Newspaper-tear zig-zag border

Talk about Pixelmator Pro, share tips & tricks, tutorials, and other resources.
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2022-09-13 07:16:21

How can I create a "newspaper tear"-style frame around an image, so that it looks like as if I'd teared the photo out of a newspaper?

Can Pixelmator Pro help with a somewhat irregular zig-zag border I'd need for this around an image?

Many thanks for any pointers!
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2022-09-13 19:13:25

Do you mean something like this?

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This was done in SnagIt. Not sure how to do it in Pixelmator Pro. Maybe you could import an sample tear and clip it to the layer you want torn.
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2022-09-14 00:21:54

Yes, exactly. SnagIt sounds cool. What is it? macOS, iOS or other?
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2022-09-14 08:31:11

With Pixelmator Pro only and a more realistic look I´d go this route:
1. add Mask
2. "Paint" border with rough brush
3. Quick Select the erased/painted section
4. Convert selection into Shape to blend/mask/clip the vector border to your liking - Delete Mask:
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(SnagIt is a screen-recording/capture and video editing app by TechSmith like Camtasia from the same team)
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2022-09-15 16:24:09

Interested in this, I made a torn paper shape (from a torn paper image). I placed the black shape over a ruled paper image, then selected all the shape. then I moved back to the paper layer and deleted the selection. Hid the shape layer and I have a nice torn paper edge. And the shape can be used over and over again - resized as necessary and doesn't have the repeating shapes of snagit. Edited - I had to add the grey background because white paper on this forum white page was terrible!
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2022-09-17 06:33:25

Thanks heaps @EllenM and @mccoytest! Both solutions sound great! Might try them out.

I found a completely different way to do it using the command line tool ImageMagick. See https://legacy.imagemagick.org/Usage/thumbnails/#torn.
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2022-09-17 08:27:45

Yes, learning different approaches is great. SnagIt is a powerful screen capture tool many Technical Writers use for creating documentation and instructions. The tool has many one-click transform tools, like torn edge. You can vary the look and size very quickly. This is not something I do so I never bothered to try it in Pixelmator Pro. I have been using SnagIt for 20 years, so the torn edge feature was the first solution I thought of.

Thanks to EllenM and Mccoytest for some creative solutions.
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2022-09-17 11:35:05

This sort of things, I am hoping to find as one click effects in Pixelmator. I'm not a photographer. I use Pixelmator to make images for ads, webpages, sales pages etc. For those things Pixelmator is not the best as I see it.

Manipulating images, bastardize images with all sorts of text effects, frames and more, is what I would like to see possible, with one click solutions. Quite often you have to mock up something to illustrate what you try to convey, in minutes, not hours.

When it comes to image borders and frames, I have to use Apple Pages to trim the image size and with one click you can choose from a gallery of frames. Then copy it into Pixelmator to export if for web.
I deeply wish this kind of features would be available in Pixelmator.

I know I can use Canva for all kinds of effects to make posters, Facebook ads, Youtube ads, etc. But, just don't like using online apps for things that should be easily done on my Mac.

No, no! I don't want to use that Ca.... online app!
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2022-09-19 14:35:46

Very funny reply, but quite useless if it wasn´t meant in preparation for more spam.
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2022-09-19 15:09:20

by EllenM Very funny reply, but quite useless if it wasn´t meant in preparation for more spam.
Yes, but I thought it not funny - just annoying.
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2022-09-19 19:29:46

It was funny because the stupid "bot" didn´t understand the term "border" how we use it. Kinda slapstick.