Version: I used PI 8
Level: Intermediate
Featured Tools: Path Edit, "Frame & Shadow"
Supplies: The Dover image and shape I used are here.

    PhotoImpact's Frame & Shadow dialog can easily combine complex path objects with speed and convenience unavailable to the Path Tool's "Continue Draw"--and the result is a path object that is editable (with the Path Tool of course ;-)

    This tutorial describes how to make the black and gold frame shown here.  It's a combination of a path circle and a converted dingbat text "frame."

M/C = main click
O/C = other click (brings up the context menu)

1. Paths used for this technique must be solid in the center in order to cut out an area for displaying a picture, so here's how to prepare the dingbat supplied (from the free font "KR Ringlets").  Some elaborate dings can't be made suitable for this operation but this one works.
   
   
   • Open the ding-path in PI.  Since text objects don't travel well without their parent fonts,I've already converted it to a path for you (with O/C > Convert Object Type> From Text/Image to Path)
   • Click on the Path Tool then click "Editing" on its Attribute bar: 
     
     
     
     
     1. First thing you see (zoomed-in).  Yikes eh?  but not a problem for what little needs to be done '-)
     2. Click on the ding's background to deselect all of its paths (nodes disappear)
     3. Run your cursor over the innermost path line and click down to select it when you see the pointing finger (nodes reappear); hit your delete key
        
   • Click out of Editing mode.
   • The center of the ding-path is solid and you now have a frame-making shape:
     
     
     
     
     
   • Drag and drop the edited path into your personal EasyPalette shape library.
     
     
2. Open a new canvas, true color, white, 300x400 pixels
   
   
3. Format > Frame & Shadow (or Shift+F)
   
   
   
   
4. On the Shadow Tab: be sure shadow is unchecked
   
   
5. On the Frame Tab:
   • Style:  2D Frame; "Do not merge frame object" = checked
   • Options:  Width: 20 (for now); Inward; One color = something dark; Canvas color = white
     
   
   
6. Click in the "Inner shape" box:
   
   
   
   
   
7. The following dialog opens.  Navigate with the dialog's drop-down lists to find your personal shape library and select the ding-path you just made.  Click OK.
   
   
   
   
   
8. Now click the "Outer shape" box.
   
   
   
   
   
9. When the dialog opens choose:
   • Gallery:  PI's Shape Library
   • Tab group:  Basic
   • Click on Circle
   • Click OK
     
     
     
     
     
10. Change the Width option now if you want.  This setting only adjusts the width of the Inner shape.  You can also use your cursor in the small preview to move the Inner shape around or to change its dimensions vertically and/or horizontally with the handles.  For this frame leave the dimensions as they are.
    
    
    
    
11. You can now click "Add" if you'd like to put the frame's settings into your EasyPalette Gallery.  This will create a shortcut that will automatically apply your frame to an image in the same manner Ulead's pre-set frames apply.  (Be aware that this EP option can make misshapen frames as easily as Ulead's pre-sets due to varying aspect ratios.)
    
    
    
    
    
12. Click OK to exit the Frame & Shadow dialog.

Inserting the Image:

    You now have a frame-shaped path object (made from two combined path shapes) on your canvas that you can drag and drop into an EP Library for repeated use if you want.  Here's an easy way to manually crop an image to fit this particular frame:

1. Open the Dover image and copy it to the clipboard (Edit > Copy)  (if you use a different image, be sure it's big enough to fill the space inside the frame).
2. Deselect the frame object (O/C > Deselect All Objects)
3. Since the inside of this frame is too"busy" to select accurately, use the Magic Wand (Search connected pixels = checked, Similarity = 0, Antialias = checked) to select the white area outside the frame.
4. O/C > Expand/Shrink:  Expand = 2 pixels; Keep original soft edge = checked; Circle
5. O/C > Invert
6. Edit > Paste > Into Selection
7. Now--without clicking down--move your cursor around until your image is where you want it inside the selection, then click the mouse.  Voila! . . . your image is positioned, cropped, and converted to an object :-))
8. Click on the frame to activate it and apply a preset from the EP, or perhaps open the Path Tool and its Material dialog to add bevel, color, lighting, etc. to suit.

    I applied the gold-edged black preset from my Borderlines 4 to the frame in the header.  Here I've decorated it with a 2-D yellow-bordered orange preset then Any Shaped beveled and duplicated, filling the dupe with the large Dover image then merging it over the original frame using the "Soft Light" method.

Tips:

1. If you've used the transform handles to adjust the width/height of your frame, click the first of PI's preset thumbnails in the Frame & Shadow dialog to reset them before you attempt to make another.
2. You can put lots of PI's default shapes to use for both the Inner and Outer frame shapes.  Using the same shape for both aspects can make great frames too :-)
3. Warning:  Making these frames is addictive--especially when you're playing with dingbats '-)
   

Be creative!  Have fun!

Help is just a click away (on my sig) if you need it.