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This tutorial demonstrates how to create quick vignettes using the Levels editor. To work along, you can download the image I am working with Here. Unzip the file and open it onto Photoshop’s workspace.
Undo and Navigation Steps
Two ways of undoing steps are from the top menu, Edit then Step Backwards.
Alternatively, click a previous snapshot in the History Palette.
Navigate (zoom in and pan) your image using the Navigator Palette,
or the Zoom Tool. 
Activate The Hand Tool by tapping the Spacebar, keeping the Spacebar pressed, pan your image in the usual way. 
1/
Open your start image onto Photoshop’s workspace.
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To warm the image, press Ctrl then U to display the Hue/Saturation dialogue box, and increase the Saturation to around +22, then click OK.
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Now, activate the Polygonal Lasso Tool and set the following settings into its Options bar. Polygonal Lasso Tool here.
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Then click-and-stretch a lasso line around the outside of your image, as illustrated
below.
Tip
Press your Backspace, or Delete key to go back a click or two.
After you have completed a full circuit, pass your cursor over the area where you began the lasso and double-left-click. The lasso line will immediately change to a selection marquee.
5/
From the top menu, choose Select then choose Inverse, and the marquee will be inverted. You have now created the border.
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Press Ctrl then J to copy, then paste the selected area as a new layer. The selection marquee will be removed. If you wish to see the marquee, ensure the frame layer is active, then from the top menu, choose Select then choose Load Selection - then click OK.
Copying and pasting the selected area (border), provides independent control of the border.
7/
Now, working on Layer 1, press Ctrl then L to display the Levels editor, and in the subsequent dialogue box, adjust the slider to either, lighten, or darken the selected frame area. Levels lessons Here and Here.
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To give the outer frame area a green tinge, change the Channel from RGB to Red, then grab the Black point and drag it to the right, as illustrated below.
Note
Play with the Black, Grey and White points to see how they lighten or darken the outer frame area. Additionally, experiment with different Channel colours. In RGB mode, moving just the White point slider to the left, creates a white border fade - and moving just the Black slider to the right, creates a dark border fade.
When you are happy with the border’s look, click OK.
9/
Because the border resides on its own layer, you can apply different filters and effects to it - if you wish. For example, to fade the border, from the top menu, choose Edit then choose Fade Levels, and reduce the Opacity of the Levels.
10/
When you are happy with the border’s appearance, flatten the layers and save your work.
Wendi E M Scarth. Top of Page - Home.
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