Easy way to re-size photo and frame?

Question

I need to re-size a photo to a 2 X 2 inch size, add a frame around it and then add it into a PSE6 project. I'd like to maintain as much resolution as possible as well. I'll be doing this a lot with different sizes as well, I make birth announcements and invitations for people. What's the easiest way to do this? When I re-size the photo and then drag the layer over into another PSE6 project, it doesn't come across as the same size that it was.
Any help in simplifying this process would be much appreciated.
Thank you,
Mary

Answer 1

One possible approach:
Use the rectangular marquee with an aspect ratio set to 1:1 to select the bit from your photo you want in the frame. Edit>Copy
File>New from clipboard. Now go to image>resize and set to 300 pixels and 2 inches.
Assuming you want a 1/4" frame all around go to image>resize>canvas size and set the size to 2-1/2 inches with the anchor in the middle. Use the magic wand to select the border and make a new layer. Fill the selection with your frame color. Add a bevel, filters, etc.--whatever you do to make your frame.
(If the total size rather than just the photo was to be 2 inches you can do another image resize here)
Now select>all; edit>copy>merged; edit>paste onto your destination document.
I don't use crop too often. Cropping via paste with the marquee tool ensures that I don't accidently crop my original. Also, I like using the resize box because I can see how sizes and resolutions match up before I commit. Cropping vs resizing is a matter of personal preference.
The marquee tool will give you rounded edges if you enlarge it via modify expand or grow before stroking of filling. Also if you stroke it to the outside or center (even if unmodified). If you fill the marquee as drawn or stroke it to the inside you will get square corners.