Summary: Learn how to create a photo border out of "faded" pixels, randomly-sized and scattered square pixel shapes that gradually fade into a solid colored background.

Written by Steve Patterson
Exclusively for Photoshop Essentials.com.

Part of our complete collection of Photo Effects tutorials.

In this Photoshop Effects tutorial, we'll learn how to create a "faded pixels" photo border, with the image appearing through randomly-sized and scattered square pixel shapes that gradually fade into a solid colored background. To create the effect, we'll be loading in one of the additional brush sets included with Photoshop, and we'll use some of the Brush Dynamics options to randomly resize and scatter the brush as we paint. We'll start with white as our background color, but at the end of the tutorial, we'll learn how we can easily change the color, including how to sample a color directly from the image itself!

I'll be using Photoshop CS5 for this tutorial but any recent version of Photoshop will work. Here's the original image I'll be starting with:

And here's how it will look when we're done:

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Let's get started!

Step 1: Duplicate The Background Layer

With the photo newly opened in Photoshop, let's begin by making a copy of the image so we can leave the original untouched in case we ever need it again. If we look in the Layers panel, we see that we're starting with just the original photo sitting on the Background layer:

To quickly duplicate the layer, press Ctrl+J (Win) / Command+J (Mac) on your keyboard. Photoshop makes a copy of the layer, names the copy "Layer 1", and places it above the original:

Step 2: Add A White Solid Color Fill Layer Between The Existing Layers

Select the Background layer by clicking on it in the Layers panel:

With the Background layer selected, click on the New Fill or Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel:

Choose a Solid Color fill layer from the top of the list that appears:

We're going to use this Solid Color fill layer as the background color for our effect. Photoshop will pop open the Color Picker so we can choose the color we want. Choose white for now, either by clicking on white in the top left corner of the color selection box on the left or by entering 255 for the R, G and B values near the bottom center of the dialog box. At the end of the tutorial, we'll learn how we can easily change the background color, but white will do for now:

Click OK when you're done to close out of the Color Picker. We won't be able to see the white background color just yet in the document, but if we look again in the Layers panel, we see the new Solid Color fill layer, which Photoshop has named "Color Fill 1", sitting between Layer 1 and the Background layer:

Step 3: Add A Black-Filled Layer Mask To Layer 1

Click on Layer 1 in the Layers panel to select it:

With Layer 1 selected, press and hold the Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) key on your keyboard and click on the Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel:

This adds a layer mask to Layer 1, and because we held down the Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) key as we clicked on the Layer Mask icon, Photoshop filled the layer mask with black, which completely hides the photo on the layer from view. We can see the black-filled layer mask thumbnail on Layer 1 in the Layers panel:

With the photo on Layer 1 hidden, we can now see the white Solid Color fill layer in the document:

Step 4: Duplicate Layer 1 Three Times

Press Ctrl+J (Win) / Command+J (Mac) on your keyboard three times to make three more copies of Layer 1. We won't be able to see anything happening in the document window, but when you're done, you should have four copies of the photo, each with its own black-filled layer mask, sitting above the Solid Color fill layer in the Layers panel:

Step 5: Select The Brush Tool

Select Photoshop's Brush Tool from the Tools panel:

Step 6: Load The Square Brushes Set

We're going to use one of Photoshop's brushes to create our pixel effect, but the brush we need isn't loaded in for us by default so we first need to load it manually. With the Brush Tool selected, right-click (Win) / Control-click (Mac) anywhere inside the document to quickly open the Brush Picker, then click on the small arrow icon in the top right corner:

This opens a menu with various options, including a list at the bottom of additional brush sets we can load in. Choose the Square Brushes set:

Photoshop will ask if you want to replace the original brushes with the new ones. Click Append to keep the originals and simply add the new brushes in after them:

With the new brushes loaded, scroll through the brush thumbnails in the Brush Picker until you come to the square brushes (which should be at the very bottom of the list). Double-click on the 24 pixel square brush to select it and close out of the Brush Picker:

Step 7: Set The Brush Size Jitter To 100%

Press the F5 key on your keyboard to quickly open Photoshop's main Brushes panel, then click directly on the words Shape Dynamics on the left side of the panel. Make sure you click on the words themselves, not just in the checkbox to the left of the words:

Increase the Size Jitter option all the way to 100%, which will create randomly-sized squares as we paint with the brush. Make sure the Minimum Diameter option is set to 0%, and that the Angle Jitter and Roundness Jitter options are also set to 0%:

Step 8: Add Scattering To The Brush

Click directly on the word Scattering below Shape Dynamics on the left side of the Brushes panel. Again, make sure you click on the word itself, not inside the checkbox:

Increase the Scatter value to around 700% or so, which will scatter the squares as we paint. Select the Both Axes option by clicking inside its checkbox, then make sure the Count option is set to 1 and Count Jitter is set to 0%. When you're done, press F5 again on your keyboard to close out of the Brushes panel: