In Photoshop, you can automatically add a colored outline around a selection or the content of a layer using the Stroke command. This is a quick way to create a defined border or outline effect.
Understanding the Stroke Command
The Stroke command allows you to paint a colored line along the border of a selection, the edge of a layer's visible content, or even a path. When used for outlining, it leverages these boundaries to create the outline effect.
Using Stroke on a Selection
To outline a specific area you've selected:
- Create a Selection: Use any selection tool (e.g., Marquee, Lasso, Magic Wand, Pen Tool) to define the area you want to outline.
- Access the Stroke Command: Go to the menu and select
Edit > Stroke. - Configure Stroke Options: A dialog box will appear where you can set:
- Width: The thickness of the outline in pixels.
- Color: Choose the color for your outline.
- Location: Determine if the outline is placed
Inside,Center, orOutsidethe selection border. - Blending Mode: Choose how the stroke interacts with underlying pixels (usually
Normal). - Opacity: Set the transparency of the outline.
- Apply the Stroke: Click
OK. Photoshop will draw the outline along your selection border according to your settings.
Using Stroke on Layer Content
You can also outline the visible pixels on an entire layer:
- Select the Layer: In the Layers panel, select the layer containing the content you want to outline.
- Load Layer Transparency as a Selection:
Ctrl+Click(Windows) orCmd+Click(Mac) on the layer's thumbnail icon in the Layers panel. This creates a selection around the opaque pixels of the layer. - Apply Stroke: With the selection active, go to
Edit > Stroke. - Configure and Apply: Set your desired stroke
Width,Color,Location, etc., and clickOK.
Important Note from Reference: As the reference states, to add an outline to the Background layer, you must first convert it to a regular layer. The Background layer contains no transparent pixels, so if you attempt to stroke it without conversion, the entire layer area will be outlined, not just specific content edges. To convert the background, double-click the "Background" layer in the Layers panel and click OK in the New Layer dialog.
Stroke Location Explained
The Location setting is crucial for how the outline appears:
| Location Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Inside | The stroke is drawn inwards from the selection border. |
| Center | The stroke is centered on the selection border. |
| Outside | The stroke is drawn outwards from the selection border. |
Choosing Inside or Outside often gives a cleaner look when outlining content, preventing the outline from overlapping the existing content boundary or bleeding inwards excessively.
Alternative Methods (Briefly)
While the Stroke command is the primary method for automatic outlining based on selections or layer content edges, other techniques exist for creating outlines or borders, such as:
- Layer Styles: Using the "Stroke" layer style allows for non-destructive outlines that update automatically if the layer content changes.
- Paths: Stroking a work path or saved path can also create outlines.
However, the most direct method described for automatically tracing an outline based on existing content or a selection is indeed the Stroke command.
