I have a couple of photos that I would like to make the outer edges fade away softly. I'm not sure what it would be called. Could someone please walk me through the steps in Photoshop Elements 6? Thanks a bunch,
Terry

Is this what you are looking for..one in white, one in black. If so I will post instructions, ok

Yes, Suzi, that's what I want. I would like it to fade into white so the edges don't show at all. Thanks for your help with this!
Terry

Terry, I am going to write the instructions of what I did and post a screenshot. It will be in baby steps because that is how I do things, lol.
1. open image
2.duplicate
3. put a new blank layer on top
4. now select the gradient tool, you want to use to black/white to transparent one. If you want white change your foreground color to white. Use the linear gardient, reverse and a low opacity. I used around 50%
5. draw fron the inside of image to the edge, however far you want it to fade. Oops make sure the blank layer is highlighted. To this to all sides of the image. If you don't like any part just do an undo or delete the blank layer and start over. If you want the white to be darker just up the opacity on the gradient. You can also adjust the opacity of the blank layer
If you have any questions on this, give a holler

Terry, I am always fond of saying, "The great thing about Elements is that there are so many different ways to do the same thing."

This is something I learned just this week as part of a tutorial for something different (fill with black to create a vignette). I read your post and had the idea that filling with white would produce the fade you are after. Hey, it worked

Fade_Edge.jpg (176.25 KiB) Viewed 1226 times

Look at your image to see "how big" it is. Image > Resize > Image Size ( then click "Cancel", you don't want to change anything). This image had been cropped down to a square, 1036 x 1036 pixels

Now select your Rectangular Marquee Tool. On the top toolbar set feather to about 10% of your shortest side. 10% of 1036 = about 100 pixels.

Draw the rectangular selection exactly along the edges of your image. Just start at one corner and drag to the opposite corner. You will see rounded corners - that's what you want; that's because of the feather. Now, do Select > Inverse

Now create a new layer (and that blank layer will become your active layer) and fill that selection with white: Edit > Fill Selection. Now, deselect.

Every time you hit Ctrl-J that "white filled selection layer" will be duplicated. Just keep at 'till you think you have gone too far. Either delete that top layer or reduce the opacity.

Pretty slick -- and super simple.

Rusty

Hey, neat one, Rusty

I have been using quite a lot of black vignettes. Another approach...
fill the upper layer with white. reduce the opacity until you can see your lower layer.
use the lasso tool to draw a loose selection. Give it a real heavy feather. 125- 145.
press delete. then bring the opacity back until you like it.

I like Rusty's method.......... and worth remembering that you could fill that Selection with a pattern (from your Presets > Patterns folder) and also try it in different blend modes, all directly from Edit > Fill Layer or Fill Selection.