Creating Edge/Border Effects in Fireworks
By: Jim Babbage on Monday, February 20, 2006
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You never stop learning. Something I have always been interested in is a way to produce a similar result or effect in different software packages. Take Photoshop and Fireworks, for example. Photoshop gives you the ability to create some pretty cool edge and border effects without having to go out and buy third-party software, as you'll see in Knut Kubenz' recent tutorial.
Reading that tutorial, I got to wondering how I could do the same kind of thing in Fireworks. One inherent difference between the two programs is that PhotoShop's roots are firmly planted in the raster graphic half of digital imaging. Fireworks has its roots in the vector graphics half. So, needless to say, there are some different ways to achieve the same kind of result. One thing I do like about this method is that it is non-destructive; no pixel data will be harmed or deleted during the making of this edge effect.
My focus will be on using vector shapes and the built-in Live Filters of Fireworks to create my edge effects. You have a great deal of control with vector shapes. Combine that with the power of Live Filters and your own sense of imagination and you've got a lot of creative potential ready to be unleashed.
We'll be looking at three methods in detail using:
- vector shapes
- custom paths
- Live Filters
- strokes
I'll also touch on using bitmap masks to create edge effects.
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