How to outline a drawing in Photoshop. How to easily outline text in Photoshop using two simple methods? How to add text in Photoshop

In this lesson we will learn how to create multi-layered strokes for text using a Photoshop tool called a smart object. For my work, I use the version of Photoshop CS5, but you can use any version of this program, starting with CS2.

Here is the end result of this tutorial. You may get completely different color results depending on your needs, taste or mood, but the steps to create such an effect will be the same.

So let's get started!

Step 1

Let's write the text that we will work with in the future. Let's create a new layer using the tool Text(Text Tool) write the word “style”. Background color is black.

This is what the layers panel looks like at this stage of our work:

To add the first stroke to our text, click on the icon Layer Styles at the bottom of the layers panel.

Select a style from the drop-down list Stroke(Stroke).

In the dialog box that opens, select the color of our future stroke in the submenu Color(Color):

In the color palette that opens, select the color we like. I chose a light blue shade since my text is originally dark blue.

Once you have selected the color, click OK.

Click OK. This is what we get after adding the first stroke to our text:

Step 2

Now I'm planning to add a second stroke to the text, but by default Photoshop doesn't allow you to add multiple stroke lines using a layer style. If we reopen the Layer Styles dialog and try to change the color and size of the stroke, the program will change the existing stroke of our text.

Then I converted the text layer to Smart object. The smart object acts as a virtual container, by placing our text in it with the first stroke layer, we can add a second line!

To do this, click on the icon at the top of the layers panel, as shown in the screenshot:

Select the option from the drop-down menu Convert to Smart Object(Convert To Smart-Object)/

After converting the layer to Smart object, the following icon will appear in the lower right corner of the layer preview:

Step 3

Let's add a second stroke line. To do this, click again on the Layer Styles icon at the bottom of the Layers panel and select the option Stroke(Stroke).

The Layer Style dialog box will open again Stroke(Stroke). Just like in the previous step with adding a stroke, choose a stroke color and size that suits you. I chose blue color and stroke size of 10 px.

When finished, click OK to close the Layer Styles dialog box.

This is what I got by adding a stroke to a smart object with text inside:

Step 4

Repeat the previous two steps to add the required number of stroke lines to your text. Before adding a new stroke line, don't forget to convert your layer to Smart object and everything will work out for you.

Click OK to close the Layer Style dialog box. And now I have three stroke lines around the text. It looks like I added a triple stroke to the text, when in fact I only applied one stroke directly to the text itself, with the middle stroke line going to the first smart object and the top stroke line to the second smart object.

This is how you can easily and very simply add any number of strokes to your text using just a layer style Stroke(Stroke) and Smart objects(Smart-Object) Photoshop program.

I hope you liked the lesson, good luck in your creativity!

Lesson.
Let's say that our outline was created from a text layer.

Step 2: Create a Layer

For the stroke you need to create a separate layer. The stroke will not be applied directly to the text or vector shape layer.

Step 3. Stroke the outline

In Photoshop, a contour can be outlined using several tools: Brush (",this,event,"320px");">Brush Tool), Eraser (",this,event,"320px");">Eraser Tool), Finger (", this,event,"320px");">Smudge Tool), Burner (",this,event,"320px");">Burn Tool), etc. But the most commonly used tool is the brush. Now I'll show you how to outline text using . Use the Horizontal Type Tool (",this,event,"320px");">Horizontal Type Tool) to write some text.

Select the Path Selection tool (

",this,event,"320px");">Path Selection Tool), select the text, right-click and select Stroke Path. In the window that appears, select Brush.

Style dialog box in Russian and English Photoshop:

Size

Using this slider you can change the thickness of the stroke, the values ​​​​are indicated in pixels

Position

The option interface is designed as a drop-down list consisting of three items that specify the position of the stroke relative to the edge of the object:
Outside - the stroke is located outside the edges of the object
Inside - inside the edges
From Center - the middle of the stroke coincides with the edge of the object

This is all clear. And now about the subtleties of interaction with other styles. In the figure below I have given examples. The stroke is partially covered by the Bevel and Emboss layer style, but in turn, the stroke overlaps the outer Drop Shadow, and the Pattern Overlay and Color Overlay styles do not overlap it :

Blend Mode

Sets the stroke blend mode for the layer being used and the layers underneath it. Operates on the principle of conventional layer blending modes.

Opacity

This option adjusts the transparency of the stroke. This is all clear, but there is also one feature here.
If the stroke is set to "Inside" or "From Center", then at 0% opacity it will hide the contents of the layer it overlaps. This can be seen in the example below. The top text has no style applied, the middle text has a stroke set to "From Center" with 100% opacity, and the bottom text has the exact same stroke applied, but with 0% opacity.

Fill Type

This option controls the padding of the Stroke. Filling can be of three options: Color, Gradient, or Pattern.
Each of these options gives us additional options for designing the stroke:

With option "Color" everything is clear - it makes a solid monochromatic fill, the color is selected by clicking on the rectangle located to the left of the drop-down list.

"Pattern" Fills the stroke with a pattern (ready pattern) based on the Pattern Overlay layer style.

Option "Gradient" Fills the body of the stroke with a gradient fill. This is where, perhaps, Photoshop provides us with the greatest number of creative options.

First of all, we can set up a gradient fill. This can be a simple two-tone option, or a complex set of colors for special effects, such as metal. Checking the "Inversion" checkbox will rotate the direction of the gradient by 180°. The gradient is configured in the same way as in the Gradient Overlay style.

But there is one important addition here, this is an additional gradient style - "Shape Breakdown", in English versions - "Shape Burst":

This option directs the gradient perpendicular to the edge of the shape or layer to which the style is applied. Using it we can get stripes along the contour of the layer. This style is applied to the bottom text in the image:

Saving and Loading Default Layer Style Settings

Saving and loading default values ​​is the same as for a layer style.

When processing and creating images with and without captions in a graphics program, it is often necessary to highlight the boundaries of objects, separate them from the background, or simply draw an outline. For all this, you can use a stroke in Photoshop or paint along the contour with a brush. This article is devoted to how to do this.

Two ways to create a stroke

There are two ways to make a stroke in Photoshop: selecting the boundaries of the layer using one of the specially provided effects and drawing a vector outline. The first method is most often used to visually emphasize the boundaries of objects and to separate them from the background (most often this is necessary, for example, to highlight text on a colorful background). The second method is used more for drawing, especially when creating clear geometric shapes.

Stroke a layer in Photoshop

Stroke in Photoshop primarily refers to a layer effect. This layer can be either an image, a fragment of it, or letters written with the Type tool.

To apply this layer stroke effect, you need to do the following.

1. Select layer.
2. In the menu item of the “Editing” tab, select “Stroke”.

A dialog box will open where you will need to configure the stroke parameters and confirm the command by clicking the “Yes” button. A stroke will be created in Photoshop, the corresponding layer will be outlined, its borders will become visible.

Stroke parameters are easy to adjust, and there are quite a lot of possibilities here. This includes adjusting the line thickness, choosing a color, and setting where the line should go:

• along the layer boundary from the outside;
• so that the border is its center;
• along the border inside.

You can also set the mode - like any fill (color, pattern or gradient). By combining these and other program tools, it is easy to achieve a wide variety of effects.

The great thing about this stroke method is that its parameters can still be adjusted later, so you can return to this layer effect as the image as a whole changes. Let's say, if you decide to lighten, and the stroke no longer harmonizes with it, it can be adjusted and adjusted.

Its second advantage is that this effect can be copied and applied to other layers or other images, or new ones can be created based on it.

Another Stroke Dialog Box

The second way to stroke a layer is to select the “Layer” menu item, and then “Layer Style”. A window will open showing all the parameters that can be set to the layer style. Among them you need to select “Stroke”.

The same window with styles is called up by clicking the “Add Layer Style” button in the “Layers” window.

Calling this general window with styles through the menu, of course, is not very convenient, and if you use stroke often, then for dynamic work you should set a key combination for this window.

To do this, go to the “Editing” menu, then “Keyboard Shortcuts”, find one of the above paths through the menu items and set a combination that is convenient for you.

The reason for the existence of two Stroke dialog boxes

The two alternative windows for creating a layer effect are similar to each other, so many people are confident that they are working with the same tool. However, this is a misconception. The fact is that these are different windows that create different strokes, and it is by combining these two commands that you can draw two adjustable paths around the same layer. This is especially often required for outlining text.

Stroke along the contour

How to make a stroke in Photoshop? The second way is to create an outline and draw it.

In Photoshop, a path is a vector line that specifies the direction of brush movement. That is, stroke in this case is drawing with the selected brush along a given path.

Use the Selection Tool, Lasso Tool, or Magic Wand Tool to select the portion of the image you want to trace. Through the “Window” menu item, call up “Outlines”. In this window, find the “Make a work path from the selected area” button. In the Tools panel, select the Brush tool and set its parameters (shape, color, etc.). Then in the Paths window, click the Stroke Path with Brush button. The area you previously selected will be outlined. After this, delete the outline.

Thus, to stroke along the contour, you do not need to create a new layer; it is enough to define a stimulating line along which the program will draw with the brush of your choice.

Please note that the stroke in this case will be placed on the layer you specify, including the new one.

Outlining text

The possibilities for customizing the Brush tool in Photoshop are very rich, because you can adjust the intervals, texture, dynamics of shape and color, etc. At the same time, this line will differ in maximum accuracy from drawing by hand, and this process will take much less time.

To outline text, you must first select its layer and then convert it - like a regular selection area - into an outline. After creating a new layer, you can experiment and draw along the line with any brush with any settings. Do not forget that for artistic purposes, you can apply various effects to the resulting stroke, as to a regular layer, place it above or below the text, change its transparency, etc.

The two methods of outlining described above are not interchangeable, but complement each other. The advantage of the first is that the line can be adjusted and then returned to the adjustment, as well as copied and applied to other layers, including in other files. The advantage of the second is that the stroke in Photoshop will look more artistic, since there are no restrictions in the choice of brushes.

In this article, we'll look at how you can create an outline for text or an object in an image in Photoshop. This is not at all difficult to do and will take little time. Now you will see this.

How to make a text outline in Photoshop

Let's start with the fact that make an outline for the text in Photoshop. You can have an image with text written on it, or you can create the text yourself by choosing the appropriate size and font.

I wrote the following text using the Horizontal Type Tool and selected the settings for it that are highlighted in the image below.

Now we need to select our text. You can read about different selection methods by following the link. Since the text is monochromatic and has quite a contrast to the background, I will use the Magic Wand Tool.

In the tool settings, select the value “Tolerance” - selects an area with pixels of similar color, and uncheck the box next to “Contiguous” (Adjacent pixels). By unchecking the checkbox, you can immediately select all pixels of a similar color in the entire image, even if areas with a similar color are located in different places.

Click on the text with the Magic Wand. As a result, it will be highlighted. If we left the checkbox next to “Contiguous” (Adjacent pixels), then only one letter we clicked would be highlighted, and we would have to click on each letter to select it.

Now let's circle the text. Place the cursor over the selected area and right-click on it. Select "Make Work Path" from the context menu.

In the next window, set the tolerance value to “Tolerance” and click OK.

The text will be outlined with a thin line. To see it, in the layers panel, hide the layer on which the text is written - remove the eye in front of it.

Make the text layer visible again. Now you need to create a new layer. To do this, in the layers panel, click on the “Create a new layer” button.

Leave the created layer “Layer 1” selected.

You can make a contour in Photoshop using various tools: “Brush Tool” (Brush), “Eraser Tool” (Eraser), “Smudge Tool” (Finger) and others. But before you do it, you need to configure the necessary parameters for the tool.

We will create an outline using the Brush Tool. Therefore, select it on the toolbar and set the desired parameters. I chose a stiff brush size 7 in light green.

After that, select “Path Selection Tool” from the toolbar.

Click inside the selected path and select “Stroke Path” from the menu.

In the next window, from the drop-down list, select the tool with which we will make the contour. Select the tool that you configured in the previous step. For me it’s the “Brush Tool”. Click OK.

The text will be outlined. In the example, with a light green brush.

To remove the thin gray line that originally outlined the text, press Backspace. In the picture, a dark stripe is visible through the light contour - this will remove it.

That's all - we made an outline for the text in Photoshop.

You can save an image on a transparent background, and then add it to any other one, without a white background. Read the article by following the link.

For this example, this is done like this: unlock the “Background” layer, delete the “Background” and “site” layers, save the image in *.png or *.gif format.

How to make an outline for an image

Now let's consider how to make an outline for an object in an image. Let's create an outline for this rose.

You can create an outline of anything: a person, a building, an animal.

Open the image or photo in Photoshop. Now you need to select the object. I'll use the Quick Selection Tool.

Select it and click on the rose. If an unnecessary part of the image is mistakenly selected, hold down “Alt” and click on it with the mouse to subtract this area from the selection.

When you select the desired object, right-click on it and select “Make Work Path” from the menu. Our rose will be outlined with a thin gray line.

In the layers palette, create a new layer and leave it selected.

Now proceed to setting up the tool with which you will make the outline. I will have a “Brush Tool” (Brush) size seven, black.

Select “Path Selection Tool” from the toolbar. Click the mouse inside the selected path and select “Stroke Path” from the menu.

In the next window, select the tool you configured.

If you turn off the visibility of the main layer, you get the following. You can delete a thin gray outline line using the Backspace key.

Now, with a thin brush, let's draw some outlines inside the image. Turn on the visibility of the rose layer.

We will draw on the layer where the outline is selected, so “Layer 1” should be active.

I chose black for the brush, size 4, and traced all the lines inside the rose.