Facebook allows users to customize their profile pictures by adding frames, which can be a fun way to show support for causes, celebrate holidays, or just decorate your profile. There are different ways to add frames to your Facebook profile picture, but you cannot create a completely custom frame yourself on Facebook. However, there are some options to add customized frames to your profile picture.
Using Existing Facebook Frames
The easiest way to add a frame to your Facebook profile picture is to use one of the many frames already created by Facebook. Facebook often releases special frames tied to holidays, events, causes, or even just for fun. To add one of these frames:
- Go to your profile page and click on your profile picture
- In the bottom left, click “Add Frame”
- Browse through the different frames available
- Click on a frame to preview it on your picture
- Once you find one you like, click “Use as Profile Picture” to set it
The selection of frames is always changing based on the current events, seasons, and holidays. So if you don’t see one you like, check back later for new options. This is the easiest way to quickly add a frame to your profile picture without any editing or customization needed.
Using Frame Apps
If you want more customization options, there are various frame apps you can use to add frames to your Facebook profile picture:
- PicMonkey: This is an easy-to-use online graphic design platform that lets you add custom frames to photos. You can choose from PicMonkey’s included templates or design your own frame.
- Canva: Another graphic design platform where you can customize frames and backgrounds to add to your Facebook profile picture. Offers many templates.
- Adobe Spark: This free graphic design app allows you to customize your Facebook profile frame. You can resize, reposition, and edit it.
- Instagram: You can use Instagram’s layout feature to add an Instagram photo with a customized frame as your Facebook profile picture.
- Facebook Frame Apps: There are dedicated frame editor apps like “FrameIt” that offer templates and tools to customize your Facebook frame.
The advantage of using these apps is that they give you much more creative freedom to personalize your frame design. However, it does require downloading an app and editing the photo yourself rather than just picking a ready-made frame on Facebook.
Designing Your Own Frame
If you want a completely custom frame that is designed exactly the way you like, you will need to use photo editing software like Photoshop, GIMP, or Illustrator to create your own frame image.
Here is a general process for designing your own custom Facebook profile frame:
- Start with a high quality profile photo you want to use.
- Decide on a frame size that will fit around your photo nicely.
- Create a new blank document in your photo editor set to the frame size.
- Use the software’s tools like shape tools, brushes, textures, and more to design your custom frame.
- You can create a flat frame design, distressed wood, flowers, patterns, or anything you can imagine!
- Place your profile photo in the center over the frame and flatten the layers.
- Export the finished framed photo as a high quality JPG.
- Upload this image as your new custom profile picture on Facebook.
This takes more design skill and effort, but allows you to create a completely unique frame tailored exactly to your preferences. The end result looks seamless on your profile once uploaded.
Using Custom Frame Apps
There are also apps that allow you to customize a Facebook frame with your own photos and designs:
- InstaFrame: Upload your own photos or designs to create highly customized Facebook frames.
- Fotor: This photo editor allows you to upload your own frame shapes and backgrounds.
- OVER: Make stylized frames using your own photos and the app’s templates.
- Framer: Offers templates and tools to turn your photos into customized frames.
These apps make the process easier than designing completely from scratch in Photoshop. However, they limit you to whatever templates and tools are available in the app.
Using Facebook Cover Photo
An alternative to framing your profile picture is to add a customized frame design to your Facebook cover photo instead. This allows you to use a large customized header across your entire profile:
- Create your frame graphic at the correct Facebook cover photo size (820×360 pixels).
- Again, you can design your own in Photoshop or use a template app.
- Upload the framed cover photo image to use as your cover photo.
- You can keep your profile picture normal without a frame.
This allows you to have a big custom header with more visible detail, rather than just a small profile picture frame. The downside is that your profile picture itself will not have the customized frame on it.
Are Custom Frames Allowed?
Using a custom designed frame or app should be fine and does not violate any Facebook policies, as long as the frame:
- Does not contain nudity, hate speech, or other offensive content
- Is not being used to impersonate someone or mislead people
- Does not heavily promote commercial products or services
As long as your custom frame meets Facebook’s community standards, there should be no issues. Many users employ apps and editing tools to customize their profile and cover images.
Conclusion
While Facebook itself does not offer tools to make completely custom frames, there are several ways you can add customized frames to your profile picture or cover photo. Using Facebook’s built-in frames requires no editing. Third party apps allow easy customization with templates. For full control, graphic design software provides the most options for creating your own unique frames. With all these solutions, you have lots of possibilities to frame your profile with a personalized touch.