How to outline a selection with Stroke in Paint by Zaweba

A clean outline round a shape is tricky to draw by hand, and one that stays the same width all the way round is close to impossible. Edit > Stroke does it in one step: it traces the edge of your selection, or the edge of the artboard if nothing is selected, with a line of the width and colour you choose.

Paint by Zaweba shows a live preview while you set it up, so you can try widths and colours and see the result on the picture before you commit. It works on 8, 16 and 32-bit documents.

The options

Width sets the thickness of the line in pixels. Colour sets what it is drawn in.

Placement decides where the line sits in relation to the edge: inside, centre or outside. Inside keeps the line within the selection, so the outer size of the shape doesn't change, which is right for a border round a photo that has to stay a fixed size. Outside draws round the shape without covering any of it, which is what you want for an outline round a cut-out or text. Centre straddles the edge, half in and half out.

Blend mode and opacity control how the line mixes with what is underneath. A Multiply stroke at low opacity makes a soft shadow-like edge; a Screen stroke gives a glow-like rim.

Preserve transparency limits the stroke to pixels that already have content. That is useful when you want an inside stroke on a layer that has transparent areas, as the stroke won't spill into them.

Jobs it does well

Photo borders. Select All, then Stroke with inside placement gives a neat frame of exactly the width you set. For a classic print look, use a thin dark line, or a thick white one for a mount effect.

Sticker outlines. Select a cut-out, make a new layer underneath and stroke with outside placement in white. You get the familiar die-cut sticker look.

Highlighting part of a screenshot. A rectangular selection and a coloured stroke frames the area you want people to look at.

Text and logos. An outside stroke round lettering makes it readable on a busy background.

Tips for clean strokes

Stroke on a new layer. It keeps the outline separate, so you can move it, change its colour with a fill, lower its opacity or delete it without touching the artwork.

Soft selections give soft strokes. If the selection is feathered, the stroke follows that softness. For a crisp line, make sure the selection has a hard edge.

Corners follow placement. Outside strokes on a sharp-cornered selection can come out rounded at the corners, because the line keeps the same distance from the edge all the way round. Inside strokes keep sharp corners. Choose the placement with that in mind.

When to use something else

Edit > Stroke is a one-off operation: it paints pixels, and if you change the shape afterwards the stroke won't follow. When you want an outline that updates as you edit, such as round text you are still writing, use Layer Art instead, since its live effects stay editable. For vector shapes, the stroke settings in the Properties panel are the better route, with dashed and aligned strokes that remain fully editable.

For paths, the Paths panel can stroke a path with the current brush, which gives a painted rather than a mechanical line, handy for hand-drawn effects.

Stroke is the dependable, quick choice when you simply need a line round something now, and the live preview in Paint by Zaweba means you get it right first time.