Outline text in Photoshop Photoshop Tutorial

How to make outline text in Photoshop

How to create text with a metallic outline in Photoshop.

Step 1

Start with a blank layer and some text, this will work for shapes too.

Step 2

Right click/Cmd click on the layer name in the layers pallette. Select rasterize layer. Ctrl/Cmd click on the layer thumbnail to select the type.

Step 3

Create a new blank layer.

Edit>stroke. I added a 6 pixel stroke here. Make the location center.

Click ok.

Ctrl/Cmd click on the layer thumbnail to select the new stroke.

Photoshop Stroke dialog set to 6 pixels, black, Center location, to outline the text

Step 4

Outline of the OUTLINE text with the bottom text layer hidden in the Layers palette

In the layer palette, turn off the bottom layer, you should see the outline now.
Using the gradient tool: foreground to background linear – Black to white. apply a gradient to the selection.

Step 5

Photoshop Stroke dialog set to 1 pixel, black, Outside location for the second stroke

Now apply the stroke again, this time 1 Pixel and set to outside.

Step 6

To make the gradient look like metal, use our favorate curves trick.

Image>adjust>curves, use a similar curve to what is shown here.

Photoshop Curves dialog with a wave shaped curve used to give the outline a metallic look

Step 7

Close up of the OUT letters with a chrome metallic outline after applying Curves

Now display the bottom layer again and fill with a color or a gradient to get this result.

Step 8

Blue gradient filling the OUTLINE text with the chrome outline layer above it in the Layers palette

For a little extra depth apply a layer style to the outline, use a dropshadow.

Step 9

Finished outline text in Photoshop, blue gradient letters with a chrome outline and drop shadow

Here is the result.

Step 10

Variation of the outline text effect using only the chrome outline and a drop shadow

Another variation is to hide the fill and just use the outline with a dropshadow.

Step 11

Inverted outline text variation, glowing chrome letters on a black background

Here is yet another variation. This is just the previous image inverted. Ctrl/Cmd+I Note for this to work, you must flatten the image first.

Step 12

Chrome outline text variation over a streaky bright blue background

Here is another variation. Play around with this effect and have fun.

See you in a week with another new tutorial.

Beveled outline text with a Layer style

Here is a newer versions of the effect that I have created with a layer style

Also see the tutorial on creating a metal wire text effect as shown here

10 comments

Brian Su March 12, 2016

Why thankye kindly. This was well laid out and extremely helpful.

Reply
MaximMillion March 17, 2016

Sounds like a lot to do for a simple outlining of text. Seems like a rather large oversight for PS to not have something so simple

Reply
1. Colin Smith Author March 17, 2016
  
  How hard is it to download an apply a preset? Pretty simple to me.
  
  Reply
  1. MaximMillion March 23, 2016
    
    What would be easier is if PS has a stroke feature in the text tool box. I have since found a simpler way to do it than explained here, but I don’t see why it couldn’t be implemented into a toolbox before rasterizing the layer.
    
    Reply
    1. Daniel O'Reilly June 18, 2016
      
      That is how Paint Shop Pro always used to do it. It’s a headache to do it with PS.
      
      Reply
    2. Colin Smith Author June 18, 2016
      
      Don’t forget this is the old way, they new way is here http://photoshopcafe.com/wire-text-photoshop-tutorial
      
      Reply
sayeh December 21, 2017

Why does this look like it’s from Windows 2000? I don’t think the version of photoshop around in 2016 is compatible with anything older than Windows 7 so why was this out of date tutorial posted?

Reply
1. Colin Smith Author December 24, 2017
  
  Because I made this tutorial a million years ago, we have been around since 2000 😉
  
  Reply
Some guy March 24, 2019

Why not delete or update this page since the info is over ten years out of date? Seriously.

Reply
1. Colin Smith Author March 28, 2019
  
  There is a link at the top to the CC version. Many people are on older versions and still find this tutorial very relevant, that’s why.
  
  Reply