Rounded corners in Photoshop Elements

June 5, 2006 / Filed under:

Rounded corners is a desired effect for pictures, web graphics, or just about any type of image.

Pain in the Tech wrote tips on how to create rounded corners in Photoshop CS and rounded corners in GIMPShop, both tips have been quite popular.

This article will introduce a method to create rounded corners in Photoshop Elements (version 4.0, Windows). Photoshop Elements is much less expensive alternative to the full version of Photoshop.

Rounded corners in Photoshop Elements

Elements costs around US $90, as opposed to Photoshop, which retails for about US $650. Elements includes many of the great capabilities of Photoshop, so you won't be without features. You can download a trial version of Elements, which lasts for 30 days.

Draw the rounded rectangle

To begin creating rounded corners, select the layer that your image or artwork resides on.

Choose the Rounded Rectangle tool:

Screen shot of Photoshop Elements

Set your rounded rectangle preferences:

Screen shot of Photoshop Elements

On a new layer, above your image layer (the layer that you want to add rounded corners to), draw the rounded rectangle anywhere on the canvas.

If there is a "fill color" inside your rounded rectangle, change the opacity to 0%, in the Layers palette:

Screenshot of Photoshop Elements

You should now have a rounded rectangle "highlight" around your canvas.

Screen shot of Photoshop Elements

Choose "Make Selection"

With the rounded rectangle tool still selected, right-click anywhere on the canvas. Choose "Make Selection."

Screen shot of Photoshop Elements

In the Make Selection dialog box, make sure Feather Radius is 0, and Anti-aliased is checked.

Screen shot of Photoshop Elements

Copy/Paste onto new canvas

Now, choose Edit > Copy Merged:

Screen shot of Photoshop Elements

Then choose New > Image from Clipboard:

Screenshot of Photoshop Elements

You should see your flattened image with rounded corners.

More Tips

You should now have your image on a new canvas, with the edges lining up to the side of the canvas:

Screen shot of Photoshop Elements

If you want to see the rounded corners a little better, increase the canvas size.

You can also add another layer, below the current layer, in order to change the background color.

Here is the example image, with rounded corners applied:

Screen shot of Photoshop Elements

Comments/Mentions

# jin li at 7/19/2006 1:13 pm cst

Your article was super helpful and much easier than my Photoshop Element 4 Collection book! Thanks!

# Mark at 7/30/2006 5:47 pm cst

Thanks for the tip! The others out there didn't work in all instances. Very nice.

# vicky at 9/19/2006 12:35 pm cst

Thank you SO much! There aren't very many tutorials that explain how to do this in Elements, and most of those didn't work. Thanks again!

# James at 1/6/2007 2:54 pm cst

After searching for 2 days, I have finally found the info I've been looking for. Best Explantion so far...Well Done James

# Deanna at 1/19/2007 11:39 am cst

I, too, have been trying to figure out how to do this for a couple of days and could only find information on how to do it in Photo Shop, not elements. Your tutorial was so easy to follow and worked like a charm. Thanks a ton!!!

# Lulu at 5/20/2007 6:24 am cst

Thank you so much! This was soooo helpful!

# Bill at 7/10/2007 2:16 pm cst

Outstanding tip on how to achieve rounded corners. I've been struggling, without success, on my own to figure it out. Your step-by-step tutorial was the answer!

# Whistle Ink at 3/29/2008 7:49 am cst

Hi,

Many thanks for this. I too was struhggling how to create rounded edges from a background / gradient.

This is quick and simple.

# bandonjan at 5/28/2008 12:02 pm cst

Thanks for the tutorial, it was exactly what I needed. I went step by step and it worked beautifully.

# FullBuffer at 8/29/2008 6:27 pm cst

Thank you! This worked perfectly for me with PS Elements 6 by giving me exactly the guidance I needed! Thanks again!!

# Maureen at 12/8/2008 8:35 am cst

Excellent. Works for me first time!

# Misti at 2/28/2009 11:05 pm cst

Thank you so much for this tutorial! It was exactly what I needed.

# Jay Wright at 5/29/2009 10:27 am cst

Why do I not see a rounded rectangle tool on my Mac OSX Elements 6?

# Martin at 10/14/2009 6:45 am cst

Thanks. Would not have worked this out without your help.

# Jamie at 10/19/2009 12:36 pm cst

Yup thanks very much for this explanation!!

# joe friday at 2/5/2010 11:56 pm cst

thank you very much.i searched for a long time,but can't find it for pse. this one really works. i really thank you.

# rado at 8/26/2010 8:37 pm cst

thanks!