Photoshop Help Needed to Fit Image in image to create a border (sounds easy)

[Cougar888]

Hi, right I hope someone can help cos I'm stuck. I have a path I created as a template from a photo i took of my cabinet to create the sideart. Now, I want a border around my art because i have painted the cab and want to see a border of the paint. In photoshop I thought I could simply resize my cabinet outline and then resize that smaller and fit it inside to create a border. Unfortunatly it hasn't worked because of the cabinet shape, you can get a border at some edges but then others edges aren't the same.
Is there any way i can do this simply?
Thanks

Here's what the outline looks like:

[Blanka]

Download Freehand 10
Import the photo image
Draw the outline on top  with the pen tool
Choose offset and get a smaller copy
The cut the image, and choose paste-inside.
Pronto
Big pre is that the outline is razor sharp, and will cut individual pixels following a perfect vector curve.

Illustrator can do it too, but with 5 more steps.

[Cougar888]

Thing is if you make the image smaller it doesn't fit right inside the larger one. You can get say the back in line but the curved part won't be an even space. Will the program you suggest work around that?

[t3design]

You have to be in a vector program and use an inset path function. That function will create a path that is a certain distance inside (or outside) the patent path all the way around. Scaling does not do this.

[Cougar888]

Ah now we're getting somewhere Will Photoshop not do it then? I think I have Illustrator somewhere

[t3design]

In spite of the path functions in photoshop it was designed as a raster program. Illustrator will work as will freehand. I'm sure there are others too.

[Cougar888]

Cool, thanks. I'll give it a go in Illustrator although I've never used it LOL

[RetroBorg]

Hi, right I hope someone can help cos I'm stuck. I have a path I created as a template from a photo i took of my cabinet to create the sideart. Now, I want a border around my art because i have painted the cab and want to see a border of the paint. In photoshop I thought I could simply resize my cabinet outline and then resize that smaller and fit it inside to create a border. Unfortunatly it hasn't worked because of the cabinet shape, you can get a border at some edges but then others edges aren't the same.
Is there any way i can do this simply?
Thanks

Here's what the outline looks like:

Is this what you are after?

[Cougar888]

Hi, yeah it was I've done it now but thank you for taking the time buddy

[Unstupid]

select cabinet area with magic wand, [select] - [modify] - [contract], enter number..  drink beer... 

[Cougar888]

Does that work with Photoshop?

[Unstupid]

Yes.  Everything in the [select] menu alters the selection area.  So what you want to do is create your artwork in another layer, say layer 2.  Build your artwork so it is bigger than you need.  Then switch to layer 1.  Select the shape of your cabinet with magic wand.  Then [select] - [modify] - [contract], then enter how many pixels you want to contract (how think you want your border) then press enter.  Then [select] - [invert selection] to select everything but the artwork you want to keep.  Then switch back to layer 2, then press delete. 

[alecriss]

I am not having much knowledge about the illustrator as I hadn't used it before.Can you just elaborate a little about it.