The newly released Like A Frame 5.7 update brings a number of additions and visual improvements to the iOS app, including the ability to add a shine to the frame border, to offset the photo within the matte space inside the frame as well as adding the option for realistic “cast” shadows for non-rounded frames.

These updates make Like A Frame an even more visually stunning tool to use when mocking up photo frames, simulating photo galleries and creating attention grabbing layouts for social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Threads.

Frame Shininess Setting

To add a shine to your frames, open the Photo Frame setting then change the Shininess slider to adjust the level of shine to put on the photo frame border. You can drag the main area to adjust the angle of light for both the frame’s shadow and the direction of the shininess.

Matte Photo Placement

To move the photo within the matte area inside the photo frame, open the Photo Matte setting and drag the photo around with one finger. This setting is stored relatively and will adjust as you change other size settings. You can double tap within the Photo Matte settings to reset the position to the center of the matte.

Realistic Shadows

Up until Like A Frame 5.7, shadows have been rendered as simple offset blurs from the shape of the frame itself. This method is simple to implement as it relies on Apple’s built-in shadow drawing functions, however, it’s not quite as realistic as the way a shadow is cast in the real world.

Realistic Shadows creates a 6-sided shape that resembles a shadow cast from the frame that improves the realism of the composition.

To enable realistic shadows (not compatible with rounded corners), open the Frame Shadow setting and tap the yellow Realistic Shadows button. If you make the corners rounded, this will revert to the traditional shadow rendering.