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Here is an Amazing, Fast, Simple, and Easy to follow Photoshop Outline Tutorial that will help you create Color, Gradient, and even Pattern borders or outlines for your specific images, shapes, and text. This Photoshop Tutorial has only 10 steps and each one of these steps has its own sample image and detailed information to help you stay on track and understand everything that you need in order for you to add an outline, border, or stroke in your specific graphics.

1 – Go To ‘File’, then To ‘New…’, to create a new Photoshop File of 230 pixels wide by 165 pixels high. Just make your settings exactly as you see on the example image below.

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2 – Go To ‘File’, then To ‘Save As…’, and save your new Photoshop File as an outline-tutorial.psd. Just make your settings exactly as you see on the example image below.

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3 – Go To ‘Layer’, then To ‘New’, then To ‘Layer…’, to create a new Layer to work on, and name it ‘background’. Your ‘Layers’ window should look like this one.

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4 – Make sure that you have default Foreground and Background colors which are Black (#000000) and White (#FFFFFF). Then Click on a ‘Gradient Tool’ (it could be hiding with the ‘Paint Bucket Tool’). Then in the ‘Gradient Picker’ choose the ‘Foreground to Background’ gradient option. Choose ‘Linear Gradient’ Option. Choose ‘Normal’ Mode. Make Opacity at ’100%’. Uncheck ‘Reverse’ checkbox. Check ‘Dither’ checkbox. Check ‘Transparency’ checkbox. Then Click and Hold at the very bottom of your project window and drag in a straight line to the very top and release the mouse button there. You should have something similar or exact to what I have in my sample image.

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5 – Go To ‘Layer’, then To ‘New’, then To ‘Layer…’, to create a new Layer to work on, and name it ‘circle’. Your ‘Layers’ window should look like this one.

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6 – Click on an ‘Ellipse Tool’ (it’s together with the ‘Rectangle Tool’, ‘Rounded Rectangle Tool’, ‘Polygon Tool’, ‘Line Tool’, and ‘Custom Shape Tool’). Set your ‘Foreground Color’ to Red (#FF0000). Draw a perfect circle in the center of your project window (Hold Down ‘Shift’ and ‘Alt’ on your keyboard to help you with this). Also, make sure when you draw your circle that you look in the ‘Info’ window on the right so you can create this circle at 130 pixels wide and high.

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7 – Make sure that your circle Layer is still selected, and that you have default Foreground and Background colors which are Black (#000000) and White (#FFFFFF). Then, Go To ‘Layer’, then To ‘Layer Style’, then To ‘Stroke…’ In the Layer Style Stroke Options Set everything to match my settings as you see in the sample image below. Size = 2, Position = Outside, Fill Type = Gradient, Gradient = Foreground to Background with a Checked Reverse option. Then Click the OK button when you are done with your settings. Do you like this shortcut and tip? I loved it when I found out about it :) Guess what… you can do this to any layer, so whatever is in a specific Layer, then you can apply these similar settings to it. Let’s play with Text now.

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8 – Go To ‘Layer’, then To ‘New’, then To ‘Layer…’, to create a new Layer to work on, and name it ‘text’. Your ‘Layers’ window should look like this one.

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9 – Choose the ‘Horizontal Type Tool’, then type somewhere in the circle ‘outline’ then hit enter and type ‘tutorial’. Now choose the ‘Move Tool’ and align your text similar to mine and edit your ‘Character’ settings to match the ones I have in my sample image. Font Family = Arial. Font Style = Black. Text Color = Yellow (#FFFF00). Font Size = 20 pt. Leading = 20 pt. Make sure the ‘All Caps’ button is pressed. Anti-Aliasing Method = Crisp. In the Paragraph Settings Left Align Your Text.

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10 – Go To ‘Layer’, then To ‘Layer Style’, then To ‘Stroke…’ In the Layer Style Stroke Options Set everything to match my settings as you see in the sample image below. Size = 2. Position = Outside. Fill Type = Color. Color = Black (#000000). Then you can press the OK button and That’s it, you learned how to use Stroke in the Photoshop to add an amazing border or an outline to any text, shape, or unique image that is on its own layer.

Written or Posted by Vladimir Yasmenko

I am an Enthusiast of Computer Graphics, Web Graphics, SEO, and Codes. I love designing and developing my own websites and blogs. At the same time I love seeing and sharing about other professional, unique, and high quality designs that people make for their websites, graphics, and software.

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