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Wanna Learn How: Create an Outline in Photoshop

January 11, 2012 Author: Deena Boese Categories: Techniques

Hey RP fans! Deena Wuest from Creating Keepsakes magazine back at the table with another Photoshop tutorial!

I was recently talking with a reader who was scratching her head over how to create outlines in Photoshop. She told me that she learned how to use the Rectangular or Elliptical Marquee Tool along with the Stroke command to create square or circle outlines. But it stopped there. She couldn’t figure out how to create an outline from any additional shapes. So today let’s talk outlines!

They’re actually very easy to create. Here’s how!

1. Create a new Photoshop document and use the Custom Shape Tool to create a desired shape.
2. Right-click (Control+click on a Mac) on the image layer in the Layers palette and select Rasterize Layer.
3. Hold down the Control key (Command key on a Mac), and click on the image’s layer in the Layers Palette. You will now see selection marquee, or “marching ants,” around your image indicating the selection is active.
4. In the menu bar, choose Select > Modify > Contract.
5. In the Contract Selection dialog, enter the amount of pixels you wish to contract. The higher the pixel number, the thicker the outline will be.
6. Tap the Delete key to erase the parts of the image inside the selection marquee.

And now you know!

I used this process to create the talk bubble outlines in this layout…

As seen in the May 2009 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher.

…and the rounded square outlines in this mini album.

As seen in the September 2011 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher.

Try using outlines to define a focal point, as a page boundary, a frame, or even to create a title. I hope you have fun experimenting with creative ways to use outlines in your layouts and projects!

For easy reference, I’ve included a PDF handout you can download and add to your “Wanna Learn How” library. And as a special gift, I’ve also included this word art graphic you can download for free and use on your next project!

As always, we want to hear from you! Have you seen a digital technique that made you say, “Oooh! I wanna learn how to do that!”? Leave a comment to let us know what techniques you want to see here.

I have a free one-year subscription to Creating Keepsakes magazine in my hands that will go to one random (and lucky) commenter. So be sure to drop us a line to be entered in the drawing! Good luck!

Downloads

How to Create an Outline
Word Art Graphic

Deena Boese

Deena Boese is a Contributing Writer for Creating Keepsakes magazine and enjoys designing both digital and hybrid projects for each issue. She was first published with Creating Keepsakes in early 2007. Deena has a passion for story-telling and graphic design, and brings these elements into her digital and hybrid scrapbooking.

47 thoughts on “Wanna Learn How: Create an Outline in Photoshop”

Elise on January 11, 2012 at 9:27 am said:

Thanks so much! I cannot wait to give it a try!
Jennie on January 11, 2012 at 12:50 pm said:

I’ve wanted to try digital scrapbooking for awhile now. I think I can do this!
Beth S on January 11, 2012 at 12:50 pm said:

This is definitely a great idea. I have to give it a go and see how I make out with it.
Mary on January 11, 2012 at 12:52 pm said:

I am new to digital scrapping. This is a great technique. I’d also like to learn the “Andy Warhol” technique ( I don’t know what the technical term is called). I saw it in one of CK’s issues that drew inspiration from art!
Erika Hayes on January 11, 2012 at 12:55 pm said:

Deena may I just borrow you for a few weeks.. come on over to my house — and you can just pour your knowledge into my head.. I really want to learn the ways of the digital scrapper but just can’t seem to figure it all out.. so really I am gonna borrow you tell your family you are moving to AZ of a few weeks K!
Blessings
e
Heather S. on January 11, 2012 at 12:55 pm said:

This is fascinating. I love the crisp, clean effect it creates! I might have to give this a try, thanks.
Caroll on January 11, 2012 at 12:56 pm said:

How cool is that?! Thanks for the tips and the chance to win!
Stephanie on January 11, 2012 at 12:57 pm said:

Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try. I have been wanting to go digital for a while.
Nancy on January 11, 2012 at 12:58 pm said:

Thank you so much. I’m always looking for ideas for Photoshop. This will be fun and I can’t wait to try it.
Katie on January 11, 2012 at 12:58 pm said:

great technique!
ReneSD on January 11, 2012 at 1:01 pm said:

Now that was FUN! Thanks so much for sharing!
lea-maria on January 11, 2012 at 1:07 pm said:

I am just starting to try digital scrapbooking. I know how to edit photos and am starting more advanced things! Thanks for the tutorial!
Cari Cruse on January 11, 2012 at 1:07 pm said:

Fun & easy tutorial — nice job!
Dana Randall on January 11, 2012 at 1:08 pm said:

I’m so excited to learn a new technique. Thanks for sharing your expertise.
janet chinn on January 11, 2012 at 1:11 pm said:

I love how you have simplified this for me. I’m trying it right now! Thank you.
eunice on January 11, 2012 at 1:15 pm said:

This is a GREAT tutorial. I am always looking for instructions on using Photoshop. This is something I think I played around with before with not very good success. The layouts are fantastic, too.
Vivian K on January 11, 2012 at 1:21 pm said:

Thanks so much for the instruction. I really want to get comfortable scrapbooking digitally and in small doses like this, it would be so manageable to get it going!!!
Angela Dennison on January 11, 2012 at 1:22 pm said:

Thank you! Thank you! Thank You! I have been racking my brain trying to figure out how to make titles with outlines and this is just the trick I needed!
Megan A on January 11, 2012 at 1:26 pm said:

omg this is great! thank you! I fumble my way through photoshop and could not figure out how to do this!
Cindy Velasquez on January 11, 2012 at 1:33 pm said:

Thank you for the great information. I would love to win the one year subscription to Creating Keepsakes. Thank You!
Lisa Evans on January 11, 2012 at 1:40 pm said:

I love getting new tips for Photoshop. Thanks so much for sharing!
Crystal on January 11, 2012 at 1:45 pm said:

I love the look of the mini album!
Fiona N. on January 11, 2012 at 1:45 pm said:

Ooh! so that’s how you do it!
Thanks for sharing.
Rylea on January 11, 2012 at 1:53 pm said:

I love these tutorials Deena…and oh how I miss my most favorite magazine Digital Scrapbooking where Renee Pearson had posted all these type tips to learn how.…I still own mine and use them periodically. They were always so easy to follow as this one was. You Rock for sharing this with us. thanks again.…..
mollie on January 11, 2012 at 2:04 pm said:

thank you, thank you, thank you! i could not for the life of me figure out how to do this in PSE. i’ve been pulling everything into coreldraw to do outlines. this will make things so much faster! thanks!
LAU on January 11, 2012 at 2:08 pm said:

Thank you for showing this to us. I am going to try this for sure. Love the talk bubbles.
Judy on January 11, 2012 at 2:23 pm said:

I’m so trying this! Thanks for an easy-to-follow tutorial!
Mlightner on January 11, 2012 at 4:02 pm said:

I would like to know where everyone gets all their digital papers.
Melinda T on January 11, 2012 at 4:57 pm said:

Love it! Thanks for sharing!
Melinda T on January 11, 2012 at 5:01 pm said:

Hmm…not sure if I’m doing this right/wrong?!? But I’m not able to download the word art. Can someone please help me?! Thanks!
Allison Coldren on January 11, 2012 at 5:02 pm said:

I have been putting off learning my digital scrapbooking program for 2 years now!!! You make it all seem so easy — maybe I’ll try just a couple tricks out. Thanks!
Brenda Ebel on January 11, 2012 at 6:15 pm said:

Wow..you make it seem so easy..see, it IS possible to teach an old dog new tricks!!! Thank you!!!
Karen J on January 11, 2012 at 6:23 pm said:

Thank you for the great technique. Can’t wait to try it out.
Margie S (Nihao, Cupcake!) on January 11, 2012 at 6:35 pm said:

I would love to learn how to “cut” a unique-shaped image out of another image so I can use it on its own.
Brenda S on January 11, 2012 at 7:43 pm said:

Oh how terrific. Love, love, love clear, simple directions!
Thanks.
Cameo H. on January 11, 2012 at 11:00 pm said:

Great post! I would love to learn how to make those cool bracket shapes and other fun shapes myself in PhotoShop.
M. A. Latola on January 11, 2012 at 11:15 pm said:

I would love to learn how to make pattern papers.
eunice on January 11, 2012 at 11:41 pm said:

Oops! I didn’t read the instructions exactly. I posted already. But, I do have something I’d like to learn how to do. How do you make a template to repeat formatting? For example if I want to put 6 2x3 images into a 4x6 canvas to make mini pictures or if I want to make a filmstrip and do it over and over by just dropping in images.

Also, I can’t seem to download the word art image. Anyone else having trouble. When I click the “download” it goes to a slide show of images.
Dana Graham on January 12, 2012 at 3:18 am said:

Thanks so much for the download! Love this lesson! Already did it on a shape.

Dana
faygie on January 12, 2012 at 8:00 am said:

that’s a great one
Helen on January 12, 2012 at 8:13 am said:

I’ve been wanting to dabble in hybrid/digital scrapping for a while now but don’t know where to start! Would like to try printing some simple digital elements for starters, but in Word.
Wendy on January 12, 2012 at 10:12 am said:

I love your approach to a tutorial. Nice lay out clean not alot of extra stuff. I found your through a link on CS magazine which happens to be my favorite Scrapping magazine.
Love your Talk LO my grandson does the same thing, it is great to hear his voice makes me feel closer to him.
Kyla on January 12, 2012 at 12:33 pm said:

Thanks for the tutorial. I will definitely try it out.
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Betty O on January 14, 2012 at 1:36 pm said:

Great Tutorial. Thanks Deena.
Betty O on January 14, 2012 at 2:10 pm said:

I cant get the WA either.