimes' one or more corners of the design may have a small white area. If it is noticeable, it can be corrected quickly with the paint brush tool, or an additional stackable application may cover it up. Other times, it isn't there at all or is barely noticeable, or it may actually add a pleasing aspect to the design. The regular borders don't do this. 7. To apply a stackable to the 'outside' edge of an image, first expand the canvas size of the image on the screen by the same measurement as the width of the stackable design. To see the width of the design, right click on the thumbnail of the stackable in the Easy Palette, choose Modify Properties and Apply. The Inner Edge:xx is the width of the design. To expand the canvas, in PI 8, go to Format/Expand Canvas (or use Shift+N). Make sure Expand Sides Equally is checked. The canvas color may also be changed here if desired. 8. Because stackables normally apply to the inside edge, they may be applied over a white or colored canvas or image to which any texture or other editing procedures have been applied. Notes and random hints: 1. The white areas of the designs are transparent. 2. Adding subsequent borders and widening the Inner Edge can produce some interesting new designs. 3. Plain white or colored areas may be added between borders as long as they are 10, 20, 30, 40, etc. pixels wide. 4. Rules are made to be broken. Experiment. 5. The regular borders apply to the outside edge of the canvas or image that is selected on the workspace. Each additional border expands the canvas or the image by the Outer Edge width of the border. 6. The 'stackables' apply to the inside edge of the canvas or image that is selected on the workspace. Each additional stackable will apply on top of the previous border or stackable. 7. To darken the color of a stackable, apply the same one two or more times. 8. To reverse the color of a stackable, click on its thumbnail in the Easy Palette and choose Modify Properties and Apply. If Invert is checked, uncheck it. If it is unchecked, check it. Some stackables are suitable for this technique. Others aren't. It depends on the project. Experiment. 9. If the borders are applied to a blank canvas or blank image, the colors may be quickly altered by going to Format/Hue and Saturation (CTRL+E) and adjusting the Hue slider. The Saturation and Lightness sliders may also be adjusted. Adjusting the Lightness slider to a negative number will result in a darker canvas or image. 10. After an image is cropped to the right size, it should be merged with the background before a border or stackable is applied. 11. There are some borders labeled SQUARE in the Easy Palette. Those will be evenly applied to square shapes only. 12. There is a folder for Uneven borders that will not line up perfectly no matter what shape they are applied to, but they are still attractive. Some of the older collection is in this folder.