Learning to outline text in photoshop is pretty simple. It is one of the most basic photoshop effects you can do. There are several ways to outline text; however, it’s important to choose the most foolproof method that is easy for you especially if you are a beginner. The method we are going to be talking about today equips Layer Styles. The major benefit of this method is that all layers remain editable throughout.
Let’s break it down in steps so you can understand it better:
Step #1
The first step is obviously to create a document. You can choose whichever dimensions you want to work in; it all depends upon your project.
Step #2
Next, you need to select the type tool and click on your document. The text placeholder will appear with the dummy text which you can replace with your phrase or words of choice.
Step #3
Alongside replacing the dummy text with words of choice, you have the option of changing text size, font and colour to work with the background you’re working on. Furthermore, keep in mind the colour of the outline when changing the font colour, so it doesn’t just blend in.
Step #4
Now, you need to add a ‘stroke’ and to do so, and you need to spot the small fx icon located at the bottom and click it. Make sure to do this with the text selected. A ‘layer’ dialogue box will pop upon which you can select the option of layer styles and finally select stroke.
The stroke feature is incredible because, with it, you can essentially design the appearance of the text outline. You can select the size, width and colour of the outline according to preference. Here are a few other stroke features you could use some clarity on:
Position: You have three options for positions that are inside, outside and centre. These essentially decide where the stroke will be placed with respect to the edges.
Blend mode: So, adding a text to the canvas is equivalent to adding another layer on top of it. The blend mode feature essentially determines how the coloured stroke will work with the layer underneath it.
Opacity: As the name suggests, it is a measure of how transparent the stroke will be.
Fill type: This feature provides three different options; pattern, colour and gradient. The three have different effects and are quite fun to experiment with.
Step #5
Now, if you want, you can have an outlined text with no colour fill inside. This, however, is an additional and completely optional effect. You can do so by setting the fill value to zero per cent after selecting the text layer in the layers panel.
And that’s it you’re done! These are the basic steps you need to follow to outline a text. You can play around with the features and achieve different effects.
